Taiga Biome
The Boreal Forest
All About the Area
The Taiga is the largest biome in the world. It lacks diversity due to the harsh living conditions and is known for having acres and acres of the same species of tree. It is located in northern Canada, Asia, and Europe. The soil is thin and of low quality, which makes it even harder for plants to grow there. Fires are quite common and helpful because they rid the forest of old, sick trees.
Orchid
This flower uses the snow as insulation and protection.
Soapberry
The berries on this tree are poisonous, but can be used as soap for washing clothes. It doesn't need much water and has high tolerance for the cold. It can also withstand drought and wind among other difficulties, so this is a strong and sturdy tree!
Oak Tree
Though there are hundred of species of oak trees, they are are deciduous, which means they all shed their leaves in the fall and regrow them later. This prevents snow buildup and branch breakage but takes more energy.
White Pine
These trees are found all over North America. In the 1700's and 1800's they were harvested to make masts for ships. They grow quickly, which lets them set their roots before winter comes, and have needles instead of leaves.
Poplar
Also known as the cotton or aspen tree, the poplar tree is also deciduous. The roots are not deep and this can cause it to be pushed over by the wind. It prefers the moist part of the taiga and grows fast like the white pine. It is one of the best trees adapted to fire in this biome because it can create sprouts from limbs, stumps, or roots.
What Grows in the Taiga?
Plant Life
Most plants in the boreal forest are trees. Almost all of these trees are coniferous, or evergreens, which do not lose their leaves (needles) in the fall, however some deciduous species do live here. Their dark color absorbs more sunlight and allows the trees to get the maximum energy from photosynthesis. Their cone-like shape and flexible branches helps the snow slide off so it doesn't break the limbs. Because the roots are frozen in the winter and cannot transport water, the needles are covered in a waxy coating which decreases transpiration. Others sprout deep roots, develop thick bark, or find other ways to adapt.
Climate
The temperature in the taiga ranges from -54C to -1C in the winter and -7C to 21C in the summer. The winds blowing down from the Arctic contribute to the cold weather. Winter can last sic months, while summer is only fifty to one hundred days long. Because it is so close to the top of the earth and because of the tilt of its axis, the sun may shine for days at a time in the summer and there are very long nights in the winter. It may rain 30 to 85cm each year.
Moose
Some consider the moose a symbol of its habitat. In the winter, when the snow depth greatly increases, moose move to higher grounds. In the summer, they feast to prepare for the long winter. They moose's hardships are not cause by the cold but by the lack of food. They must decrease the amount of food to eat because much of it takes more energy to find than it gives.
Beaver
Hundreds of years ago, beavers were plentiful in the taiga. However in the 1600's, they were often hunted for their pelts to trade and are now an endangered species. They dam streams to create a sort of protective moat and their dams serve as a warm shelter for them during the cold months.
Wood Bison
These are incredibly large animals that feed on mostly grass, Their thick, dark coat protects them from snow and frost, which they shed and regrow in the winter. There are less than 5,000 bison in the wild and they are considered an endangered species.
Ermine
Don't let these little guys fool you; ermines are carnivorous and capable of catching animals larger than itself using its sharp teeth. The ermine's coat changes colors with the seasons and allow it to camouflage with its surroundings.
Red-throated Loon
This bird is also known as the Red-throated Diver due to its tendency to duck under the water while swimming. In the winter, it flies south to the Pacific Coast near southern California or the Gulf Coast by Florida.
What Lives in the Taiga?
Wildlife
There are far more species of animals than plants in the taiga, from moose, to showshoe hare, to the birds that feed on the mass of insects. These creatures must hibernate, migrate, or cope when the extremely cold winter comes around. The birds tend to fly south, while many mammals depend on fur to keep them warm and binge in the warm seasons when the produce is plentiful.
Trouble in the Taiga
The biggest threat to the taiga is logging, The forests are often cut down for firewood or to make paper products. These trees act as a home or source of food to many animals, and the destruction of the trees often leads to a decrease in numbers of populations. Pollution is another great issue. Acid rain, when falling water droplets falling from the air capture chemicals in the atmosphere and bring them down to water resources and into the soil. More water pollution is caused by mining and papermills. Global warning makes temperatures warmer in the southern parts of the biome. This provides an environment where deciduous trees can survive and overtake evergreens. The taiga is important to earth because it changes carbon dioxide to oxygen, which we breathe.
Talk in the Taiga-How Animals Interact
Fox vs. Possum
The fox is the predator and the possum is the prey.
Lynx vs. Lynx
This is an example of introspecific competition; they are competing for territory.
Bear vs. Fish
The fish is the prey and the bear is the predator.
Elk vs. Elk
Two elk males compete for a female, another introspecific competition.
Owl vs. Hedgehogs
The owl is the predator and the hedgehogs are the prey.
Ermine vs. Rabbit
The rabbit is the pray and the ermine is the predator.
Cooperation in the Taiga
- A lichen eats and breaks down the dead leaves of a Black Spruce Tree and creates nutrients for the tree
- Moss grows on a tree; the tree is protected and the moss gets a home
Bibliography
http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/taiga/
http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/taiga.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/impact/impact.taiga.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/08aug/00473/taiga.html
http://www.isleroyalewolf.org/overview/overview/moose.html
http://www.beaversww.org/beavers-and-wetlands/about-beavers/
http://www.ri.net/schools/West_Warwick/manateeproject/Taiga/plants.htm
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/ermine.htm
http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/409/_/Red-throated_Loon.aspx
http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature/trees/populusbal.html