taiga
TRANSCRIPT
Taiga
Disambiguation
Taiga also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces and larches. A different use of the term taiga is often encountered in the English language, with "boreal forest" used in the United States and Canada to refer to only the more southerly part of the biome, while "taiga" is used to describe the more barren areas of the northernmost part of the biome approaching the tree line and the tundra biome.
Taiga ecoregions
Taiga ecoregionsPalearctic boreal forests/taiga
East Siberian taiga Russia
Iceland boreal birch forests and alpine tundra Iceland
Kamchatka-Kurile meadows and sparse forests Russia
Kamchatka-Kurile taiga Russia
Northeast Siberian taiga Russia
Okhotsk-Manchurian taiga Russia
Sakhalin Island taiga Russia
Scandinavian and Russian taiga Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden
Trans-Baikal conifer forests Mongolia, Russia
Urals montane tundra and taiga Russia
West Siberian taiga Russia
Romincka Forest Poland, Russia
Taiga ecoregionsNearctic Boreal forests/taiga
Alaska Peninsula montane taiga United States
Central Canadian Shield forests Canada
Cook Inlet taiga United States
Copper Plateau taiga United States
Eastern Canadian forests Canada
Eastern Canadian Shield taiga Canada
Interior Alaska-Yukon lowland taiga Canada, United States
Mid-Continental Canadian forests Canada
Midwestern Canadian Shield forests Canada
Muskwa-Slave Lake forests Canada
Newfoundland Highland forests Canada
Northern Canadian Shield taiga Canada
Northern Cordillera forests Canada
Northwest Territories taiga Canada
South Avalon-Burin oceanic barrens Canada
Northern Lake Superior Taiga United States, Canada
Southern Hudson Bay taiga Canada
Yukon Interior dry forests Canada
Climate
Subarctic climate
Lowest annual average terrestrial biome after tundra and permanent
icecaps
Short humid summers (typically 18˚C) and long cold winters (typically -20˚C)
High latitudes ensure little sun but long summer days (20h)
Polar nights and midnight suns are
common in arctic zone
Precipitation 200-750 mm annually some areas 1000mm
Recently glaciated creating depressions in the topography
SoilYoung and poor in nutrients
Thinness of the soil is due largely to the cold
Fallen leaves and moss can remain on the forest floor for a long time
Acidic due to the falling pine needles
Clearings in the forest and in areas with more boreal deciduous trees, there are more herbs and berries growing
Diversity of soil organisms are high
Flora
Bering land bridge
Largely coniferous some parts deciduous
Well adapted
Wildfire
FaunaBering land bridge
Small biodiversity
85 species mammals
300 species birds
130 species fish
32000 species insects
FireShaping the composition and
development of boreal forest stands
High-intensity crown fires or severe surface fires
50-200 years between fire rotations
ThreatsHuman activities
Climate change
Insects
Pollution
ProtectionBoreal Forest Conservation Framework
Wildfire suppression
Taiga rescue network
Replanting
Prohibition