BOREAL FOREST OR TAIGA Stefanny Wilches

Background of the Taiga Biome Taiga is a biome of the needle leaf forest. Living in the taiga is cold and lonely. Coldness and food shortages make things really difficult, mostly in the winter. Some species of the taiga biome for example the animals in the taiga hibernate in the winter, some fly south if they can, while some just cooperate with the environment, which is difficult.

Where on earth does taiga exist? Taigas are found in continents of North America, Asia and Europe. More specifically, taigas are found in the Western United States, Northern Europe and Asia, specifically Finland, Sweden, Russia, and Norway. Taiga is the Russia word for forest and is the largest biome in the world. Taiga is located near the top of the world.

The taiga stretches over Eurasia and North America

CLIMATE The boreal forest regions of subarctic and cold continental climate. The winters are long and severe up to six months with temperatures below freezing. Short summer 50 to 100 frost-free days, temperatures range as low as 20 degrees fahrenheit also as high to 70 degrees fahrenheit. Annual precipitation is 30 – 85 cm (12-33 in). The forms the precipitation comes in are rain, snow and dew. Most of the precipitation in the taiga falls as rain in the summer.

Continuation of the Climate….. In the winter, raging blizzard pile snow into huge drifts that stay unmelted for more than six months of the year. In the central areas of Alaska and Siberia, far from the moderating influence of the sea, the seasonal temperatures fluctuations are the largest in the world.

Conditions Taiga is bordered to the north by the tundra, where no trees other than dwarf willows can grow because the summers are so brief. In the taiga there are generally 30 days or more when the light is sufficient and the temperature rises high enough 50 degrees fahrenheit or more for full size trees grow. High exposed ground and swampy regions within the taiga where trees cannot grow contain isolated islands of tundra, while tongues of taiga penetrate deep into the tundra in sheltered river valley and hallows.

Continuation of the condition…… Moving south from the tundra proper , there is a zone of forest tundra ranging from a few miles wide. To the south of the boreal forest lies either mixed or pure broadleaved forest or temperature grasslands.

The soil of the taiga Taiga soil are not very fertile for growing crops, and even if they were, there are not many crops that would be viable in the prevailing climate. The soil water is locked up as ice, expect during the short summer, when the topsoil thaws out. The interaction of the vegetation and the climate produces a soil type known as a podzol.

Pollution Acid rain is formed when pollutants, such as nitrogen oxide, from burning gas, and sulfur dioxide, from burning coal, are released into the air and mix with water vapor to form a cloud.

What is the consequences of acid rain on the taiga biome?? Toxic clouds are created and they become heavy with water and precipitation falls, the results can be devastating to vegetation, animals, and the land.

Endangered Species Siberian tiger Specific name: Panthera tigris altaica Description: Sharp teeth. Huge, retractable claws. Black stripes on long, orangish fur. The are endangered for the type of their fur.

Endangered Species CARIBOU This mammals Caribou are the only member of the deer family in which both sexes grow antlers. Those of adult cows are much shorter and are usually more slender and irregular. They have large, concave hoofs that spread widely to support the animal in snow and soft taiga. The feet also function as paddles when caribou swim. They are herbivores and nourish mainly from ground and tree lichens. They have poor eyesight, thus have to locate the food with their keen sense of smell. Caribou prefer treeless tundra and mountains, but many herds prefer winter in more sheltered areas like boreal forest (taiga). Caribou are in endangered for hunting.

Food Web of the taiga

Some Food webs Hazel grouse- Feed confiner needle and berries Moose- Feed on herbs ,shrubs, water plants in shallow lakes and bark. Hazel grouse- Feed confiner needle and berries Lynx- Vole, reindeer

Animals for the taiga biome Moose Brown bears Gray wolves Gnat Ermine

Plants in the taiga biome Black spruce White spruce Jack pine Western red cedar Western hemlock

Natural Resources Timber is main natural product from the taiga biome also located in Eurasia. Fishing located by the coast lines of Alaska, Canada help the animals survive also helps the economy of each country. Oil in the mountains of Alaska, Russia, and some parts of Canada.

References http://www.runet.edu/~swwoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/intro.html http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/char52466?db=TRAX http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/arctic/caribou.jpg http://www.harmony.ecisd.net/pape/webs/Taiga.jpg http://www.offwell.free-online.co.uk/tree_gallery/western_hemlock/western_hemlock_tree.jpg