Coniferous Forest
By: Komal, Yarnie & Mariam
(709)
Animal Life
By:
Background Info
•
The coniferous forest is home to many
animals like grey wolves, yellow jacket, pine-tar
vole, field mouse, jack rabbit, lynx, wood-duck,
reindeer, weasel, bald eagle, western tanager,
gyrfalcon and the common loon. Birds, insects
and mammals are very common but reptiles and
amphibians are very scarce. Birds and other
smaller animals live in trees while the larger ones
live on the forest floor. Not many animals live
year-round in this forest because of its harsh
winters. Animals hibernate or migrate during the
winters. But some die of starvation, hypothermia
and frostbite.
Lynx
The lynx is a medium sized cat with long tuffs of hair
on its face beside its ears and a short tail. The lynx
has large paws which help it walk through the snow.
The lynx is 2 ½ feet long and weighs approximately
17 to 25 pounds.
Jack Rabbit
Head & body are about 21 inches long, ears are 6-7 inches. The jack
rabbit weighs 5-7 pounds. The back is brown. Sides are white. Ears
are tipped in black
Wood- Duck
wood ducks have a crested head that is iridescent green and purple with
a white stripe leading from the eye to the end of the crest, and another
narrower white stripe from the base of the bill to the tip of the crest. The
throat is white and the chest is burgundy with white flecks, gradually
grading into a white belly. The bill is brightly patterned black, white and
red. The legs and feet are a dull straw yellow and the iris is red.
Answers to questions
• Q#1:What would happen if something were to change the
landscape of a particular biome?
• A: It would not stay a forest and animals would have no
habitat also the food chain would slowly start falling apart
each day.
• Q#2: What if the temperature were to rise or lower
significantly?
• A: If the temperature were to change than the
vegetation(producers) would not grow and the primary
consumers would slowly die of starvation.
Answers to questions
• Q#3: What if a developer wants to build on the land; what
if an animal becomes extinct?
• A: If an animal were to become extinct the whole food
chain would slowly fall apart.
• Q#4: What if a plant were destroyed, or if the rainfall
greatly increases or decreases?
• A: If the plants were destroyed then the animals that
consume them would die of starvation and they would not
get enough oxygen.
Overall wildlife in the Coniferous Forest: Reindeer, lynx,
Yellow jacket, weasel, field mouse, jack rabbit, black
bear, gyrfalcon, common loon, wood-duck, gray wolf,
bald eagle and the pine-tar vole.
Plant life
By: Komal (709)
Background Info
•
Coniferous means “cone bearing”. Another name you
might hear often about a coniferous forest is “taiga” this
also means coniferous forest. Coniferous trees reproduce
by dropping cones. The coniferous trees are adapted to the
cold winter and are used to living in poor soil and climate
qualities. Around 17 billion square miles of the world is
covered in coniferous trees. Some examples of plant life
are: scotch -pine, blue spruce, Norway pine, mistletoe, red
cedar, blue cedar, holly bush, scrub pine black spruce,
white spruce, balsam fir, redwood, Douglas fir, white pine,
sugar pine, ponderous pine and nootka rose.
Red Cedar
The Eastern Red Cedar is a very dense, columnar ornamental that is
excellent as a windbreak Eastern Red Cedar are not particularly fast
growers, but reach heights of 40 feet.
Nootka Rose
Pink to lilac. Strong fragrance. Large, single (4-8
petals) bloom form. Once-blooming spring or
summer. Armed with thorns / prickles, bushy,
suckers on its own roots, upright, wellbranched. Small, matte, light green foliage. 5 to 9
leaflets. Height of 2' to 6' (60 to 185 cm). Width of
4' (120 cm).
Ponderosa Pine
Ponderosa Pine/Yellow Pine. It’s life span is Perennial.
Ponderosa pine has a long clear trunk and a high short open
crown. It averages 42 inches in diameter and 165 feet tall at
maturity.
Answers to questions
• Q#1: What would happen if something were to
change the landscape of a particular biome?
• A: It would not stay a forest because there would be
no plants which results in no home for the animals so
the food web breaks up and we feel a lack of oxygen.
• Q#2: What if the temperature were to rise or lower
significantly?
• A: The plants would start dying because they can’t
adapt quick enough resulting in the food chain to
end.
Answers to questions
• Q#3: What if a developer wants to build on the
land?
• A: Then he would clear cut the forest killing
everything and finishing the food chain.
• Q#4: What if a plant were destroyed?
• A: Then animals would have a problem and die lack
of food.
Overall plant life in the coniferous Forest: Scotch pine, Mistletoe,
blue spruce, red cedar, scrub pine, white pine holly bush, Norway
pine, blue cedar, black spruce, red wood, Douglas fir, ponderous
pine, nootka rose.
Landscape/habitat and
weather
By : Mariam (709)
Background info
• The coniferous forest is considered the largest
biome in the world. Located near Lake Superior
and in the North American lowlands. Most conifers
are found in the northern hemisphere but some are
in the southern hemisphere. The largest conifers
are found in Alaska, Canada and northern Europe.
Most conifers are covered in needles all year this
is what helps them survive the harsh climate.
There isn’t a lot of vegetation
•
on this forest or good soil so the growing
conditions are poor but most of the earth’s plants
live there.
Background info
• Most animals that live here live in trees
but a few large animals live on the
forest ground. But the Coniferous forest
is related low in animal diversity. Some
examples of animals are: shrews, voles,
squirrels, martens, moose, reindeer,
wolves, snakes and frogs.
Background info
• The coniferous forest is sometimes called a
rainforest because of the heavy rain fall.
Average precipitation is 1.17-2.46 feet. The
coniferous forest has long snowy winters and
hot humid summers. In the summers the
temperature is about 10 degrees and in the
winter the temperature is about -10 degrees.
Map of the coniferous forest
The coniferous forest is the dark green
parts.
Food web
All the main predators are at the top then they
show all the smaller carnivores after that the
herbivores lastly the decomposers
Climate
The Dark green is coniferous forest and it
shows that it is usually very cold there.
Answers to Questions
• Q#1: What would happen if something were to
change the landscape of a particular biome?
• A: The Coniferous Forest wouldn’t stay a forest
anymore all the trees would be gone if that was
the change.
• Q#2: What if the temperature were to rise or lower
significantly
• A: The trees would protect themselves. For
example: if there was a forest fire, the trees have
a thick bark.
Answers to Questions
• Q#3: What if a developer wants to build on the
land?
• A: Then the builder would clear cut the forest and
there wouldn’t be a forest left anymore.
• Q#4: What if a plant were destroyed?
• A: There would be less food for the herbivores and
they would become extinct.
Human influences
By: Yarnie And Komal (709)
Background info
• Humans take a lot from the forest. Our role is
to consume and take care of the forest as
humans. For Example: we take oils and wood
plus material for shelter. We humans need this
forest for a lot of different reasons like
oxygen, vegetation and shelter. But we also
pollute the forest in many different ways like
acid rain; we create it, deforestation and
global warming.
Acid Rain
The factories release smoke and the
prevailing winds take it over the ocean
making it into acid rain.
Deforestation
When we clear cut the trees in a forest
Global Warming
When we pollute and greenhouse
gases
Answers to Questions
• Q#1: What would happen if something were to
change the landscape of a particular biome?
• A: The coniferous trees would not be able to adapt
and they would star dying.
• Q#2: What if the temperature were to rise or lower
significantly?
• A: Then it would affect our product and our daily
life by the temperature change in the atmosphere.
Answers to Questions
• Q#3: what if an animal becomes extinct?
• A: Then we would lack food from that animal and
the forest food chain would fall apart.
• Q#4: What if a plant were destroyed?
• A: Then the forest food chain would fall apart and
eventually the forest would die.
Definitions:
• 1: Abutting: be next to or touching
• 2: Frostbite: injury to the part of a body caused by
extreme cold
• 3: Hypothermia: The condition of having a very low body
temperature
• 4: Physical Environment: an environment that you can
see, feel and hear
• 5: Pollination: carry pollen to and fertilize a flower/plant
• 6: Scarce: only available in small quantities or found
rarely
• 7: Starvation: suffer or die from hunger.
Our Questions:
• Plant: What is another name for the coniferous forest and what does
coniferous mean?
•
How do coniferous trees survive the harsh climate?
• Animal: what are 3 examples of major wildlife?
•
Why can’t many animals live year round in the forest?
• Landscape etc. : Where is the coniferous forest located?
•
What is the average temperature in the forest?
• Human influences: What are 2 ways humans effect the coniferous
forest?
• What can we do to stop the coniferous forest from dying?
•
Our links
1. www.dnr.state.mn.us
2. www.britannica.com
3. www.rrms-biomes.tripod.com
4. www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov
5. www.wwfpanda.org
6. www.digital-desert.com
• 7. www.idiotica.com
Our links
1. www.inchinapinch.com
2. www.enchantedlearning.com
3. www.google.ca
4. www.answers.com
5. www.bookrags.com
• 6. www.tutorvista.com
• 7. www.teacherfist.com
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