Taiga

Taiga By Jeff Wong, John-Nicholas Furst, and Raymond Ehlers

We Will Be Talking About: Location Climate Seasons Soils Plants Animals Human Influence

Location The Taiga stretches across much of North America and Asia Reaches High Elevations The Taiga also extends along coasts

Climate Patterns / Seasonal Information

Winter for six to seven months. Summer lasts for three to four months. Fall lasts for one to two months. Winter's LOWEST temperature in taiga is -65°F. Winter's HIGHEST temperature is 30° F. Summer's LOWEST temperature is 30° F. Summer's HIGHEST temperature is 70° F.

Soils

Acidic Nitrogen

Plants Drosera Rotundifolia White Fir Fireweed

Drosera Rotundifolia Carnivorous Catches Insects Lures insects with scent of sweet nectar

White Fir

Strong branches Up to 100 feet tall

Fireweed

First to populate charred remains. Uses rhizomes to spread quickly

Animals Characteristic Animals: Bald Eagle Bobcat Northern Lynx Gray Wolf Grizzly Bear Snowshoe Rabbit Wolverine

Adaptations: Specifically designed feet to stay quiet in the snow, and stay above it. Good vision to differentiate between prey and landscape. More fur, feathers, and adaptations to keep the animals warm. Stronger teeth, paws, and claws, to help hunt prey in harsh conditions.

Food Web

Grizzly Bear

Hibernation Teeth Shaggy Coat Sharper Claws Omnivorous

Snowshoe Rabbit

Shorter Ears Spread Feet Fur Changes Strong Legs Escapes From Predators

Wolverine

Snowshoe Feet Powerful Jaws Large Claws Keen Smell Good Climber

Human Influences

Deforestation Forest Fires Urban Sprawl

Conclusion The Taiga is located in the northern part of North America & Asia. The Taiga has a large variety of temperatures. (-65°F – 70°F). The soil is acidic. Plants have adapted to the boggy conditions. Animals have longer fur to stay warm. Human influences can have catastrophic effects to the Taiga (Forest Fire).

Sources Benders-Hyde, Elisabeth. Blue Plant Biomes. 23 Nov. 2005 . Elisabeth Benders-Hyde, Taiga Plants, Taiga, June 2000, 6:29 PM, Friday, November 25, 2005, http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/taiga_plant_page.htm Manitoba, WILDS Of . Taiga Biological Station Frequently Answered Questions. 27 Jan. 2001. Taiga Biological Station, U/M. 27 Nov. 2005 <www.wilds.mb.ca/taiga>. Michael Ritter, Soil Systems, The Physical Environment, 2003-2005, 6:41 & 10 seconds PM, Friday, November 25, 2005, http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/s oil_systems/soil_orders_p2.html Miller, Kenneth, and Joseph Levine. Biology. 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1995. (Miller et al. 10111012) Susan L. Woodward, Taiga or Boreal Forest, Major Biomes of the World, October 1996, 6:34 PM, Friday, November 25, 2005, http://www.radford.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/bio mes/taiga/taiga.html