Trees of the taiga zone. Taiga is the harsh beauty of Russia. Location in Russia
Each climate zone our planet is unique and beautiful in its own way. The harsh beauty of the taiga does not leave indifferent everyone who finds himself among the moist aroma of the needles of centuries-old spruces, pines and larches.
Taiga can not be loved, but it is impossible not to admire it. And now we are mentally transported to the zone of dense taiga forests.
Location of the taiga zone
The taiga stretches in a wide strip across the northern part of Eurasia, capturing the territory of Canada, Alaska and some North American states. This natural zone occupies 27% forest areas on our planet. Its northern part borders on the south of the forest-tundra zone.
In the central part of Russia, its southern borders run north of Moscow, and as it moves east, the taiga zone sinks further south. In Siberia, it extends all the way to Altai.
Taiga vegetation
The nature of vegetation is usually determined by climatic conditions and the composition of the soil of the area.
The climate of the taiga is characterized by very cold winters and relatively warm but short summers. In Eastern Siberia, in winter, the thermometer often drops to -50 ° C, while the most low temperature registered in this climate zone- minus 68 °C. Summer precipitation is not too abundant - from 200 to 750 mm per year, in some places 1000 mm. The high humidity of the region and permafrost prevent their evaporation, so the moisture stagnates and the soil becomes waterlogged. For this reason, the taiga zone is so rich in lakes and swamps.
For the taiga landscape, the most typical podzolic soils and slightly whitish podzols with a low humus content.
And only in the Far East, the soil has a brown color and a high content of humus. Humus is that component of the soil that contains the substances necessary for plant nutrition.
These circumstances have left their mark on the vegetation of this region. So spartan conditions withstand, mostly, coniferous trees.
Broad-leaved species lack heat, light, and nutrients for their development. And only small-leaved ones - aspen, alder and birch occasionally delight the eye of a traveler who has wandered into the wilderness of the taiga.
tree types
Coniferous giants are usually divided into light coniferous and dark coniferous. The first category prefers good lighting, but is very frost-resistant. and are not so picky about lighting, but do not tolerate severe frosts and heat. They grow in the European part of the taiga, while light-loving and pine settled in the Asian region. Unlike other conifers, larch sheds its bright, soft needles for the winter, like deciduous trees.
For a day, they are able to add as much as 3 kg in weight. Getting ready for hibernation(anabiosis), the bears diligently gain weight and very carefully equip their winter "apartments". They look for dry places, dig dens in them and cover them with moss, dry leaves and needles. Passing in search of food hundreds of kilometers a year, they rush to their dens for the winter, where the females give birth to their cubs.
A typical representative of the animal world of the taiga are. Their weight can reach 80 kg. Developed intelligence, strong paws and powerful fangs allow them to overtake their victims, which can even surpass them in size. Wolves live in pairs, and only in autumn they gather in packs of 25-30 individuals.
live in taiga forests also lynxes, martens, wolverines, sables, ermines.
In the forest thickets of the Far East, they found refuge and. Their number in nature is due to human intrusion into their habitat and predatory extermination by poachers. These magnificent felines are included in and work is underway to preserve them.
The bird world of the taiga is also diverse. Permanently live there, capercaillie and hazel grouse. Many species of birds prefer to wait out the cold winters in warmer climes.
land development
Taiga is called the guardian of the health of the Earth, her green lungs. And this is quite understandable. Huge green tracts of forests make it possible to maintain a sufficient concentration of oxygen in the lower layers of the atmosphere.
Endless taiga massifs are, first of all, huge stocks of timber Very good quality. Deposits and gas have been discovered and developed here. The taiga zone is rich in reserves of graphite and mica.
The population of the taiga has long been a hunter of furs, fishing, picking nuts and berries.
Agricultural industries are gradually conquering more and more new spaces, moving from the south of the taiga to its northern regions. The presence of water meadows and forest pastures create good conditions for livestock.
To study and protect this unique region, a number of national parks and reserves have been created, including the Barguzinsky Reserve (located on the right bank).
However, the selfless work of employees who, on duty and the call of the heart, strive to preserve this unique region, cannot give the desired results without the help of the local population. Only their joint efforts will enable future generations to enjoy the gifts of this land and admire its beauties.
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Taiga isn't called "for nothing" green lungs planets." The vegetation of these vast forests, the largest of which are the Siberian and North American taiga biomes, maintains the balance of carbon and oxygen in the planet's atmosphere.
The evergreen taiga is divided into light coniferous, consisting mainly of pine and larch, and dark coniferous, dominated by Siberian cedar, spruce and fir. The flora of the taiga is the realm of coniferous trees. Although, small-leaved species (birch, mountain ash, aspen, green alder) are occasionally found here. There are many swamps in these places, with their own ecosystem. Mosses, lichens, shrubs and mushrooms grow everywhere.
Let's take a closer look at some typical taiga plants:
Siberian spruce is one of the basic representatives of the dark coniferous taiga. Her needles, rich useful substances, essential oils and vitamins, releases antibacterial phytoncides into the air. Wood is successfully used in construction. The spruce forest has almost no undergrowth - in conditions of high humidity and shading created by the paws of spruces, only the most shade-loving plants survive.
Fir is a coniferous tree with soft needles. Fir branches are often used by hunters, preparing bedding for spending the night in the taiga. The resin of the tree is used as an antiseptic wound healing agent, and fir oil is a component of many cosmetics. Fragrant tea is brewed from pine needles. Fir wood is not a valuable building material.
Siberian cedar (Siberian cedar pine) is one of the main species of the dark coniferous taiga. Lives up to 800 years, starting to bear fruit somewhere in the 60th year of life. Each cone contains 30-150 seed nuts, which are readily eaten by both local living creatures and people. Cedar wood has a pleasant reddish color, dense structure, and is widely used in construction and furniture making.
Larch is the most frost-resistant of the taiga trees (can withstand temperatures below -70°C). Its soft needles fall off every autumn and grow anew in the spring. Wood is valuable for construction because of its density, resistance to moisture and decay. Often forms a one-component forest - larch. Almost never found in the dark coniferous taiga.
Juniper is a small shrub that grows everywhere in the taiga. It forms fruits in the form of cones containing sugars, acids, trace elements, as well as a significant amount of phytoncides. Widely used in folk medicine.
taiga forests, forests of the taiga zone, are characteristic of the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Main climatic features areas of distribution of taiga forests - long cold winters with stable snow cover, a relatively small amount of precipitation in flat conditions and its increase in mountains. In the north, the taiga forests border on the forest-tundra, in the south, on coniferous-deciduous forests. Taiga forests are common in Asian and European parts Russia, Scandinavian countries, North America, both in flat and mountainous conditions. The vast majority of taiga forests in the European territory of Russia and in Western Siberia are located on flat areas. Mountain taiga forests predominate in Eastern Siberia and the Far East. In general, taiga forests occupy about 90% of the forest area of the Russian Federation.The predominant bedrocks in the taiga forests are conifers. Therefore, the taiga zone is also called the zone of coniferous forests. Small-leaved forests (mainly of birch and aspen) in most of the taiga zone are derivatives; they appeared on the site of coniferous forests as a result of fires and concentrated logging. Primary types of small-leaved forests are rare. In terms of structure and productivity, taiga forests are divided into several subzones in the latitudinal direction. The northernmost one is a sparse taiga subzone, where coniferous stands of a very low quality class grow, with a small canopy density and tundra vegetation. In the north of this subzone, the taiga passes into the forest-tundra. To the south of the sparse taiga subzone is the northern taiga, which is characterized by more dense coniferous forests IV-V bonitet classes, growing on gleyed podzols. The subzone of the middle taiga is characterized by dense forest stands, mainly of class III. The soils are typical podzols. The south of the taiga zone is occupied by the southern taiga subzone. It is dominated by coniferous stands of II-I quality classes. The participation of small-leaved species in the upper canopy is typical, sometimes there are indigenous plantations of small-leaved species. The soil cover is represented by podzolic and sod-podzolic soils. There are no clearly defined geographical boundaries between the subzones of taiga forests.
But tentatively in the European part of Russia, the northern parts of the Arkhangelsk and Murmansk regions, the republics of Komi and Karelia are referred to the sparse taiga and northern taiga forests. Middle taiga forests are concentrated mainly in the southern parts of the republics of Karelia and Komi, the northern parts of the Vologda, Kirov, Leningrad regions. The subzone of southern taiga forests covers Kostroma, southern part Vologda, most of Leningrad, northern parts of Novgorod, Tver, Yaroslavl regions, Udmurt Republic, the central part of the Kirov region. In the western part of the northern taiga of European Russia, pine forests predominate, in the eastern part - spruce forests with an admixture of fir. In the Komi Republic and the Arkhangelsk region. larch also grows, but does not form large massifs here, being an admixture in pine and spruce forests. Small areas are occupied by Siberian cedar pine. In the southern taiga subzone, there is an approximately equal ratio of pine and spruce forests. In Siberia, S. F. Kurnaev distinguishes 3 large provinces according to the nature of forest vegetation: West Siberian, Central Siberian, East Siberian. In the West Siberian province, the northernmost flat part is a sparse taiga dominated by Siberian larch and Siberian spruce. To the south is the zone of the northern taiga with a predominance of Siberian stone pine and the participation of Siberian spruce, in some places - Siberian larch. The zone of the middle taiga is represented by plantations of a mixed composition of Siberian stone pine, spruce and Siberian fir, and the southern taiga - Siberian fir with the participation of Siberian stone pine and Siberian spruce. The Central Siberian province is characterized by a more severe climate and deep permafrost. The most cold-resistant species dominates here - Dahurian larch, which most often forms pure plantations. In the form of a small admixture, there are dark coniferous species - spruce, fir, Siberian cedar pine. In an even harsher continental climate In the East Siberian province, Dahurian larch also dominates on permafrost soils. If in the European North along the northern border of forests pine, spruce, birch grow, then in Siberia - larch. Severe climatic conditions of the Central Siberian and East Siberian provinces, an insignificant layer of thawing soil predetermine the low productivity of plantations.
The taiga forests of the Far East are characterized by a great variety of forest formations and species composition of trees and shrubs. This is due to the very large amplitude of climatic conditions in the latitudinal direction and the vertical zonality of mountain taiga forests. The most extensive forest formation in the Far East is larch forests. The participation of larch in forest landscapes increases from south to north, where it dominates. Forests form several types of larch - Dahurian, Okhotsk, Olginsk, Primorskaya. Spruce-fir forests are widespread. home forest-forming species here - Ayan spruce, which is usually accompanied by white fir. Ayan spruce - valuable tree species with high physical and mechanical properties of wood; according to these indicators, fir is significantly inferior to spruce. Spruce-fir forests are concentrated mainly on the slopes of mountains from 400-500 to 1000-1200 m above sea level. seas. On the flat territory, they move far to the north. A typical species of the forests of the Far East is Korean cedar pine (Korean cedar). The mountain taiga forests of Siberia and the Far East are characterized by vertical zonality, which corresponds to the zonality in the latitudinal direction of lowland forests. Thus, the upper mountain belt with the most severe climatic conditions in terms of the composition of rocks and the productivity of plantations is an analogue of the northern taiga subzone on the plain, the middle and southern mountain belts are respectively identical to the middle and southern taiga on the plain. The upper boundary of taiga forests varies considerably depending on climatic conditions: the more favorable they are, the higher the boundary. So, in the most severe climate of the north of Eastern Siberia, it is 800-900 m, in the mountains of Sikhote-Alin - 1300-1400 m, in the mountains of the Western Sayan - 1900-2000 m, in the southern regions of the Republic of Tyva - 2100-2400 m above sea level. seas.
The taiga biome, also known as this fascinating ecological phenomenon, encircles the northern latitudes the globe from North America to Eurasia. The taiga is a difficult place to live in, so plants and animals must be adapted to the harsh environment in order to survive. climatic conditions, soil and terrain. The soil of boreal forests is cold, waterlogged, and poorly suited for plant growth.
Surprisingly, there are a number of different plants that can withstand long, harsh winters and short, fleeting taiga summers, and they range from large trees to tiny lichens. Taiga flora plays a role in this unique ecosystem.
Due to hard weather conditions and climate, not many plants survive in the Taiga. The main threats to the flora are forestry, forest fires, insects and pesticides. species composition boreal forest trees consists of black spruce, white spruce, banks pine, American larch, paper birch, aspen, balsam poplar, etc. Below is an extended list of taiga plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, berries, flowers and lichens growing boreal forests.
Flora of the taiga:
Balsam fir
Balsam fir is a coniferous tree from the pine family, common in the taiga of North America. Their relatively low height and downward-growing branches make balsam fir well adapted to heavy snowfalls. These trees are a favorite hiding place for.
Pseudotsuga Menzies
Pseudotsuga Menzies, or Douglas fir, or Pseudotsuga yew-leaved, is a species of coniferous trees growing in the western part of the North American continent. These evergreen trees are an incredibly valuable food source for animals. Pseudotsuga Menzies are tall thick-stemmed trees that can grow up to 100 m in height, with a trunk diameter of 4-5 m.
white fir
White fir, also known as comb fir, white European fir and European fir, is a tree from the pine family, common in southern and central Europe. White fir got its name because of the light bark. The height of the trees varies from 30 to 50 m (in rare cases up to 60 m), and the average trunk diameter is 1.5 m.
Spruce black
Black spruce, like menzies, is a much narrower coniferous tree with hanging branches that give it a pyramid-like shape. Black spruce is a very durable tree and it has special features that are very well adapted to the difficult climatic conditions of the taiga.
Gray fir
Gray spruce, or Canadian spruce, or white spruce is an evergreen coniferous tree similar to black spruce, but with a much lighter trunk and leaves. White spruce is native to North America, where it grows from northern Alaska to Newfoundland.
Siberian spruce
Siberian spruce is a tall coniferous tree, with branches hanging down like a black spruce. Widespread in the Siberian regions of the taiga, it is one of the main sources of timber for the logging industry in Russia.
Banks Pine
Banks pine is a species of coniferous trees from the pine family, native to Canada and northeastern regions USA. Often found on mountain slopes, well adapted to drought, severe frosts and undemanding to the soil.
Scotch pine
Scotch pine is a coniferous tree widely distributed in Europe and Asia, easily recognizable by its reddish-orange bark. The average height of the trees is 35 m and the trunk diameter is about 1 m. Scotch pine is regularly used in the timber industry.
Red cedar
Virginian juniper is a small coniferous tree from the cypress family, growing in various climatic zones of North America from Florida to the Canadian taiga. Outwardly, the virginian juniper looks more like a large bush, not living on a tree.
paper birch
Paper birch is a plant from the birch family, which got its name because of the bark, which, when peeled off, resembles paper. IN wild nature found in the northern part of North America, and also cultivated in Europe and Russia. These trees are used for a variety of purposes, from building boats to making birch syrup.
Gmelin larch
Gmelin larch is a species of coniferous tree, a member of the pine family. This is one of the most durable trees in Miri, is found in most of the coldest northern regions of the planet, and is especially abundant in the Siberian taiga.
Tamarack
American larch is a coniferous tree native to the North American region of the taiga from the pine family. These trees love the cold and also prefer wet and swampy areas, which are available in many parts of the taiga. North American regions of the taiga. It is the most commonly used tree for making snowshoes.
Poplar white
White poplar - fast growing deciduous tree from the willow family. He loves moisture, which is more than enough in the taiga. The average tree height is 16-27 m (sometimes more), and the trunk thickness is up to 2 m.
Hemlock
Hemlock is an evergreen coniferous tree of the pine family, which thrives especially in the cool and humid regions of Asia and North America. The genus includes 10 species of trees, 4 of which grow in North America and 6 in Asia.
Elfin pine, or elfin cedar, is a low bushy tree from the pine family, which is found in the Far East, Eastern Siberia, northeast Mongolia, northeast China, North Korea and Japan. Elfin pine is capable of reaching 4-5 m in height, but this can take hundreds or thousands of years (Yes! These plants can live that long!).
Willow
Don't expect to see the classic willow in the taiga, but there are many species that are adapted to the conditions of the harsh climate. Unlike their tall counterparts, taiga willows are usually low, and sometimes there are instances of only a few centimeters in height.
Rose hip
Rosehip is a genus of shrubs from the Rosaceae family. Many species of wild rose are common in temperate and subtropical zones, but there are species that prefer more northern regions. These are low plants, about 2-3 m, which are well protected by thorns from animal encroachments on beautiful flowers.
Calmia angustifolia
Calmia angustifolia is an evergreen shrub plant common in the taiga. The height of the plant varies from 15 cm to 1.5 m. Calmia angustifolia blooms in summer, the flowers are crimson-pink, and the leaves are green throughout the year.
Alder green
The green alder is a shrub tree from the birch family. Despite its name, the leaves and branches of the plant can have a reddish hue. Green alder blooms in the warm season. Widely distributed in the taiga zone of North America and Eurasia, loves regions with high humidity.
Ivan-tea narrow-leaved
This small herbaceous plant loves taiga regions, which have heavy canopy tops, and grows among forest clearings in dark, damp places.
Cranberry
The taiga is replete with swamps and wetlands, which attracts plants such as cranberries that thrive in similar conditions.
Cowberry
Lingonberries are an integral part of the diet of many animals. It is an exceptionally hardy evergreen plant, which makes lingonberries a typical representative of the taiga flora.
wild rosemary
Ledum is a shrubby plant with relatively small white flowers and indistinct leaves. Often found around wetlands.
Voskovnitsa common
Another type of undersized shrub that loves the humid environment of the taiga, and has a number of amazing adaptations - such as long creeping roots, allowing you to live in areas not suitable for other flora.
Cotton grass
Cotton grass is a perennial flowering plant that prefers wetlands. Distributed in the northern regions of North America, Europe, Russia and Asia.
Lichens
Trees plus moisture equals thriving lichens, and lots of lichens means lots of happy animals! As in other ecosystems, lichens play an important role in the taiga, providing valuable nutrients for animals living in the harshest climatic conditions.
Sphagnum
Sphagnum, also known as peat moss, is a genus of mosses that is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere around swamps and wetlands in the taiga. Peat moss is a very hardy plant that promotes waterlogging of lands.
The largest forest in the world - the Siberian taiga
Forests are the lungs of our planet. Many processes on our planet depend on them. The largest forests in the world amaze with their scale, unique plants and animals. Where is the largest forest?
On the territory of Russia there is the largest forest on the planet - the Siberian taiga. Taiga forests begin in the European part of Russia and, growing from the upper reaches of the Volga and the Gulf of Finland to the East, cover the Urals, Altai, all of Western and Eastern Siberia, making their way to the steppe latitudes and capturing Far East. The taiga zone occupies more than 79% of the country's forest fund and extends over 9,000 km.
The taiga is located in the subarctic and temperate. This explains the natural differences in different parts of the taiga. The dark coniferous taiga is rich in such trees as spruce, cedar, fir, and the light coniferous taiga is famous for its numerous pines and larches. In places where coniferous trees are cut down, aspens and birches grow. It is gloomy in the dark coniferous taiga, as the crowns tall trees close and almost do not miss Sun rays. In these places there is no undergrowth, and only mosses and ferns grow, and the air is saturated with resinous and coniferous aromas. It is also the main habitat for brown bears.
And in the light-coniferous taiga, larch has become the queen of trees. This is a very hardy tree, the root system of which is able to survive even permafrost. Larch wood is very durable construction material capable of lasting hundreds of years. The light coniferous parts of the taiga have a more diverse flora. These places are rich in dwarf birch, alder, shrubs with berries.
The largest forests in Russia, together with others, occupy 45% of the area of the entire country. This is about 17% of the world's forest area. The Siberian taiga enriches the entire northern hemisphere of the planet with oxygen. The largest forests are an important component of the biosphere of our Earth.
