TAIGA

It is the world´s largest land, across Europe (Sweden, Finland, Norway and much of Russia), North America (Alaska and Canada) and Asia (Siberia and Japan).

It´s known as boreal forest in Canada but it´s also known as Taiga, a Russian word.

This biome typicall has short, wet summers and long cold winter. For six months of the year, the Taiga is below freezing. 

Temperatures can reach as low as -50ºC during the winter.

Precipitations comes in the form of fog and snow during the winter and there is a little rainfall during summer. 

It´s a very cold land.

In summer

In winter

Vegetation: it´s a coniferous forest. Trees are: many types of fires, spruce, pines, piceas and larches.

Plants grow slowly during the summer. On the soil there are also mosses, ferns and lichens. 

Soils are acidic, low on nutrients.

The trees have shallow roots, due to the thin soil.

Animals: 

Mammals: wolves, bears,  artic fox, muskoxes, also the Siberian tiger, eurasian lynx, wolverines, elks, mooses, mice,  and humans. 

Birds: Great grey owl, pheasant, white-tailed sea eagle and many types of migratory birds.

Siberian tiger

  

Great grey owl

Food Chain

Positive effects: The boreal forest represents 29% of the world´s forest, to date, only 12%  of boreal forest is protected. 

Negative effects: When humans cut down trees in Taiga, they take a very long time to grow. Wood is used to make paper. Also development of mines and extraction of gas and oil.

Toronto in Canada, and Moscow in Russia are located in the Taiga but most of this biome is uninhabited by people.