Taiga Biome
The largest biome in the world
Description
It stretches over Eurasia and North America. The taiga is located near the top of the world, just below the tundra biome. The winters in the taiga are very cold with only snowfall. The summers are warm, rainy, and humid. A lot of coniferous trees grow in the taiga. The taiga is also known as the boreal forest. The taiga doesn't have as many plant and animal species as the tropical or the deciduous forest biomes. It does have millions of insects in the summertime. Birds migrate there every year to nest and feed.
Abiotic Factors
What plants live in a taiga?
White Poplar
Paper Birch Trees
Betula papyrifera have a thin bark that peels in horizontal layers which separates into sheets, almost like paper. Birch trees can grow in pairs or clusters.
Siberian Spruce
What animals live in a taiga?
River Otter
Bald Eagle
prefers to eat dead animals but will also eat live chickens or fish. They hunt in pairs and will steal food from other Eagles.
Long-Eared Owl
have strong talons for hunting. They turn their head from side to side and can even turn them so far that they
can see behind themselves.Blue-Spotted Salamander
Arctic Lamprey
a jawless fish in the order Petromyzontiformes. It inhabits coastal freshwater habitat types in the Arctic.
Red Fox
Ecological Warrior
The Balsam Fir trees are often cut down to be used as lumber. They are used to make logs for cabins, pulpwood, and even Christmas trees for the holidays. However, if they are cut away in too large of numbers then the taiga biome isn’t going to have that careful balance that it really needs for all living there to thrive.
Many regions of the taiga biome are threatened due to logging efforts. This is especially true in Russia and Canada. There are also issues with some of the insects living in these regions causing plagues among the trees. They can leave the trees brittle, prevent them from growing, and deplete them on the nutrients necessary for survival.