Coniferous forests involve a large part of the wooded surface in countries such as Spain and Mexico, as well as in countries in northern areas. In addition to serving as a support for their respective ecosystems, both in the generation of biomass and offering protection, avoiding soil erosion and much more, they also provide important services to humans, especially thanks to silviculture practices.
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What are coniferous forests
The Coniferous forests They are a type of forest mass comprised mainly by pines, firs and other trees known as conifers. Conifers are needle -shaped perennial leaf trees or scale and woody type and, as the name implies, their reproductive structures are arranged in the form of cones.
These forests are usually adapted to large climatic variations. They are also usually in areas where, at least part of the year, there is no large amount of water available. That is why they have leaves with a very small surface, which reduces perspiration. Many of these species are pyrophils, which means that they are little affected by forest fires, and even their reproductive cycle can be benefited by them.
Coniferous forests: main features
After seeing what coniferous forests are, we will detail their main features, such as The flora and fauna of coniferous forests:
Flora of coniferous forests
The flora of these forests is usually organized in two distinct layers: canopy and sotobosque. The canopy is formed by the mass that form the treetops, while the undergrowth is formed by small conifers, shrubs and ferns closer to the ground. The trees that form canopy have better access to sunlight, while the undergrowth is more protected from climatic inclemency. As already said, conifers have very small surface leaves and a hard bark. But it is not the only thing that differentiates them from the rest of the plants: these trees belong to the group of Gymnosperms.
Gymnosperms are plants that do not have “true flowers.” The main characteristic of gymnosperms is that haploid cycles alternate (with a single copy of the genetic material) and diploids (with two copies, that is, a play of repeated chromosomes) in alternate generations. The diploid individual is known as “sporophyte”, and the haploid, which is based on sporophyte, “gametophyte”. The pineapples and other woody structures house the gametophyte as a whole, which will be in charge of generating a new sporophyte (a new tree) if the conditions are adequate. Some pineapples open with the heat of the fire. Here we tell you more about gymnosperms plants, what are, characteristics and examples.
It is important to point out the great proliferation of coniferous forests for silviculture, since they are Fast growth trees that generate a good quality wood. These plantations can easily be distinguished from native forests because trees are ordered in rows and the undergrowth is practically absent.
Coniferous forests: fauna
Many coniferous forests settle in mountainous or cold weather areas that are covered with snow and ice, at least during a part of the year. The leaves, in addition to avoiding perspiration, also facilitate snow fall to the ground. These climatic conditions largely determine the fauna that can inhabit this type of forest. For example, when the weather is cold, the presence of mammals with thick layers of fur is usually common. It is common to find species of beavers, porcupines, alces, rabbits, bats, musarañas … All these animals live in the undergrowth.
The most numerous animals, however, are the birds, which can occupy both the undergrowth and the canopy. These birds have different types of adaptations, since their food source can be varied: they can feed on the coniferous seeds (for example the sparrows), of insects (the petirrojos) or of small mammals (the raptors such as carabos, owls, etc.).
Where are coniferous forests
The Coniferous forests are found above all in the Northern Hemisphere of the planet. They cover large extensions in the United States, Canada and Asia, mainly in forested areas such as La Taiga. Discover in this other ecology article see what is taiga, its definition and characteristics.
However, they can also be found in countries closest to the tropics, such as Mexico and Spain, although these areas are more temperate, the characteristic that defines their slopes is their dryness.
Coniferous forests in Spain
In Spain, coniferous forests are mainly relegated to low mountainous areas, such as Pyrenees, European peaks or the central system. Different species of pine are very frequent, such as Pinus pinaster either Pinus Silvestris. In the Canary Islands there is also the Pinus canariensisthat is easily distinguished from the rest because their acicles are grouped from three by three, instead of couples.
In recent years, important efforts have been made to restore populations of large mammals, such as Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus) in the central system or the brown bear (Ursus arctos) in the Pyrenean area.
Coniferous forests in Mexico
Mexico has pine forests located in temperate areas. They grow from sea level to 4000 meters, covering a large range of altitudes and subclimals. The greatest diversity is found in mountain forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre Oriental. They house more than 90 different species of conifers, of which approximately half are endemic to the country.
In Mexico, the conservation strategies of these forests stand out so that they can support the migration of the monarch butterfly (Danous Plexippus).
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