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.