The Taiga Biome

Location

• The taiga is located just north of the temperate forest, and south of the tundra
• Covers most of Canada, Alaska, and the northern United States. Across seas, the taiga is located in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Japan
• Located between 50 degrees north and 70 degrees north
• Due to the fact it is the largest biome, its location varies a lot

Climate

Due to such a variation in location, the climate of the taiga can vary also, but for the most part, it is:

• A very cold biome, second coldest, just behind the tundra
• Taiga is many times attacked by freezing winds that blow from the tundra to the north. This brings in cold, Arctic air, making the taiga a very cold place
• Winter lasts for 6-7 months
• Summer is short, but very hot and rainy
• The temperature ranges from -54 degrees to 21 degrees Celsius
• Over half of the year is accompanied by below freezing temperatures
• The average rainfall amount of 30-84 cm. This is quite low, but the majority of it comes as rain in the summer 

 

Plants and Animals

The plants in the taiga biome consist of:

• Balsam fir
• Black spruce
• Douglas fir
• Eastern red cedar
• Jack pine
• Paper birch
• Siberian spruce
• White fir
• White poplar
• White spruce

The animals in the taiga biome consist of:

• American black bear
• Bald eagle
• Bobcat
• Canadian lynx
• Grey wolf
• Grizzly bear
• Long eared owl
• Red fox
• River otter
• Snowshoe rabbit
• Wolverine

 

Food Web

 

Human Population

• It is inhabited by people from Canada, U.S.A., Russia, Finland, Sweden, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Japan

 

Negative Human Impacts

• Clear cutting: Humans have been cutting down massive amounts of trees in the taiga biome. This leaves the inhabitants with a disturbance of the natural territory, forcing them to adapt, and leaving some to die while trying to do so.
• Hunting: For whatever reason it may be, humans have always been hunters. And this has lead to a decline in the population of some species in the boreal forest, as they are being hunted out.

 

 

Environmental Concerns

• Air pollution
• Soil depletion
• Climate Change
• Tree loss
• Water pollution

 

Efforts Towards Environmental Protection

 

• Many efforts have been made to preserve the natural beauty of the taiga biome
• Groups such as the FSC, SFI, CSA have been created in hopes protecting the boreal forest
• Many other activist groups have targeted large companies, such as the oil companies that have destroyed the town of Athabasca, with hope of putting enough pressure on them, forcing them to halt their work, and consider what they are doing to the environment
• As long as the pressure is continually applied, the forests will hopefully be protected