Coniferous Forest
Austria, France, China, India,
A type of forest characterized by the
dominant presence of conifers. The
trees that are cone-bearing and have
needle-like leaves. ‘Conifer’ is derived
from the Greek words konos meaning
“cone" and ferre meaning “to bear”,
which when put together mean “the
one that bears cones”. Conifers are
also called “Evergreen trees” because
their leaves stay all green in the whole
year, except for the Larch tree.
Coniferous forest is also the second
largest biome among all the terrestrial
biomes. It has acidic soil called
“Podzols”, a combination of ‘mor’
containing various fungi. Low in
minerals and organic matter. Which
favors the slithering invertebrates i.e.
earthworms, etc.
The climate is cold, good vegetation for
evergreen trees, and the wildlife are
adapted to this type of ecosystem.
Three types of Coniferous forest:
1. Boreal forest or Taiga -
experiences extremely cold
winters and the summers are
from mild to extremely hot.
2. Temperate Coniferous forest -
temperate weather or the
weather lies neither extremely
hot nor extremely cold.
3. Tropical Coniferous forest -
humid climate.
Locations of Coniferous forests in the
world:
1. Boreal forest or Taiga - located
on the Northern hemisphere, in
an unbroken belt extending from
the Northern regions of Asia and
Europe to the Northern United
States, Canada, and Alaska.
2. Temperate Coniferous Forest -
can be found in the temperate
regions of Europe, Asia, and
North America. Also, in the
United Kingdom, Switzerland,
United States of America, and
Canada.
3. Tropical and Subtropical
Coniferous forest - located in
the tropical regions of North and
Central America and Asia.
Biotic Factors in the Coniferous Forest
and their Adaptations:
Insects:
1. mosquitoes and flies are both
pests and food source for some
amphibians i.e. frogs, birds, and
fishes feed on their larvae. Both
of them have tough exoskeletons
that allow them to fly anywhere
with high precipitation without
being affected.
Cold-blooded vertebrates:
1. snakes (e.g. Western
diamondback rattlesnake)
2. frogs (i.e. Alaskan wood frog).
They can’t regulate their body
temperature so they hibernate
during winter seasons.
Birds:
1. owls - they are night hunters.
Their dark pupil regulates light
into their eyes allowing them to
see during nighttime. Their
“tufts”, ear-like feathers for
camouflage. Lastly, their ears
conch for better hearing.
2. hawks - they have sharp talons
(counterpart of nails in other
 organisms) and beaks for better needle-like leaves and
grip and killing their prey conical-shaped cones. Those
effectively. Their excellent leaves have waxy coating and
eyesight allows them to see from their cone shapes allow the snow
a great distance. Their body to fall off of it (so they are cold
shape is aerodynamic, making tolerant). Besides, snow
their flight effective in mid-air. accumulation can damage the
3. Woodpeckers - they can peck 20 conifer trees. Their barks are
times per second. Hence, their thick making the trees
skulls are shockproof to protect fire-resistant. They also have a
their brain from shock force due deep root system for better
to pecking up to 12,000 times a absorption of water and
day. They use drum nutrients from the soil. Most
communication. A morse code people use conifers as
from pecking the wood that ornamentals during the
other woodpeckers can Christmas season. Larch trees
understand. are called deciduous conifers.
Unlike the first three, their
Mammals: leaves turn yellow and fall off of
them during autumn. Moreover,
1. Mooses - come from a deer they can live from centuries to 4
family. They are solitary and millennia or more.
migratory. Their furry body
insulates their body heat and These trees have also
serves as their coats every contributed to other sectors.
winter season. They utilize their They can produce a woody smell
antlers for fighter and hunting. resin used to make adhesive
They also have long and slender products i.e. varnish, glue, etc.
legs with hooves for better In the medical field, they use
climbing terrains, walking on the barks of conifers to make
snowy paths, and a sense of nutritious tea. It has vitamin c,
balance. polysaccharide extract, and
2. Bears - they have furry bodies antioxidant properties to boost
for heat insulation. They the immune system, aids
hibernate during winter. Bears digestion, and to treat various
are omnivores so they can eat ailments (The Northwest School
herbs and shrubs when meat isn't of Aromatic Medicine). Janne &
available. Arno (2016) stated that the resin
3. Wolves - they hunt in packs. from the conifers can be used to
When a member of the pack is treat chronic wounds because it
lost. They use howling has antimicrobial property.
communication to look for it. According to (The Northwest
They are good runners as well. School of Aromatic Medicine) it
Lastly, a doubled-furry body speeds up the healing process of
keeps them alive during abrasions, burns, and wounds.
extremely cold climate. However, people allergic to the
content of the resin must be
Trees (Conifers): cautious for potential allergic
reactions.
1. Pine, Spruce, Fir, and Larch
trees are gymnosperms. They The microscopic world:
reproduce not through flower
pollination but they use their 1. Lichens - are from the fungi
cones instead. They have kingdom, they arise from
 cyanobacteria and algae that
attach themselves mostly to tree
bark. They can be a source of
food for other organisms. They
play an important role for the
Coniferous Forest condition as
indicators. Since they are
attached to the tree, when the
air in the forest gets polluted.
The rain will get acidic. When it
precipitates, the lichens
(Lobaria Oregana) will be
damaged upon in contact with
the acidic rain for a long time.
2. Bacteria - Rhizobium are
bacteria that mostly dwell in
Coniferous Forest. They are
nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Mainly,
they turn the nitrogen in the
atmosphere into useful nutrients
for conifers and plants in the
forest.
3. Fungi - A specific example is
mycorrhizae. They feed on dead
organisms. They attach
themselves to the roots of plants
or trees. They can be a channel
for the trees to communicate
with other trees. Mainly, they
enhance the nutrients and water
absorption of trees and/or plants
where they attach themselves
to.
4. Mosses - are nonvascular
organisms from kingdom plantae
(they don’t have roots, xylem,
and phloem) for water and
nutrients absorption. Sphagnum
are moss that can be found
mostly on bogs (acidic wetlands
in coniferous forest). They are
benefiting from where they are
attached to. At the same time,
they prevent soil erosion.
Environmental Problems and their
Solutions:
1. Deforestation - Since conifer
trees are a good source of
timbers for construction
purposes. They tend to cut trees
without planting in return.
People should implement a good
practice of logging, establish
protected areas, and
reforestation.
2. Urbanization - a process by
which people take a particular
place in the forest for them to
reside and make cities out of it.
Planning sustainable land usage
and collaboration with different
sectors to deal with land
adversities can make a
difference.
3. Air pollution - Industrial emission
and burning activities contribute
to air pollution in the Coniferous
Forest. Reducing the industrial
emission, promote sustainable
energy practices, and simply
commuting instead of using
private vehicles can lessen the
production of the CO2.
4. Soil erosion - it happens when
natural disasters like flooding,
high and long term precipitation,
and even human activities cause
the soil to erode. By
implementing soil erosion
control measures so people
would know how to prevent it,
reforestation, and fostering
ground vegetation. Roots will
hold the soil mass using their
roots. Hence, it prevents the soil
from eroding.