The boreal forest is one of the world's largest ecosystems. It makes up 29% of the world's forests. The boreal forests receive little rainfall. The precipitation comes in the form of fog and snow with little rain during the summer months. The average temperature is between 5 degrees and -5 degrees celcius. The soil is often very acidic due to falling pine needles. The soil also has very little nutrients because the foliage rarely rots and turns to soil. The boreal forests are very important because they store enormous amounts of carbon dioxide but they are quickly disappearing due to logging. The trees in boreal forest tend to have shallow roots due to the thin soils. The precipitation is about 20cm-200cm yearly. It has winters that are cold and long and summers that are short and cool. Animals Their are many different animals in the boreal forest that all have different ways of adapting to their environment. The Siberian tiger's strips have the right colors to give the tiger great camouflage. They have 4 inch long teeth and a very powerful jaw that can kill prey with one quick bite. Their night vision allows them to gauge the distance to prey they are chasing. They have retractable claws which allow them to not wear down their claws very quickly. The mountain goat has hooves that are flexible like rubber so they can jump from rock to rock easily. They have 8 teeth in front to make it easier for them to grab grass. Their horns help to defend them from predators. The enormous strength in their back legs gives them terrific jumping ability. Plants As much as the animals have adaptations that allow them to survive so do the plants of the boreal forest. The pine trees have pointed tops that makes it easier for them to shed snow. They are able to retain needles through winter which keeps them warmer. Their needles have a thick waxy coating and a small surface area to resist cold conditions and minimize water loss, They hold their seeds in these structures to keep them safe. The poison hemlock plant has many adaptations. It is a fairly small plant which would make it a very good plant for herbivores to eat but it gives off many different toxins that are deadly to animals so it isn't eaten. It has a hairless hollow stalk that makes it good for it to stand up straight. |