Taiga

We explain what the taiga is, also called “boreal forest”, its characteristics, climate, flora, fauna and various examples.

taiga biome forest conifers
The taiga is a cold climate forest biome, located in the northern hemisphere.

What is the taiga?

The taiga or boreal forest It is one of the biomes in which the largest forest mass on the planet resides composed almost entirely of coniferous forests. Its name comes from the Russian тайҕа, which means “land of small sticks.”

The taigas They are located in the cold northern regions of the northern hemisphere in the vicinity of the Arctic Circle, in northern Russia (including Siberia), Europe, Canada and Alaska (USA), constituting an intermediate biome between the steppe and the tundra. In the southern hemisphere there are no taigas, but their equivalent would be the Magellanic subpolar forest.

This is a very important biome for the planet's oxygenation and carbon fixation (that is, its cooling), given that The huge expanses of taiga forests absorb large amounts of CO2 one of the main greenhouse gases.

Features of the taiga

taiga biome forest characteristics lung greenhouse effect wood
In addition to being a source of wood, the taiga forest is one of the lungs of the world.

The origin of this biome dates back to the last portion of the Pleistocene (23,000 to 16,500 years ago) at the end of the last Ice Age. In a much colder world, its plant species were widely distributed in the world, but they decreased to the margin they occupy today, as the glaciers began their retreat 18,000 years ago.

The taiga is one of the lungs of the planet, along with the tropical rainforests. But unlike these, It does not have a great plant and animal biodiversity but is an example of life adapted to a cold, dry and hostile climate, a prelude to the frozen desert of the polar regions. However, It is an important source of wood for industrial use.

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Taiga climate

taiga biome forest climate winter snow ice
The species that live in the taiga are adapted to very cold winters.

The taiga climate presents a average temperature of 19 °C in summer, and a minimum of -30 °C in winter. That is, it is a frozen climate in which permafrost predominates. Precipitation averages 450mm annually.

For these reasons, the species that live in these regions are adapted to cold and drought. For example, the life of plants has a window of optimal conditions that lasts just four months.

Taiga flora

taiga biome forest conifer thorns flora
The needle-shaped leaves of conifers allow photosynthesis without water loss.

The dominant vegetation in the taiga is conifers sometimes of the same type, forming long extensions of forest. Its needle-shaped leaves deal well with freezing temperatures, losing little water. Furthermore, being evergreen (they do not lose their leaves in autumn), they can photosynthesize continuously and immediately as soon as the Sun appears.

Its heights are around 40 meters, with a pyramidal crown. Due to its bushy branches, there is little impact of sunlight on the understory and little life around it other than ferns, lichens and mosses. In general terms, the taiga is a biome with little plant biodiversity.

However, in the southernmost regions, where the climate becomes more benign, it is common for deciduous trees of different natures to appear (poplars, birches, willows, etc.) forming mixed forests.

taiga fauna

taiga biome forest fauna bear
The fauna of the taiga is adapted to the cold thanks to its abundant fur.

Similar to the flora, the fauna of the taiga is little varied and not abundant. It is composed almost entirely of species adapted to the cold climate, with abundant fur such as foxes, elk, mink, lynx, weasels and the top predators of the ecoregion, bears.

Small rodents abound such as mice, and rabbits or hares, as well as several species of birds. During the summer the weather improves considerably and then burrowing insects and worms appear.

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Examples of taiga

taiga biome forest example ural mountains russia
A large area of ​​the Ural Mountains in Russia is covered by taiga.

The main taigas of the planet are:

  • Slave Lake-Muskwa Forests, Canada.
  • Canadian Uruguayan boreal forests, in Canada.
  • Taiga of the Ural Mountains, Russia.
  • Eastern Siberian taiga, Russia.
  • Taiga and grasslands of Kamchatka, Russia.

Taiga and tundra

taiga biome forest tundra
The taiga usually precedes the tundra, but they are two very different biomes.

The taiga usually geographically precedes the tundra which is how the biogreographic regions near the poles are known. There the vegetation decreases in size due to the arid soil conditions (usually permafrost) and the very little rainfall.

Tundra is a form of plain without trees with soils covered in mosses and lichens with abundant peat bogs. They are common in the southern extremes of Chile and Argentina, near the Antarctic Circle, as well as the South Georgia, Auckland and Kerguelen Islands, and in the few areas of Antarctica that are not covered by ice.

In the northern hemisphere they can also be found, in the northern coastal extremes of Russia, Canada, Alaska and the European Arctic coast, as well as southern Greenland.

There are also three types of tundra, depending on its geographical location:

  • Alpine. Typical of mountainous regions.
  • Arctic. Typical of the Arctic region, more abundant in water and therefore in plant life.
  • Antarctica. Typical of Antarctica, much drier and with even less biodiversity.

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References

  • “Taiga” on Wikipedia.
  • “Taiga: Climate, fauna, flora and their characteristics” in OVACEN.
  • “Taiga” in National Geographic.
  • “Taiga” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.