The Northern KingdomBy Caroline Kasman, Matt Hassall, Julie Hamp

Where are Boreal Forests?● There are in a narrow belt of land across

North America and Eurasia

Features of Boreal Forests● Also known as the taiga. ● Boreal forests have long, extreme

winters and shorter, warmer summers

● The plant life is resilient against the cold and consist mostly of evergreens with little forest floor vegetation.

● The animals are mostly birds and mammals, such as deer, wolves, and rodents which have adapted to the climate by developing thick fur and hibernation.

Climate● The weather in boreal forests is crisp and

cold with an average annual temperature of -5 to 5 ° C! The average precipitation is 15-20 cm which means lots of snow!

Climate Continued● They also have long winters (up

to 6 months) with shorter summers (50-100 days) so there is plenty of time for fun winter activities!

● Days in the summer are very long so you can stay out enjoy the scenery for as long as you want!

Unique Characteristics of the Boreal

● The Boreal is extremely cold, with -50 to 30 degree

celsius weather!

● Stores enormous amounts of carbon-more than all

forests combined!

● The rare siberian tiger lives in Boreal Forests.

● Many birds migrate to the Taiga (75% of the species of

birds)

Characteristics of Plants and Animals

All the plants and animals have adapted to the cold weather and the snow.

Birds migrate south to avoid these harsh conditions.

Plant AdaptationConiferous Trees These trees shed snow easily, and they retain their needles through the winter. The needles themselves are well-adapted, with thick waxy coatings and small surface area, to resist cold conditions and minimize water loss. Together, these adaptations mean that even in cool conditions, if the temperature rises above freezing during the day photosynthesis can proceed

Animal AdaptationSnowshoe HareThe Snowshoe hare has developed a change in its fur to help it blend into its background. During the summer months the hare is brown to hide in trees and vegetation. In the winter months the hares coat is white to help it hide in snow.

● Explore nature at it's finest by hiking through the woods● Watch as the aurora borealis dance across the night sky● Brave the mountain peaks, test your rock climbing skills!● Tons of ways to play inthe snow during the winter season! (Ski, snowboard, sled, ride on a snowmobile)

Pay a Visit to the Forests of the North

Environmental IssuePerhaps the biggest threat to the boreal forest today is exploration and development of oil and natural gas reserves. From Alaska to Canada to Russia, it is estimated that vast amounts of petroleum products lie under these forests. Also Logging is always a problem as the environment can not survive without coniferous trees. Global warming is also an issue because global warming can transform the Boreal Forest into Grasslands Heathlands and Temperate Forests.

References● http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/boreal.htm● http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/30-

fascinating-facts-about-the-boreal-forest.html● http://vcebiology.wikispaces.com/Boreal+Forest