Taiga Biome

biomes of the world

Taiga Biome
Taiga is the Russian word for forest and is the largest biome in the world.
The taiga is located near the top of the world, just below the tundra biome. The winters in the taiga are very cold with only snowfall. The summers are warm, rainy, and humid. A lot of coniferous trees grow in the taiga

Boreal / Taiga forest extend in broad bands across North America and Eurasia.

Climate in Taiga

TAIGA TEMPERATURE

LOW
Winter Summer -65 F (-54 C) 20 F (-7 C)

HIGH
30 F (-1 C) 70 F (21 C) Desert Rainforest Tundra Grassland Taiga

Climate in Taiga
Long, severe winters (up to six months with mean temperatures below freezing) short summers (50 to 100 frostfree days)

Coniferous plants
Many plant species are found in the Taiga, but coniferous trees are obviously the dominant plant form. These trees shed snow easily, and they retain their needles through the winter.

Coniferous Plants
The needles themselves are well-adapted, with thick waxy coatings and small surface area, to resist cold conditions and minimize water loss, an important consideration even in the swampy taiga where water may be frozen much of the year.

Mosses and Lichens

In addition to the conifers, mosses (above and below) and lichens are also important in the taiga and may be an important part of the diet for many animals.

Bobcat
is a much smaller cat with a range that extends far into the temperate zone

Snowshoe Rabbit
It 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.

Birds in the Taiga

insect-eaters like the wood warblers are migratory and leave after the breeding season. Seed-eaters (e.g., sparrows) and omnivores (e.g., ravens) tend to be yearround residents.

Elk
Herbivores range in size from the large members of the deer family such as the Elk. It is one of the largest species of the Cervidae or deer family in the world, and one of the largest land mammals in North America and eastern Asia.