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How to Construct a Model of a Coniferous Biome

A biome is a community of animals and plants living in a particular climate. The coniferous biome, known as the boreal forest or taiga, is the largest on earth, covering parts of Eurasia and North America. Forests of evergreen trees such as fir, pine and spruce are the dominant feature. Lakes and bogs dot the landscape. Winters are long and snowy. Native animals include bears, wolves, beavers, moose, deer, rabbits and geese. With simple materials from your home and the craft store, you can build a model of the coniferous biome for a school or science project.

Things You'll Need

Wood board, approximately 1/2-inch thick and 12 by 18 inches long
Pencil
Acrylic craft paint in blue and brown
2 paint brushes
White craft glue
Dry grass
Package of small craft shrubs
Package of small craft evergreen trees
Package of craft reindeer moss or lichen
Pine needles
Dry leaves
Small twigs
Small plastic toy animals
Can of simulated snow

Instructions

- 1
  Lay the wood board on your work surface. This forms the base for your model. Use the pencil to sketch an oval "lake" near one corner of the board. Paint the inside of the oval blue to represent water. Paint the rest of the board brown to represent dirt. Allow the paint to dry.
- 2
  Apply a thin coat of white craft glue in a narrow border around the lake. Scatter dried grasses over the glue. Fluff up the strands to simulate stands of tall grass. Add more drops of glue if needed to hold the grasses in place. Allow the glue to dry.
- 3
  Arrange the shrubs next to the outer edge of the grass border. Apply a drop of glue to the base of each shrub. Press the shrub down so the glue adheres to the board. Allow the glue to dry.
- 4
  Arrange the evergreen trees across the brown painted areas. For the most realistic effect, clump the trees together in tight groups with space in between each group. Apply a drop of glue to the base of each tree. Press the tree down so the glue adheres to the board. Allow the glue to dry.
- 5
  Arrange the animals on your board. Create natural scenarios by placing predators such as bears, wolves and foxes behind prey animals such as deer and rabbits. Place beavers and geese near the lake. Apply a dot of glue to the base of each animal, and press it firmly to the board until the glue adheres. Allow the glue to dry.
- 6
  Spread a thin coat of glue under the trees and across the remaining brown areas of the board. Scatter moss and natural materials such as pine needles, crushed leaves and broken twigs across the wet glue to simulate the litter on a forest floor. Allow the glue to dry.
- 7
  Spray a light coat of simulated snow over the trees, shrubs and forest floor. For the most realistic look, hold the can over the model and aim the spray toward the tops of the trees and the tips of their branches. Do not spray the lake or animals with snow. Allow the snow to dry.

Nature