The Taiga Biome Shelby Carr Audrey Key and

The Taiga Biome Shelby Carr, Audrey Key, and Cody Santora 2 nd Block Honors Biology Ms. Cox

What is the Taiga Biome? The taiga is located in Canada, Northern Europe, and Asia. The taiga full of mainly coniferous forests. The taiga is very cold in the winter and warm in the summer. It contains trees such as the black spruce, and animals such as the snowshoe hare.

Abiotic factors of the taiga. The taiga gets between 12 and 33 inches of precipitation each year. The temperatures vary from -58 degrees to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Because the plants are mostly evergreen, the growing season lasts all year.

Plants of the taiga. Balsam Fir- the balsam fir (or Canadian Balsam) is native to Eastern Canada and the Northwestern United States. Black Spruce- native to North America, Newfoundland, and Alaska (also called Swamp Spruce. ) Douglas Fir- can get 15 -25 ft. wide and 40 -60 ft. tall. One of the most important lumber trees

Plants continued. . Eastern Red Cedar- Small evergreen that can grow 10 -50 ft. tall. Can be found in Nova Scotia to North Florida. Paper Birch- have very thin bark that peels in horizontal layers. It usually grows in pairs or clusters as seen in the picture. Paper Birch

Plants Continued Again… Jack Pine- can grow to be 55 -65 ft. tall with a width of 25 inches and is the smallest of the native pines Siberian Spruce- coniferous tree that grows needles and pinecones White Fir- can grow 60 -100 ft. tall and can live up to 300 years White Poplar- or silver poplar do not live very long and are illegal to plant in some cities because they clog sewers and drain pipes White Spruce- can grow up to 150 ft. and can sometimes be shaped like pyramids

Animals of the Taiga All Taiga animals are adapted for cold weather. 1. Canadian Lynx-depends on smaller animals such as the snowshoe hare for food and is also an endangered species 2. Snowshoe Hare- feeds on small nuts out of trees and bushes and changes its fur coat to white in the winter 3. Black Bear-Feeds on berries and other animals in its environment and also hibernates in the winter

Animals continued… 4. Weasels- Small rodents that feed on moles and seeds from plants. 5. Gray Wolf- a carnivore that feeds on deer and elk in large groups. 6. Bobcat- a smaller carnivore that feeds on rabbits, squirrels, and weasels. Bobcat

Animals Continued Again… 7. Clams- small animals in rivers that live in shells, usually eaten by river otters. 8. Elk large herbivores that feed on grasses of the taiga. 9. Long Eared Owl- Carnivorous bird that preys mostly on the smaller animals of the taiga such as weasels and voles. 10. River Otters – another endangered species of the taiga; feeds on clams and other small animals in river environments.

And Even More Animals… 11. Vole- small animal similar to the mole eats plants 12. Bald Eagle- carnivorous bird that eats most of the small animals of the taiga. The Bald Eagle

Did you know? The taiga is the largest land biome. This biome contains only evergreens. Another name for the taiga is Boreal Forest. The coniferous trees grow thick bark to protect themselves from wildfires.

Did you know? . . . The needles in conifer trees actually keep the tree warm. The taiga was once covered with glaciers that left large gouges that frequently fill with water. The soil there is low in nutrients, but has a high acidity level. Most of the animals migrate south for the winter.

Did you know? . . . The animals that stay in the winter, their fur changes to white. Some years in the taiga, there is only 12 in. of rain all year.

Taiga Pictures