Transcript BOREAL FOREST OR TAIGA

BOREAL FOREST
OR
TAIGA
Stefanny Wilches
Background of the Taiga
Biome
• Taiga is a biome of the needle leaf forest.
• Living in the taiga is cold and lonely.
• Coldness and food shortages make things
really difficult, mostly in the winter.
• Some species of the taiga biome for
example the animals in the taiga hibernate
in the winter, some fly south if they can,
while some just cooperate with the
environment, which is difficult.
Where on earth does taiga exist?
* Taigas are found in continents of North
America, Asia and Europe. More
specifically, taigas are found in the
Western United States, Northern Europe
and Asia, specifically Finland, Sweden,
Russia, and Norway.
* Taiga is the Russia word for forest and is
the largest biome in the world.
* Taiga is located near the top of the world.
The taiga stretches over Eurasia
and North America
CLIMATE
• The boreal forest regions of subarctic and cold
continental climate.
• The winters are long and severe up to six
months with temperatures below freezing.
• Short summer 50 to 100 frost-free days,
temperatures range as low as 20 degrees
fahrenheit also as high to 70 degrees fahrenheit.
• Annual precipitation is 30 – 85 cm (12-33 in).
The forms the precipitation comes in are rain,
snow and dew. Most of the precipitation in the
taiga falls as rain in the summer.
Continuation of the Climate…..
• In the winter, raging blizzard pile snow into
huge drifts that stay unmelted for more
than six months of the year.
• In the central areas of Alaska and Siberia,
far from the moderating influence of the
sea, the seasonal temperatures
fluctuations are the largest in the world.
Conditions
• Taiga is bordered to the north by the tundra,
where no trees other than dwarf willows can
grow because the summers are so brief.
• In the taiga there are generally 30 days or more
when the light is sufficient and the temperature
rises high enough 50 degrees fahrenheit or more
for full size trees grow.
• High exposed ground and swampy regions
within the taiga where trees cannot grow
contain isolated islands of tundra, while tongues
of taiga penetrate deep into the tundra in
sheltered river valley and hallows.
Continuation of the condition……
• Moving south from
the tundra proper ,
there is a zone of
forest tundra ranging
from a few miles
wide. To the south of
the boreal forest lies
either mixed or pure
broadleaved forest or
temperature
grasslands.
The soil of the taiga
• Taiga soil are not very fertile for growing crops, and even if they
were, there are not many crops that would be viable in the prevailing
climate.
• The soil water is locked up as ice, expect during the short summer,
when the topsoil thaws out.
• The interaction of the vegetation and the climate produces a soil
type known as a podzol.
Pollution
• Acid rain is formed when pollutants,
such as nitrogen oxide, from burning
gas, and sulfur dioxide, from burning
coal, are released into the air and mix
with water vapor to form a cloud.
What is the consequences of acid rain on the
taiga biome??
Toxic clouds are created and they become
heavy with water and precipitation falls, the
results can be devastating to vegetation,
animals, and the land.
Endangered Species
• Siberian tiger
• Specific name: Panthera
tigris altaica
• Description: Sharp teeth.
Huge, retractable claws.
Black stripes on long,
orangish fur.
• The are endangered for
the type of their fur.
Endangered Species
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CARIBOU
This mammals Caribou are the only
member of the deer family in which
both sexes grow antlers. Those of
adult cows are much shorter and are
usually more slender and irregular.
They have large, concave hoofs that
spread widely to support the animal in
snow and soft taiga.
The feet also function as paddles
when caribou swim.
They are herbivores and nourish
mainly from ground and tree lichens.
They have poor eyesight, thus have to
locate the food with their keen sense
of smell.
Caribou prefer treeless tundra and
mountains, but many herds prefer
winter in more sheltered areas like
boreal forest (taiga).
Caribou are in endangered for hunting.
Food Web of the taiga
Some Food webs
• Moose- Feed on herbs ,shrubs, water plants in
shallow lakes and bark.
• Hazel grouse- Feed confiner needle and
berries
• Lynx- Vole, reindeer
Animals for the taiga biome
• Moose
Brown bears
• Gray wolves
• Ermine
Gnat
Plants in the taiga biome
• Black spruce
• Jack pine
• Western hemlock
White spruce
Western red cedar
Natural Resources
• Timber is main natural product from the
taiga biome also located in Eurasia.
• Fishing located by the coast lines of
Alaska, Canada help the animals survive
also helps the economy of each country.
• Oil in the mountains of Alaska, Russia,
and some parts of Canada.
References
• http://www.runet.edu/~swwoodwar/CLASSES/G
EOG235/biomes/intro.html
• http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/char52466?d
b=TRAX
• http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/arctic/caribou.jp
g
• http://www.harmony.ecisd.net/pape/webs/Taiga.j
pg
• http://www.offwell.freeonline.co.uk/tree_gallery/western_hemlock/west
ern_hemlock_tree.jpg