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Charlotte	Johnson	  TAIGA-riffic!	



                                           TAIGA	



                What	is	taiga?	

                	

                A	biome	characterised	by	coniferous	forest	with	
                mostly	pines	and	spruches.	

                Often	situated	around	Alaska,	Canada	
                Scandinavia	Russia	and	China		

                   v  Only	found	in	the	northern	hemisphere	
                       because	there	is	not	enough	land	mass	in	the	
                       southern	hemisphere	to	create	a	taiga	
                       climate	there		


                	

                Describe	the	functioning	of	the	ecosystems	(animals,	
                plants	and	biophysical	interactions)	


                	

                ATMOSPHERE	à	

                   l  Cold	and	Ridged	winds	
                   l  Due	to	the	earth’s	tilt,	taiga	is	turned	away	from	the	sun	in	winter	à	less	of	the	sun’s	radiation	
                       reaches	the	ground	to	warm	it	up	
                   l  Winter	can	last	for	6-7	months	à	layer	of	permafrost	in	winter	can	occur	(soil	or	rock	that	is	frozen	for	
                       more	than	2	consecutive	years)	
                   l  Summer:	rainy	and	hot	and	short	season		

                HYDROSPHERE	à	

                   l  Lakes,	streams	and	ponds	
                   l  Water	that	comes	from	glaciers	

                BIOSPHERE	à	

                   l  Abiotic	features	à	large	amounts	of	precipitation	in	the	
                       Taiga;	soil	is	very	fertile;	light	amounts	of	sunlight	ever	
                       reach	the	trees	
                   l  Biotic	Features	à	Black	bears,	deer	and	foxes	+	lynx	
                       (threats	to	deer	and	foxes	and	rabbits)	
                   l  Food	chain:	the	taiga	food	chain	generally	consists	of	the	
                       lynx	and	the	wolf	being	predators	as	they	hunt	the	mostly	
                       herbivorous	animals.	Produces	are	berries	and	trees	
                       	

                East	Siberian	Taiga:	
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