BOREAL FOREST By: Christian Liu and and Ashlee Rex Ashlee Rex

Abiotic Factors Snow, Water, and Precipitation – Boreal Forests get centimeters of precipitation per year but due to the fact that Boreal Forests have longer summers most of it occurs as snow. Soil - conditions are acidic due to the falling of conifer needles which lower the PH level of the soil nutrients in the soil is poor which thereby limits the growth of and types of plants that grow there high levels of liquid stored in the soil which are replenished by summer storms and do not fully evaporate causing swampy or marshy ground conditions Continued…

Abiotic Factors cont. Sunlight – Due to it’s far northern location boreal forests receive a wide range of sunlight amounts depending on the season from as much as 20 hours in the summer to only a few scarce hours during the winter. Temperature – Boreal Forests have long cold winters and short mild summers. Winter temperatures can be as low as -65 degrees!

How Abiotic Factors Affect Organisms Temperature – Affects organisms by causing them to have smaller extremities in order to conserve body heat in the frigid cold of the Boreal Forests. Precipitation – The snows of the Boreal Forest requires some animals to have adaptations for easy maneuverability in the deep snows of the region.

Biotic factors – Plants Conifers rule in the Boreal Forests, their adaptations to the acidity of the soil makes them the best suited for the environment, plus their needlelike leaves and their conical shapes help them conserve water and obtain sunlight most Conifers germinate with cones that carry their seed spores in protected casings.

Biotic factors- Animals Bears are common in the Boreal Forest, they are well suited for their life there with hibernation and a thick warm fur for survival. Foxes also make Boreal Forests their home they have small extremities and adapt well to different habitats.

Biotic factors - Animals A variety of birds also live in the Boreal Forests some examples of such include the Bald Eagle and the Long Eared Owl. They are able to survive due to their great ability to hunt rodents and other small mammals.

Unique properties of a Boreal Forest Biome The acidity of the soil means that only certain plants can live there and the soil is nutrient poor The frigid cold of the Boreal Forest is different from many other biomes meaning a variety of adaptations to the cold As you have learned earlier about the Boreal forests what other unique properties can you name?

Organisms of the Boreal Forest