Canada's Boreal Forest By: Andreas Bremer

Where, and What Is The Boreal forest?

The Canadian boreal forest spans from the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador to the border of the
Yukon territories. In fact, 28% of Canada is made up of the boreal! While the boreal does not get
much rain,-its average annual precipitation is 20cm-60cm-it is still a humid climate because of low
evaporation rates! Temperature range in temperature is from 21 °C in the summer, and down to -54 °C
in winter. The boreal forest is home to a diverse, and large amount of life!

Here is a picture of the vast geographical location

of Canada's boreal forest. ----------------------------->

Coniferous Trees
The boreal forest is loaded with coniferous trees. Its most popular tree is the Black spruce tree! Its
scientific name is the Picea mariana, and its main niches are to produce O2 from CO2, create food,
and shelter.

The most notable Black spruce adaptations are the ones they had for surviving the winter times! One
adaptation that occurred was the narrow, flexible branches. This allows the tree to shed snow much
better, reducing branch loss. Another adaptation of the Black Spruce is its needle-shaped-leaves.
These leaves are waxy and thick, providing some protection from the especially cold temperatures of
Canada's winters, which in return allows them to perform photosynthesis in the winter months!
Morel Mushrooms
Alike to the Black spruce trees, Morel mushrooms are also found abundantly throughout Canada's
boreal forest! Its scientific name is Morchella esculentoides its niche is to decompose! Its mainly
decomposes dead trees!

One helpful adaptation of the morel mushroom is its pigmentation. As most morel mushrooms thrive
on dead trees, most match the trees colour, brown. Its long skinny sponge-like pores allows its body to
release spores easily for reproduction. This mushroom has a symbiotic relationship with trees!
 Moose Animal
The moose, one of the largest animals to be found in the boreal forest of Canada is ironically one of
the most popular animals residing in there! Alces alces is its scientific name. Its niche is pretty
straightforward, it controls plant population on both the land and the water!

Antlers are a complex adaptation of the moose; serving as a tool for impressing a female, defending
itself, and intimidation so predators are less likely to want to fight it! Fur is another adaptation moose
evolved to help survive the cold winters of the boreal forest.
 Wolf Animal
Canis lupus, commonly known as the gray wolf. A highly social yet vicious animal! Wolfs have a unique
role in their ecosystems, they are labelled “Apex Predator[s] [and] are the cornerstone of their
ecosystem. They "filter" their ecosystem by getting rid of old injured animals. This also then provides
food for scavengers [and decomposers].” They became worthy predators because of an adaptation that
allowed them to hunt during every season, they evolved with fur! Specifically for the cold winters in the
boreal forest in Canada. They also evolved large canine teeth to help tear apart the flesh of its victims.
What Is The Importance Of The Boreal Forest In Canada?
Economy- Canada's boreal forest contains plenty mineral, hydroelectricity opportunity, lumbar,
gas and oil.

Environment- Canada's environment is tremendously reliable on the boreal forest, because it

contains more trees than any other biome in Canada! It is also home to millions of organisms!
Including 150 different bird species!
What Is The Importance Of The Boreal Forest In Canada?
Society- Canada's society benefits from the boreal forest because we create paper with the
spruce trees that populates the forest! Which is a huge form of communication, expression,
information, and other paperwork! “The invention of paper was of high importance for the
social development of the human kind. Keeping information, especially for contractual
obligations, was vital for the development of trade.”
Human Impact On The Boreal Forest
Major industrial developments in the boreal forest include logging, mining, hydroelectric
development, and oil and gas projects. Doing so destroys ecosystems, resulting in less organisms all
around which leads in more competition among species. The organisms are sometimes forced to leave
the area or die. The most hurtful human activities stated above are; logging, and pumping oil and gas.
What we can do to prevent damage to environments in the long run is replanting trees immediately
after logging, and substitute the use of oil and gas as much as possible. For example, electric cars
instead of gas powered cars.
Bibliography
https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/our-natural-resources/forests/sustainable-forest-managem
ent/boreal-forest/13071

https://sites.google.com/site/mhstaiga/organisms#:~:text=The%20Black%20Spruce
%20has%20had,is%20its%20needle%20like%20leaves
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http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2012/long_brad/classification.htm

http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2012/hautala_gavi/habitat.htm

https://savinggraywolves.weebly.com/niche.html#:~:text=Apex%20Predator%20%2
D%20They%20are%20the,there%20are%20predators%20for%20them
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