BOREAL FOREST (Taiga)
Location
The distribution of boreal forest across the globe.
Similar to the tundra, boreal forest extends continuously around the northern part of Earth.
Boreal forest is located under the tundra biome:
Alaska
Central Canada
Europe
Northern Asia - Siberia
Boreal forest is located under the tundra biome:
Alaska
Central Canada
Europe
Northern Asia - Siberia
Climate
Although warmer than the tundra, the temperature here is still extremely cold. Winter in the boreal forest is both long and harsh with temperatures often going below freezing. On the other hand, summer here is both short and mild with temperatures ranging from -6 degree Celsius to 21 degree Celsius. The annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 75 cm, however; the air is still very dry due to the fact that the precipitation is mostly in the form of snow. Finally, boreal forest is considered a dry region since the water available are mostly frozen and unavailable for plants.
Wildlife
Boreal Forest is a coniferous forest.
Vegetation:
Boreal forest is a coniferous forest, conifers meaning cone-bearing evergreen trees. Conifers are like "Christmas trees"; some examples would be pines, spruces and firs. The trees here are definitely well suited for this type of environment; their shape (cone) allows the snow to fall off easier and guarantees that their branches will not break under the weight of the ice. In addition, the trees prevents most sunlight, if not all, from reaching the ground since they form a dense cover (canopy). The thin, acidic soil present is caused by the decay of fallen needles and cold temperatures.
Animal:
Not many animals are present in this biome due to 2 factors: extremely cold conditions and conifer cones. The animals that are present in here however, are able to consume the conifer cones. During winter, some species of animals hibernate while others migrate south to warmer parts. Some examples of animals here are squirrels, jays, elk, caribou, moose, deer, beavers, wolves, wolverines, and grizzly bears.