Biome Presentation
The Taiga & Boreal Forests
Presented By
Ronnie Kurtz, Bohrvon Liu, Aveek Sarker
Physical Characteristics
• Boreal forest refers to
southern part of biome
• Taiga refers to edge of
boreal forest where
forest gradually gives
way to tundra
• Stretches in a band
around the world
between 45 ° and 65 °
North
Physical Characteristics
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World’s largest terrestrial biome
Characterized by coniferous forests
– Forests grow slowly
– Tolerate weathered, nutrient poor soil
– High bird/mammal diversity
– Dominant trees: pines, hemlocks, spruce, cedar, fir
Extreme cold and short summers
Climate & Temperature
• Dominated by cold arctic air brought by
winds from Arctic circle
• Because of earth's tilt, the taiga is turned
away from the sun in the winter.
• Less of the sun's radiation reaches the
ground to provide heat
Climate & Temperature
• Harsh continental climate with very large
temperature range between winter and summer
• Winter lasts 5-6 months with temperatures
varying from −50 °C to 30 °C (-58°F to 86°F)
• Average winter temperature is 26°F
• Eight or more months of temperatures average
below 10 °C (50°F)
Climate & Temperature
• Summers are short and generally mild, rainy,
humid, and short
• Temperatures during the summer range
from 30 °F to 70 °F
• Average summer temperature is 50°F
Rainfall
• Relatively low precipitation throughout the year
ranging from 200-750mm annually
• Average precipitation during the summer is 1020 inches (250-500mm) and is mostly rain
• Average precipitation during the winter is 20-30
inches (500-750mm) and is mostly snow
Types of Organisms & Adaptations
Snowshoe Rabbit
• Lives in forest areas where the ground is covered with
undergrowth in the higher parts of North America.
• Has large rear feet and the toes can spread out to act
like snowshoes
• Their feet also have fur on the bottom, which protects
them from the cold and gives them traction in the snow
• In the summer its fur is rusty, grayish brown but is
turns pure white in the winter helping it avoid predators
Types of Organisms & Adaptations
Gray Wolf
• Lives in the Siberian Taiga
• Coats are made up of wooly fur to provide
insulation and long guard hairs to keep out
moisture.
• Large paws have fleshy pads and claws for traction
and can spread to provide better support in snow
• Have a sense of hearing twenty times sharper than
a human's
• Reflective retina, called a tapetum that enhances
their night vision
Types of Organisms & Adaptations
Wolverine
• The wolverine is powerfully built and is well
adapted to living in the cold.
• Has very strong jaws that can bite through frozen
meat and bone.
• Its paws are very large with long claws.
• The wolverine's fur is thick and a glossy dark
brown
Types of Organisms & Adaptations
Black Spruce
• Can grow to be twenty-five meters tall
• Grows many pinecones
• Enjoys poorly drained soil
• Able to survive in the colder climates
because of its layered twigs, waxy pine
needles, and rough bark
Types of Organisms & Adaptations
Siberian Spruce
• Conical shape promotes shedding of snow and
prevents loss of branches.
• Narrowness of the needles reduce surface area
through which water may be lost
• Thick waxy coating that is water proof and
protects the needles from drying winds.
• Dark green color of the needles helps the foliage
absorb maximum heat from the sun and begin
photosynthesis sooner
Types of Organisms & Adaptations
• Other Animals/Birds- Black Bear, Bald
Eagle, Bobcat, Lynx, Grizzly Bear, Owl, Red
Fox, Otter
• Other Plants- Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir, Red
Cedar, Jack Pine, White Fir, White Poplar,
White Spruce
Food Chain- Taiga
Coyote -> Moose -> Conifer Trees
Food Chain- Taiga
Red Tailed Hawk -> Snowshoe Hare -> White Spruce
Food Chain- Boreal Forest
Great Horned Owl -> Spruce Grouse -> Bog Birch
Food Chain- Boreal Forest
Canadian Lynx -> Ground Squirrel -> Grasses
Keystone Species-Taiga
Siberian Tiger
• Top of food chain, hunts
deer and boar
• Without, deer and boar
become slow, small, and
overpopulated, and
damaging
• Have potential to destroy
habitat, overgrazing areas
and trampling and
dangerously compacting soil
Indicator Species- Taiga
Siberian Tiger
• Typically poached, so
presence is indicator of
health in the face of human
activity
• As they are endangered, also
an indicator of overall
special diversity and
prominence in biome
Keystone Species-Boreal Forest
Scots Pine
• Lichens and mosses, grow on the trees
themselves.
• Red squirrels, mice and voles live on pine seeds
and deer feed on pine seedlings and saplings
• The trees also attract various insects that are
eaten by birds
• Scots pine plays an important ecological role
even when it is dead: a decaying Scots Pine
provides habitat for 15 times more beetle species
than a living tree.
Indicator Species- Boreal Forest
Red Tailed Hawk
• At top of food chain,
depends on health and
prominence of
organisms below
• Presence is good
indicator of level of
toxins introduced in
environment, as toxins
tend to get more
concentrated in upper
levels of biome
Human Impact- Taiga
• Unsustainable hunting of animals such as tiger
• Depreciating special diversity and harming overall
health of environment
• Introduction of hydroelectricity plants, leading to:
loss of terrestrial habitats, wildlife and habitat
disturbances, shoreline erosion, altered aquatic
regimes and increased mercury, carbon dioxide
and methane releases from flooding
Human Impact- Boreal Forest
• Clear-cutting of forests for uses such as toilet
paper and copy paper
• Less than 8% is protected by governments,
opening rest to be used at will
• Destroys environments and habitats, depreciating
presence of organisms and livelihood of biome
• Exploitation of fossil fuels, such as gas and oil, are
damaging environment
• Leads to air pollution, summarily contributing to
considerable damage to both species and the soil
that fuels the ecosystem
Human Impact- Boreal Forest
• High demand for fossil fuels are pushing
exploration and development into areas once
thought impossible to exploit
• As the planet warms the southern reaches of
the boreal forest will become warm enough
for deciduous trees to outcompete the
conifers and replace them