What is special about the taiga biome?
The conifer trees in the taiga biome are referred to as evergreen. This means they remain green all year round and never drop their leaves. Because evergreen trees do not drop leaves, there is nothing to keep the soil in the taiga full of nutrients. This is the reason why there is not much variety in the vegetation.
How old is the taiga?
Taiga in its current form is a relatively recent phenomenon, having only existed for the last 12,000 years since the beginning of the Holocene epoch, covering land that had been mammoth steppe or under the Scandinavian Ice Sheet in Eurasia and under the Laurentide Ice Sheet in North America during the Late Pleistocene.
How much rainfall does the taiga get?
12 to 20 inches
Areas of the taiga located in the centre of continents generally receive 30 to 50 cm (12 to 20 inches) of annual precipitation. Precipitation totals are relatively modest in these locations because they are a significant distance from unfrozen oceans that supply moisture.
What temperature is the taiga?
taiga can be as low as -76°F (-60°C). In the summer the temperature can reach as high as 104°F (40°C). The major type of vegetation in the taiga biome are coniferous evergreens. Needles on evergreen trees of the taiga are thin, wax-covered and they do not fall off in the fall.
What is the taiga also called?
noun. evergreen forest in cool, northern latitudes. Also called boreal forest.
How much of the world is taiga?
about 17 percent
The taiga, which is also known as the boreal (meaning northern) forest region, occupies about 17 percent of Earth’s land surface area in a circumpolar belt of the far Northern Hemisphere.
Does the taiga have seasons?
The taiga is characterized by a cold, harsh climate, low rate of precipitation (snow and rain), and short growing season. Long, severe winters last up to 6 months, with average temperatures below freezing. Summers are short, lasting maybe 50 to 100 days without frost. Winters in the taiga are long and cold.
How much sunlight does the taiga get?
During the long summer days, the sun shines brightly through the sparse, coniferous canopy for 20 or more hours daily but remains close to the horizon.
How hot can the taiga get?
