The flora and fauna of the taiga present less diversity than in other more temperate biomes. The taiga, or boreal forest, is a wooded biome that is located south of the tundra and extends throughout much of Canada and northern Russia, as well as Scandinavia and Alaska.
In this sense, the largest taiga in the world is located in Russia, and extends around 5,800 kilometers, from the Pacific Ocean to the Ural Mountains.
This region of the taiga was completely covered by glaciers during the last ice age.
Most representative species of the flora and fauna of the taiga
The word taiga comes from Russian, and it means dense evergreen forest. The taiga biome is the largest on Earth.
Generally, the flora and fauna of the taiga must withstand severe climatic conditions. During the winter, the average temperatures are below zero.
Summer is warmer, although temperatures drop below freezing. At this time, the days are long, the ice and snow melt, and it is often rainy.
Taiga flora
The taiga is predominantly characterized by a limited number of coniferous species.
These are trees whose leaves resemble needles, and their shape and fruits are shaped like cones. Also, they are usually evergreen. These adaptations help conifers survive in areas that are very cold or dry.
Pine, spruce, larch and fir are found in the taiga biome. Similarly, but to a lesser extent, there are some deciduous genera such as birch and poplar. These trees can reach the highest altitude of any tree on Earth.
On the other hand, it is not common for flowers or shrubs to grow in this kind of ecosystem. Instead, the ground is covered with mosses, lichens, and fungi.
This is because these organisms can grow directly in the ground or have very shallow roots. Also, they can survive in the cold and with little water or sunlight.
Taiga fauna
Large and fearsome species live in these environments. For example, one of the most iconic of this ecosystem is the Siberian wolf.
It is currently in danger of extinction, but there is a small population in the extreme east of Russia.
Similarly, the taiga is home to various kinds of bears such as the brown bear, the American and Asian black bear and the polar bear.
These are found in North America, Europe, and Asia, respectively. The Canadian lynx and the Eurasian lynx add to this list.
There are other members of the fauna that are distinguished by their antlers. Such is the case of the caribou, the Canadian deer or the elk. All of them are herbivores, and preferred prey of predators such as bears and wolves.
Other animals on this list include birds (woodpeckers, owls, eagles, sparrows, and crows) and mammals (bison, rabbits, voles, bobcats, otters, stoats, squirrels, and moles).
References
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- Taiga. (2011, June 11). In National Geographic. Retrieved on October 27, 2017, from nationalgeographic.org.
- Gardiner, L. (2008, October 23). The Taiga Biome. Retrieved on October 27, 2017, from windows2universe.org.
- Coniferous Forest. (s / f). The Earth Observatory. EOS Project Science Office. Retrieved on October 27, 2017, from earthobservatory.nasa.gov.
- Taiga. (2017, March 27). Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on October 27, 2017, from britannica.com.
- Sen Nag, O. (2017, April 25). What animals live in the taiga? Retrieved on October 27, 2017, from worldatlas.com.