Temperate Boreal Forest

  • A taiga, also called a boreal forest or northern coniferous forest, is a cold woodland.
  • located north of temperate deciduous forests and temperate grasslands
  • largest biome - covering about 50 million acres of land - about 17% of the Earth's land area
  • Canada, Europe, Asia, and the United States
Rainfall

total precipitation in a year is 12 - 33 inches
Temperature winter temperature range is -65 to 30° F

summer gets as low as 20° F to 70° F

about 50 to 100 frost free days
Plants coniferous trees (trees that produce cones and needles; some needles remain on the trees all year long) - pine, hemlock, spruce, fir

open woodlands with widely spaced trees, and dense forests whose floor is generally in shade
Mammals low in animal diversity because of the harsh winters

lynx, wolverines, bobcat, minks and ermine, snowshoe rabbits, red squirrels, badger, beaver, voles, bear, wolf, fox

Red deer, elk, and moose can be found in regions of the taiga where more deciduous trees grow.
Reptiles & Amphibians

very few
Insects

ant, mosquito