What Physical Region Is Known as the Taiga?

Finding the Taiga

• The taiga is located across Eurasia and the northern portion of North America. A large portion of Canada and Russia are within the taiga biome. Although the northern portions of the taiga have few human inhabitants, major cities like Toronto and Moscow are found in the southern areas of the boreal forest. When looking at a biome map, the taiga is bordered by the tundra in the north, deciduous forests and grasslands to the south and alpine regions where the taiga meets major mountain chains.

Growing in the Taiga

• If you took a walk through the boreal forest, you would mainly see coniferous trees such as larch, fir and spruce. Confiers have many adaptations that help them survive in the tough taiga climate. Most conifers are cone-shaped. As with a steep roof, this shape helps the trees shed much of the heavy snow that falls on them, which helps prevent limb breakage. A layer of wax over the needles helps prevent moisture loss while adding protection against chilly temperatures. With the low light levels in the taiga from late fall to early spring, the conifer's evergreen needles allow it to photosynthesize and begin to produce energy for the year's growth as soon as the light becomes stronger in the spring. The dark evergreen needles also absorb heat from the sun, which helps keep the trees from suffering the rigors of a cold taiga winter.

Creatures of the Taiga

• Life is tough within the taiga, but a number of animals manage to inhabit this region. Most have adaptations to cold such as thick fur, and many either hibernate or migrate in winter. Mammals of the taiga include lynx, elk, snowshoe hare and martins. In the summers, many insects populate the taiga because of the humidity, attracting insect-eating birds such as the wood warbler. Birds that live off the seeds from the conifer trees, such as pine siskins and evening grosbeaks, may stay in the taiga year-round, but they may migrate if the trees don't produce many cones in a given year.

Problems in the Taiga

• Due to the dense forest cover of the taiga, wildfires can spread quickly in this region. Most trees have adapted by growing thick bark that serves as a fire blanket, so most fires destroy only the undergrowth in the boreal forests. Although most places of the taiga are too harsh for humans to make permanent homes, the abundant wood attracts logging companies. Several swaths of the forest are clear-cut for lumber and pulp to make paper. Clear-cutting trees not only removes plants that absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide and destroys animal habitat but also increases erosion. Once the soil washes away, trees cannot be replanted and the biome becomes threatened.