Taiga Biome

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Taiga Biome
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Climatogram
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Soil Types

• Spodosol is the main soil type and is usually
  found in cool, moist environments The soil is
  usually young and lacks strong nutrients
• The soil is very thin due to the cold climate
• The soil is acidic because of the fallen pine
  needles, so the forest ground only has lichens
  and a few mosses growing on it

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Locations of the Taiga Biome
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Plant Species

• Balsam Fir, Eastern Fir, Canadian Balsam, Blister
  Fir
• Black Spruce, Bog Spruce, Swamp Spruce, épinette
  noireBlack Spruce, Bog Spruce, Swamp Spruce,
  épinette noire
• Douglas-fir, bigcone Douglas-fir, Rocky Mountain
  Douglas-fir

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Animal Species

• American Black Bear
• Bald Eagle, Fish Eagle, Sea Eagle
• Bobcat

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Environmental Problems

• The Taiga biome is a major source of industrial
  wood and wood fiber (ex. softwood timber and
  pulpwood)
• Due to the chopping down of trees and the low
  productivity rate, the forest is being depleted
  because it has a slow rate of forest
  regeneration.
• The Taiga is also rich in metal ores (iron ore
  and gold), coal, gas, and oil. Due to the
  logging and mining industries, settlements,
  roads, and industrial complexes have been
  developed.
• These industrial developments (pulp and paper
  mills, mines, and ore smelting plants) have
  caused problems with air pollution in Canada and
  Russia.
• Also, the Siberian or Amur tigers in the Taiga of
  Russia's Far East, are being illegally poached
  from their natural habitat for their skin (worth
  thousands of dollars) and their internal organs
  for traditional Asian medicine..
• Also, loggers have destroyed the food chain by
  cutting down trees, which means less prey for the
  tigers to feed on.
• Due to the poaching, habitat loss and smaller
  amount of prey, the tigers are nearing extinction.

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The Amur Tiger
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Environmental Solutions

• Government enforced regulations stating how many
  trees are allowed to be cut down based on the
  trees rate of reproduction
• Limit the amount of industrialized developments
  in the area to prevent further air pollution
• Government enforced penalties for illegal
  poaching and logging (ex. From fines to jail
  time)
• Have officials monitor the forests so that the
  illegal poachers will be discouraged from hunting
  the tigers

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Net Primary Productivity

• The average net primary productivity for a Taiga
  is around 3,600 kcal/meters2/year
• Compared to the other biomes, the Taiga NPP is in
  the middle (a little less than half of the biomes
  with the highest NPP)
• The highest NPP (swamps and marshes) is around
  8,800 kcal/meters2/year and the lowest NPP
  (extreme desert) is around 100 kcal/meters2/year

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The Taiga
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Bibliography

• http//www.tve.org/earthreport/archive/doc.cfm?aid
  804
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/taiga.htm
• http//www.runet.edu/swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/bio
  mes/taiga/taiga.html
• http//www.nceas.ucsb.edu/nceas-web/kids/biomes/ta
  iga.htm
• Miller, Tyler Jr. Living in the Environment.
  Canada Brooks/Cole, 2007.