What is taiga: definition and characteristics

To know well What is the Bioma of the Taiga We will explain it in a simple way. The Taiga is a type of bioma that occupies a large area of the northern planet, as we can see on the map occupies a good part of Russia, European Nordic countries, Canada and Alaska. For example, in Russia this geographical area limits with the tundra in the north and with the southern steppe.

This Nordic bioma is formed by Coniferous forestswhich are the main vegetation, there are animals that support the low temperatures well and, in fact, it has the frozen subsoil. Some people use as synonyms, although it is not always accurate, the terms of “boreal forest”, since they are the forests closest to the northern area or the north pole, and “coniferous forest”.

Next, we explain what are the main characteristics of the Taiga bioma, speaking of the weather, the temperature, the humidity, the landscape that is formed, the vegetation or flora and the animals or fauna.

• Taiga climate and temperature: Its average temperature is 10 ° C in summer, and -30 ° C in winter, but can reach up to 19 ºC in summer and up to 60 ºC in winter. It does not usually rain much although there is a high concentration of moisture and however little temperatures are down there is snow and ice. This makes the decomposition of organic matter very slow.
• Taiga landscape: The forests of the Taigas are considered the largest forest mass on the planet, as forested coniferous formations are extensive and dense. Due to this density of trees, the low temperatures is a very quiet landscape that seems almost uninhabited, although as we will see later there are some animals.
• Vegetation or flora: There is not much variety in the vegetation of this area of the planet. The forests of the taigas are coniferous forests, such as firs and pine trees, and are evergreen trees and remain green all year as all the leaves are not dropped. They are trees that resist low temperatures very well. Thus, it is vegetation that has adapted very well to such a cold climate. As an example we can see the leaves of the conifers, such as the leaves of the firs, which are acute as needles and are covered with a type of wax that secretes the leaf itself and this serves to isolate the tree, protecting it from freezing. Another vegetation in the taiga are lichens, mosses and a few species of flower plants.
• Taiga animals or fauna: As the conditions of the taiga are extreme most of the year, the fauna that exists is scarce and many of the animal species of this area of the world when the colder era arrives migrate to warmer areas, especially birds, or they are animals that hibernate, such as bears. Those who stay, whether they hibernate or not, are animals with a dense fur and a thick fat layer under the skin. Among the animals of the taiga are the wolf, the alce, the lynx, the fox, the brown bear, the mounted cat, the weapons, the rabbit, the squirrel, the deer, the owl and the hawk, which are undoubtedly the most representative, but there are also a variety of insects and worms, mainly in summer.

Now that we have already commented on what is taiga, its definition and characteristics, we will detail some interesting Curiosities about Taiga Bioma:

• In the northernmost areas, winters are much harder, being able to reach temperatures well below zero, specifically up to -60 ºC. In fact, for about 6 months a year, Taiga temperatures are below 0 ºC.
• A large number of conifers are carved to play. In fact, this bioma is in danger because its forests suffer felling almost all year and there is also a lot of mining.
• The previous point is especially delicate because these forests are very slowly regenerated, the reason is that the trees and the rest of the Taiga vegetation have a very short period of growth, only three months during the summer.
• The temperature change in the taiga is extreme. Spring and autumn are too short, so the temperature is something hot or, winter and may be extreme cold.
• As we have mentioned before, there are very few human populations that live in this region of the planet. However, as a curious fact, two major important cities are located in the Taiga Bioma: Moscow and Toronto.
• Forest fires are very frequent in the taigas. But, natural fires are necessary because they help the elimination of sick trees.
• As we have seen, there are not many animals that live in a fixed way in Taigas, but diversity of insect species and birds that migrate abound.

As we have already talked about the taigas widely, to know well The difference between tundra and taigabecause they are two very close biomes and in fact they are neighbors, we will explain what the tundra is.

The tundra has a subglacial climate And it is located mainly above the taiga in the Arctic area, that is, it is the continuation of the Taiga Bioma to the North Pole, and it is also located in the Antarctica area covers the edge of this continent, touching the Antarctic Ocean, in the direction of the South Pole. The average temperature of these areas of Tundra is 10 ºC, but in the long winters the average temperature is -28 ºC.

Mainly there is vegetation of the type of mosses, lichens, low kills and low herbs. The animals with the densest fur inhabit in the tundra and with a thicker layer of fat, such as seal and marine lions, caribu or reindeer, the Arctic hare, the white bear, among others.

If you want to read more articles similar to What is taiga: definition and characteristicswe recommend that you enter our category of ecosystems.