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BOREAL
CONIFEROUS
EURASIA
FOREST
FREEZING
LONELY
RUSSIAN
TAIGA
TREE
WORD

Description

Taiga is a Russian word for “forest”. Taiga is the biome known as the needle forest. This biome is also known as the boreal forest because it’s very cold and lonely there. Boreal was the Greek Godness. Taiga is also one of the biggest forest known in the world. It stretches over North America and Eurasia. However, there is barely anyone living there because it's very difficult living there. There are not many plants and animals living there.

Geology

     Taiga soil is geologically young and generally lacking in nutrients. The thinness of the taiga soil is attributed chiefly to the cold climate, which impedes the development of soil and the facility with which planetlife can extract soil nutrients. Fallen leaves and moss can remain on the forest floor for a long time in the cool, moist climate, which limits their organic contribution to the soil; acids from conifer needles further leach the soil, creating spodosol. Since the soil is acidic due to the fallen pine needle detritus, the forest floor flora consists chiefly of lichens and mosses. The area currently classified as taiga in Europe and North America except Alaska was glaciated during the Wisconsin period. As the glaciers receded they left kettle depressions in the topography that have since filled with water, creating lakes and bogs especially muskeg soil found throughout the taiga. Specific soil types found in the boreal frozen taiga soils are frozen taiga (taiga ferruginous) and frozen bog and frozen solonetz (frozen soluds or frozen gleyey soluds). Specific soil types found in the boreal taiga and forest are taiga forest (podzolics), sod taiga (sod gleyey), and hydromorphic bog soils.

Ecosystems

     Many animals reside in the cone-shaped coniferous trees of the taiga. American Black Bears, Grizzly Bears, Snowshoe Rabbits, Moose, and the Gray Wolf are just some of the many animals that live in the taiga. These animals have special adaptations that help them survive in the harsh and cold weather of the taiga. For instance, many animals hibernate during the winter to keep warm. Some animals, like the ermine, have fur or feathers that change every season to help them camouflage. Many small animals live in the taiga too. Taiga is home to chipmunks, squirrels, and moles. The taiga is full of life.

Producers

  Coniferous trees take root in the taiga. Coniferous trees, or evergreens, are trees with long thin waxy needles. The wax gives protection from freezing temperatures and from drying out. Evergreens don't lose their leaves during the winter. They start photosynthesis as soon as the weather gets warmer. The dark color of the needles allows them to absorb the sun’s heat and start photosynthesis early. Evergreens in the taiga tend to be thin and grow close together. This gives them protection in the cold and against strong winds. They are shaped like upside down cones to prevent branches from breaking under heavy snow. Some Evergreens include Pine, White Spruce, Hemlock, and Douglas Fir. There are also many plants such as the Sphagnum Moss, Club Moss, and Lichen. Other organisms such as the Twin Leaf, Wild Lily of the Valley, and Bracken Fern. Most of these plants grow near the coniferous trees. The Crowberry Bush, Blueberry Bush, and Raspberry Bush provide food for animals that live in the taiga.