Biome Presentation

Presented ByRonnie Kurtz, Bohrvon Liu,

Aveek Sarker

The Taiga & Boreal Forests

Physical Characteristics

• Boreal forest refers to southern part of biome

• Taiga refers to edge of boreal forest where forest gradually gives way to tundra

• Stretches in a band around the world between 45 ° and 65 ° North

Physical Characteristics

• World’s largest terrestrial biome

• Characterized by coniferous forests– Forests grow slowly– Tolerate weathered, nutrient poor soil– High bird/mammal diversity– Dominant trees: pines, hemlocks, spruce,

cedar, fir

• Extreme cold and short summers

Climate & Temperature

• Dominated by cold arctic air brought by winds from Arctic circle

• Because of earth's tilt, the taiga is turned away from the sun in the winter.

• Less of the sun's radiation reaches the ground to provide heat

Climate & Temperature• Harsh continental climate with very large

temperature range between winter and summer

• Winter lasts 5-6 months with temperatures varying from −50 °C to 30 °C (-58°F to 86°F)

• Average winter temperature is 26°F

• Eight or more months of temperatures average below 10 °C (50°F)

Climate & Temperature

• Summers are short and generally mild, rainy, humid, and short

• Temperatures during the summer range from 30 °F to 70 °F

• Average summer temperature is 50°F

Rainfall• Relatively low precipitation throughout the

year ranging from 200-750mm annually

• Average precipitation during the summer is 10-20 inches (250-500mm) and is mostly rain

• Average precipitation during the winter is 20-30 inches (500-750mm) and is mostly snow

Types of Organisms & Adaptations

Snowshoe Rabbit• Lives in forest areas where the ground is covered

with undergrowth in the higher parts of North America.

• 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

• In the summer its fur is rusty, grayish brown but is turns pure white in the winter helping it avoid predators

Gray Wolf• Lives in the Siberian Taiga• Coats are made up of wooly fur to

provide insulation and long guard hairs to keep out moisture.

• Large paws have fleshy pads and claws for traction and can spread to provide better support in snow

• Have a sense of hearing twenty times sharper than a human's

• Reflective retina, called a tapetum that enhances their night vision

Types of Organisms & Adaptations

Wolverine• The wolverine is powerfully built and is

well adapted to living in the cold.

• Has very strong jaws that can bite through frozen meat and bone.

• Its paws are very large with long claws.

• The wolverine's fur is thick and a glossy dark brown

Types of Organisms & Adaptations

Black Spruce• Can grow to be twenty-five meters

tall• Grows many pinecones • Enjoys poorly drained soil• Able to survive in the colder

climates because of its layered twigs, waxy pine needles, and rough bark

Types of Organisms & Adaptations

Siberian Spruce• Conical shape promotes shedding of snow

and prevents loss of branches. • Narrowness of the needles reduce surface

area through which water may be lost • Thick waxy coating that is water proof and

protects the needles from drying winds. • Dark green color of the needles helps the

foliage absorb maximum heat from the sun and begin photosynthesis sooner

Types of Organisms & Adaptations

• Other Animals/Birds- Black Bear, Bald Eagle, Bobcat, Lynx, Grizzly Bear, Owl, Red Fox, Otter

• Other Plants- Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir, Red Cedar, Jack Pine, White Fir, White Poplar, White Spruce

Types of Organisms & Adaptations

Food Chain- TaigaCoyote -> Moose -> Conifer Trees

Food Chain- TaigaRed Tailed Hawk -> Snowshoe Hare ->

White Spruce

Food Chain- Boreal Forest

Great Horned Owl -> Spruce Grouse -> Bog Birch

Food Chain- Boreal Forest

Canadian Lynx -> Ground Squirrel -> Grasses

Keystone Species-Taiga

Siberian Tiger• Top of food chain,

hunts deer and boar

• Without, deer and boar become slow, small, and overpopulated, and damaging

• Have potential to destroy habitat, overgrazing areas and trampling and dangerously compacting soil

Indicator Species- Taiga

Siberian Tiger• Typically poached, so

presence is indicator of health in the face of human activity

• As they are endangered, also an indicator of overall special diversity and prominence in biome

Keystone Species-Boreal Forest

Scots Pine• Lichens and mosses, grow on the trees

themselves. • Red squirrels, mice and voles live on

pine seeds and deer feed on pine seedlings and saplings

• The trees also attract various insects that are eaten by birds

• Scots pine plays an important ecological role even when it is dead: a decaying Scots Pine provides habitat for 15 times more beetle species than a living tree.

Indicator Species- Boreal Forest

Red Tailed Hawk• At top of food chain,

depends on health and prominence of organisms below

• Presence is good indicator of level of toxins introduced in environment, as toxins tend to get more concentrated in upper levels of biome

Human Impact- Taiga• Unsustainable hunting of animals such as

tiger

• Depreciating special diversity and harming overall health of environment

• Introduction of hydroelectricity plants, leading to: loss of terrestrial habitats, wildlife and habitat disturbances, shoreline erosion, altered aquatic regimes and increased mercury, carbon dioxide and methane releases from flooding

Human Impact- Boreal Forest

• Clear-cutting of forests for uses such as toilet paper and copy paper

• Less than 8% is protected by governments, opening rest to be used at will

• Destroys environments and habitats, depreciating presence of organisms and livelihood of biome

• Exploitation of fossil fuels, such as gas and oil, are damaging environment

• Leads to air pollution, summarily contributing to considerable damage to both species and the soil that fuels the ecosystem

Human Impact- Boreal Forest

• High demand for fossil fuels are pushing exploration and development into areas once thought impossible to exploit

• As the planet warms the southern reaches of the boreal forest will become warm enough for deciduous trees to outcompete the conifers and replace them