By Paul Tsiolis
Location: Taiga or coniferous forest is probably the world's largest land biome. It is located south of the tundra and stretches across portions of North America, Europe and Asia.
Flora
There are two major types of taiga, closed forest, consisting of many closely-spaced trees with mossy ground cover, and lichen woodland, with trees that are farther-spaced this is more common in the northern part of the taiga.
Fauna
The taiga is home to a number of large herbivorous mammals and smaller rodents. These animals have also adapted to survive the harsh climate. Some of the larger mammals, such as bears, eat during the summer in order to gain weight and then go into hibernation during the winter. Other animals have adapted layers of fur or feathers to insulate them from the cold.
Living in the taiga is cold and lonely. Coldness and food shortages make things very difficult, mostly in the winter. Some of the animals in the taiga hibernate in the winter; some fly south if they can, while some just cooperate with the environment, which is very difficult.
Adaptations that allow for success
The Black Spruce has a very thick trunk so it is used to build a house. It is a good type of wood to make houses because of its layered wood. Layered wood is wood that is very thick and has many layers of bark. Some other values this tree has got for later success are Christmas trees, ant scorbutic beverages, and rope. The Black Spruce is not an endangered species. It is plentiful in the wild.
Native Continent
The Black Spruce has pinecones. The pinecones are black and the seeds are usually a purplish-brown. Many animals such as deer and moose do not feed of this plant. The white tailed deer will only eat the little trees under starvation. But many birds eat this plant seeds. The seeds of this tree give the animal's nutrients.
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Classification #1 BLACK SPRUCE
Class: Pinopsida
Scientific name: Picea mariana
Common name: Black Spruce, Bog Spruce, Swamp Spruce
Physical description · Tall · Grows to 25ft
· Tip of tree is spiky
· The needles are green
· The bark to the tree is grey – brown
· The branches are short and usually layered
Adaptations that allow for success
The Black Spruce has a very thick trunk so it is used to build a house. It is a good type of wood to make houses because of its layered wood. Layered wood is wood that is very thick and has many layers of bark. Some other values this tree has got for later success are Christmas trees, ant scorbutic beverages, and rope. The Black Spruce is not an endangered species. It is plentiful in the wild.
Adaptations that allow for success
The wood of the Balsam Fir can be used sometimes as lumber. It is lightweight, low in bending and low in resistance to shock as well. The tree is often used as a Christmas tree, pulpwood, or cabin logs.
Native Continent
Balsam fir is one of the major food supplies for moose in the winter. Caribou and white tailed deer leave it alone. Red squirrels will eat the male flower buds. Deer, caribou and moose use Balsam fir stands as cover in the winter because the snow is not as deep under them as in hardwood stands.
Classification #2 BALSAM FIR
Class: Pinopsida
Scientific name: Abies balsamea
Common name: Eastern Fir, Canadian Balsam, Blister Fir
Physical description · Grows 40 to 80 feet tall · Has a wide base and a narrow top · It can grow to be to a maximum of 200 years old
· The branches grow from the trunk and at right angles
· Has a dark green colour
· Has a shallow root system and rarely grows 30 inches
Living in the taiga is cold and lonely. Coldness and food shortages make things very difficult, mostly in the winter. Some of the animals in the taiga hibernate in the winter; some fly south if they can, while some just cooperate with the environment, which is very difficult.
Classification #3 DOUGLAS FIR
Class: Pinopsida
Scientific name: Pseudotsuga
Common name: big cone Douglas-fir, Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir
Physical description · Grow up to 40 to 60ft tall · 15 to 25ft wide · Green pigment in leaves · Long, firm branches· Big strong roots that firmly hold up the trunk of the tree · Strong and long trunk
Adaptations that allow for success
Native Americans had many uses for Douglas-fir. They used the wood and the branches as fuel for cooking. They also used it for fishing hooks and for handles. Douglas-fir branches were used for covering the floors of lodges and sweat lodges.
Native Continent
Animals forage off the Douglas-fir in the winter or early spring when their other food supplies are covered in snow or haven't come up yet. Mule deer like it more than elk, but it is not an important food for both. Bears often scrape off the bark on young trees and eat the sap layer beneath.
Classification #4 EASTERN RED CEDAR
Class: Pinopsida
Scientific name: Juniperus virginiana
Common name: Red Cedar, grave yard tree
Physical description · Grows to a height of 10 – 50 feet. · Has a short trunk 30 – 100cm in diameter · The Branches have spreading needle-like juvenile · The Bark is reddish-brown · The pollen cones are 2–3 mm long
Adaptations that allow for success
The wood of the Eastern Red Cedar is very durable and often used as fence posts. It contains oil that repels moths. The oil is also used in medicines and perfume. The bark is reddish brown and peels off in stringy strips. It can be used to make a reddish dye.
Native Continent
The tree's fruit provides food for animals such as pheasants, Cedar wax-wings and other song birds. Birds eat the seeds and spread them. Many animals use it as food and shelter in the winter.
Classification #5 JACK PINE
Class: Pinopsida
Scientific name: Pinus banksiana
Common name: Eastern jack, Grey, Black, Black jack, Scrub, Prince's pine or Banksiana pine or Pin gris.
Physical description · The bark of the jack pine is a reddish-brown · The bark is also flat · The jack pine has needles instead of leaves · The jack pine has long and slender twigs. · The jack pine has pinecones coming off the branches · The Jack pine usually grows to be twenty-seven meters tall Adaptations that allow for success
The jack pine adapts to flat or hilly areas that have sandy soil. The Jack pine does not have a special root system. It is possible for the Jack Pine to grow in the taiga because of its waxy pine needles and rough bark. It is good to have waxy pine needles and rough bark in the taiga the taiga because the wax on the pine needles protects the needles and does the rough bark.
Reproduction and Development
Sexual reproduction in pines is a long-lasting process. The pollen cones, or male cones, are cylindrical, about 7 mm long, yellow and produced in groups in the early mid summer. Just a slight tap on a twig bearing pollen cones at the right time produces a visible cloud of pollen that floats in the air.
Native Continent
The Jack pine has pinecones. The pinecones are brown and the seeds are usually a purplish-brown. Many animals such as deer and moose do not feed of this plant. The white tailed deer will only eat the seeds under starvation. But many birds eat this plant seeds. The seeds of this tree give the animal's nutrients.
Reproduction and Development
Sexual reproduction in pines is a long-lasting process. The pollen cones, or male cones, are cylindrical, about 7 mm long, yellow and produced in groups in the early mid summer. Just a slight tap on a twig bearing pollen cones at the right time produces a visible cloud of pollen that floats in the air.
Native Continent
The Jack pine has pinecones. The pinecones are brown and the seeds are usually a purplish-brown. Many animals such as deer and moose do not feed of this plant. The white tailed deer will only eat the seeds under starvation. But many birds eat this plant seeds. The seeds of this tree give the animal's food.
Information
Biome: Taiga
Mutualism
Balsam Fir has many uses. The sap has medicinal uses as a balm. Balsam Fir is one of the most popular Christmas trees, well known for its needles lasting a long time in the holiday season decorations including wreaths and sprays. Balsam Fir wood, sap, cones and the inner bark have many other industrial, medicinal and nutritional uses for humans and wildlife.
In this situation the plant is used for human purposes and it is benefiting us by using it for household and medical items. Although the forest also benefits because the Balsam Fir has a very fast growing span and humans only use 30% of the 15.3 million acres of forest.
Commensalisms
The Eastern Red Cedar provides food such as fruit to animals such as the pheasants, Cedar wax-wings and other birds. Birds eat the seeds and spread them. Many animal s use it as food and shelter in the winter.
The birds benefits because they are able to get to a food source and shelter from the Eastern Red Cedar although the tree is not harmed nor does it benefits.
Parasitism
Forest fires that destroy several thousand hectares of trees are not uncommon in this zone. On average, 1% of the Northwest Territories` forest burn every year. Many taiga plant species benefit from the regular cycle of fire, which can clean old, heavy forest of insects and disease. The unique mixture of forest types created by fires usually results in a boost to the overall productivity and mixture of habitats available to wildlife.
In this situation the plants in the “fire zone” benefit because they clean out old insects that old, heavy forest of insects and disease. Even though the plants are benefiting there are several thousand hectares of trees are burned and killed.
Some organisms that live in the taiga are:
AMERICAN BLACK BEAR
Genus: Ursus
Species: americanus
This bear can run up to 25 miles per hour, which is very quick for its 220-594 pound body. They have rounded ears, a short stubby tail, and short claws that are useful in climbing trees. The American Black Bear is usually black but can have phases of brown. The black bear, like all bears, is a predator, and an omnivore. The black bear helps the environment by killing off the elderly, and weaklings of over populated prey. The black bear is not endangered and is generally spread throughout most of North America.
BALD EAGLE
Common Names: Fish Eagle, Sea Eagle
Genus: Haliaeetus
Species: leucocephalus
The Bald Eagle is the national bird of the United States of America. It is considered a sea eagle that has a white head. It is large and strong and weighs eight to twelve pounds. Their wingspan can be two meters (seven feet) and they can be larger than a meter from head to tail. The Bald Eagle has a curved beak which is large and very strong. The Bald Eagle has very strong claws and they have excellent vision which helps them to hunt.
The Bald Eagle is found over most of the North American taiga but eighty percent of them are in Alaska. They build several kinds of nests that can be very large and can be in trees, on cliffs, and on the ground. They change the shape of their nests to fit different trees.
BALSAM FIR
Common Name(s): Eastern Fir, Canadian Balsam, Blister Fir
Genus: Abies
Species: balsamea
You can find the Balsam Fir in northeastern North America, from Virginia to Newfoundland and northwest towards Yukon and Labrador. The balsam Fir can be found in many biomes including the Taiga biome. The Balsam Fir is a small to medium sized native evergreen tree. It can grow to be 40 to 80 feet tall. The Balsam fir has a wide base and a narrow top that ends in a spirelike top.
BLACK SPRUCE
Common Names: Black Spruce, Bog Spruce, Swamp Spruce
Genus: Picea
Species: mariana
The Black Spruce is a tall tree. It can grow to be twenty-five meters tall. It grows in the taiga biome. As the tree gets older the crown of the tree gets more and more like a spike. The Black Spruce has sharp needles with four sides on them. The needles are blue-green, short, and pointed. They are usually a half an inch long. The bark of the tree is gray-brown. The branches are short and drooping, and are usually layered.
