Taiga

The taiga is a geographical region characterized by dense, coniferous (evergreen) forests broken up by bodies of water. With its long, cold winters and low light, the taiga does not support a wide variety of species. However, the taiga covers a larger area than any other type of forest in the world.

The name taiga comes from a Russian word used to describe the evergreen forest of Siberia. It is also called a boreal forest and is taken from the word boreas meaning north wind. The taiga is always subject to the north wind because it is located only in the northern latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, from Alaska, through Canada, across Eurasia, to Siberia where the largest tracts of taiga are located. At a similar latitude in the Southern Hemisphere, the land is too narrow, and therefore influenced by the ocean, to support a taiga-like environment.

PLANT LIFE IN THE TAIGA

A typical taiga forest is cold and dark, and broken up by lakes, rivers, and swamps. The dominant tree is the conifer, an evergreen that reproduces by making cones. The conifer is well-adapted to the taiga. It has branches that slope downward to prevent snow from building up, as well as a pointed shape and flexible trunk to cope with high winds. Growing conditions are harsh, since winters are extremely long. The taiga soil is poor because decomposition (breaking down of waste) takes so long. The soil is also highly acidic and low in minerals. Ground-level vegetation consists mostly of ferns, mosses, and shrubs that have adapted to the short growing season. Because of the slow rate at which things decompose, there are usually dense layers of peat (rotted vegetable matter) in the ever-present bog (wet, spongy ground consisting of decaying plant matter).

ANIMAL LIFE IN THE TAIGA

Animal life in the taiga includes woodland caribou, moose, brown bears, beaver, lynx, and wolves. Most animal life is medium to small-sized, including rodents, rabbits, sable, and mink. Most birds migrate (seasonally move) to warmer climates for the winter. Swarms of biting insects during the summer make the taiga a miserable place for humans and other warm-blooded animals (their internal temperature remains constant despite their environment). Most of the taiga is not well-suited for farming, although it does yield great quantities of lumber and support a fur trade in mink, sable, and ermine, among others.

[See alsoBiome ]

taiga A terrestrial biome consisting mainly of evergreen coniferous forests (mainly pine, fir, and spruce), which occurs across subarctic North America and Eurasia. In certain parts, such as northeastern Siberia, deciduous conifers and broadleaved trees, such as larch and birch, are dominant. Over most of the taiga the ground is permanently frozen within about one metre of the surface, which prevents water from filtering down to deeper levels in the soil. This means that bogs may form in depressions. For at least six months of the year temperatures are below freezing but there is a short growing season lasting 3–5 months. The soil in taiga areas is acidic and infertile. Compare tundra.

Taiga

Taiga is a generic term for a type of conifer-dominated boreal forest found in northern environments. The word was first used to describe dense forests of spruce (especially Picea abies ) in northern Russia. It has been extended to refer to boreal forests of similar structure in North America but dominated by other conifer species (especially Picea mariana and Picea glauca ). Broad-leafed tree species are uncommon in taiga, although species of poplar (Populus spp.) and birch (Betula spp.) are present. Taiga environments are characterized by cool and short growing seasons. Plant roots can only exploit a superficial layer of seasonally thawed ground, the active layer, situated above permanently frozen substrate, or permafrost .

tai·ga / ˈtīgə/ • n. (often the taiga) the sometimes swampy coniferous forest of high northern latitudes, esp. that between the tundra and steppes of Siberia and North America.

taiga The name applied by many authorities to the whole of the boreal forest, but by some only to the more open, park-like tracts along the northern fringe of the boreal forest, otherwise known as lichen woodland.