Have you ever heard of a taiga or boreal forest? Do you know what its characteristics are? It is a biome that you can find in some parts of the world. But what is it exactly?
If you have never heard this term before and want to know a little more about this type of green spaces, we will tell you about it all below.
What is a biome
Before focusing on a taiga or boreal forest, we thought that perhaps you don't know the concept of a biome. According to the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy), a biome is a:
«Large ecological community with characteristic vegetation and fauna, determined by climatic and geological factors; for example, the rainforest, the tundra or the desert.
In other words, it is a region of the Earth that is characterized by its own climate, flora and fauna.
In the world there are several types of biomes, both terrestrial, which can be tundra, forests, grasslands, deserts...; such as aquatic ones, for example mangroves, coral reefs, estuaries...
What is a taiga or boreal forest?
Now that you have an idea of what a biome is, if we tell you that a taiga or boreal forest is actually one you will understand it better. A taiga is characterized by having a specific climate, flora and fauna.
Another name by which it is known is coniferous forest., because one of the most common vegetations in this region are these.
The places where taigas or boreal forests can be found today are Greenland, Alaska, Canada or in Russia, specifically in the Ural Mountains.
Characteristics of a taiga or boreal forest
You already know what a biome is and what a taiga is. But, in the previous text, we have told you that, to be considered a taiga space, it must meet a series of characteristics related to climate, flora and fauna. What would these be? We will tell you about them below.
Climate
Taking into account the places that we have mentioned before where you can find a taiga, it is logical that you think that the weather is going to be cold. And so it is. Temperatures usually range between zero and five degrees Celsius. In summer it can reach 19ºC, but in winter, it could be up to -54ºC.
Rain is rather scarce in this place, but not snow or ice. There is a high concentration of humidity.
Flora
Regarding the flora, what interests us most on this page, we must tell you that not many plants grow in the taiga or boreal forest. But one of the most characteristic, and why it is called boreal forest or coniferous forest, is because these trees are very common. They resist low temperatures, snow, cold... and are built in the form of forests. In addition to conifers, you can also find spruce and pine trees. All of them are perennials and remain green all year round, although in winter they will be completely covered in snow.
In addition to conifers, pines and firs, other plants you can find are mosses and lichens.
A curiosity that you should know about the flora is that, despite the temperatures, you can also find flowering plants. Some of the most common are the lily of the valley, with beautiful white bell-shaped flowers; or the blue beaded lily, which does not get its name from the blue flowers (they are yellow), but from its blue berries.
Other Common flowers are wild strawberry, fragaria vesca, blackberry, bunchberry or baneberry.
In addition, you will also find taiga orchids or even carnivorous flowers (Sarracenia purpurea, Droseras...).
Fauna
There is no doubt that, with everything said, it is normal that the animals that live in this area are those that can get used to these temperatures. Of course, there are also animals with migratory behaviors, such as the brown bear.
In general, the animals that can be found are: wolves, squirrels, hawks, moose or owls.
Keep in mind that you are not going to find many animals, especially since many are only there for one season (the rest spend it hibernating, for example, like bears). What we can tell you is that these are characterized by having a fairly dense coat and a fairly thick layer of fat to be able to withstand the temperatures of the place.
Curiosities you should know
Now you have a better idea of what a taiga or boreal forest is. But beyond the characteristics that we have mentioned, there are some curiosities that you should take into account. What are those? Well the following:
Regarding the weather
As we have told you, it is very cold in that area. But if we dig deeper, you will realize that the temperature changes are very extreme.
To begin with, Spring and summer are very short. Of course, it is very hot there.
But winter, which lasts longer, becomes icy due to the very low temperatures that occur.
Having this type of climate, very few inhabitants venture to live here, although in reality, there are two cities that would be located within a taiga: Toronto and Moscow. So if you want to try to see what it is like, you can go visit those places.
Fires
Clearly, with the humidity and the cold, you can't think too much about there being fires, right? However, Forest fires do occur.
The objective of these is to try to eliminate dead or diseased trees in the area so that others can be regenerated or planted.
Biome in danger
The taiga or boreal forest is a biome that are in danger of extinction due to the felling of conifers which occurs throughout the year, as well as mining exploitation. This causes many of those trees to be cut down to make paper.
Like the taiga or boreal forest biome, there are many others that may attract you and from which you can learn more things. Would you like to know more about the desert, reefs or tundras? Leave us in comments what you think.