Taiga Biome: Taiga Animals and Plants

The taiga biome is the largest land biome on the Earth, extending to the parts of North America and Eurasia. It lies below the tundra biome and is characterized by the cold climatic conditions, especially during the winter season with a continuous snowfalls. Winter and summer are two major seasons in this biome. The temperature in winter months measures about -54 to -1° C. In summer months, the temperature ranges from -7° C to 21° C and the climate is warm, humid and rainy. On an average, the temperature is below freezing point for almost six months in a year and an annual precipitation ranges from 30-85 cm. As conifer trees and needleleaf forest are more common, taiga is also referred to as boreal forest.

Plants found in Taiga Biome

Due to the harsh environmental conditions, not many plants can survive in the taiga biome. Hence, there is less diversity in the plants found in this biome. As already mentioned, the common plants found in taiga are coniferous trees or evergreens with long, thin and waxy leaves. The needle-shaped leaves reduce water loss and protect from weighing down by snow. These plants grow very close to each other, as an adaptation to protect from the cold snow and wind. Other than these plants, lichens and mosses are also found in the taiga biome. Following is a list of the main plants found in the taiga biome.

Black Spruce
Spruce is a common plant of the taiga biome, which can grow to an astonishing height of about 25 meters. An old black spruce tree resembles a tall spike. Black spruce is prevalent throughout the taiga due to its adaptability to grow in poor soil and cold climates. The tree branches are comparatively shorter than other conifer trees. Sharp needles of about half an inch long with four sides are a characteristic feature of this conifer. The bark is rough, thick and gray-brown in color. The pinecones of spruce are a major food for the birds in Taiga biome.

Balsam Fir
Balsam fir is a medium-sized conifer that grows up to the height of 80 feet. Like other conifers, it has a broad base with a slender and narrow top. Balsam fir has a shallow root system that hardly reaches 35 inch. The branches grow at the right angle to the main stem. Many a times, the lower branches of a tall balsam fir are dead and droop to the ground. The leaves are dark green above and white below, short (about 1 ½ inch long), flat with a distinct curve and rounded at the tip. The barks of balsam tree are resinous, smooth and gray in color. This conifer is a major food supplier for deer, moose, squirrels and other inhabitants in cold winter months.

Jack Pine
The jack pine tree grows to about 27 meters tall and the base almost similar to the height. Young jack pine has reddish colored barks, whereas an older tree has gray barks. The branches are long, slender that bears needle leaves. These two characteristic features of jack pine allow them to adapt during the snowfalls and cold weather conditions. It is found in semi-cold regions of taiga with sandy soils. Leaves and pinecones of jack pine are a source food for the rodents and other animals inhabiting the taiga biome.

In addition, other deciduous trees found in the taiga biome include birch, alder and aspen. As the occurrence of wildfires in the taiga biome is very frequent, majority of taiga plants are adapted with thick barks.

Animals found in Taiga Biome

Similar to the plants, the animals that can adapt to long winter and moderate summer seasons are found in the taiga biome. Taiga animals have thick furs and other special adaptations. Most of them migrate to nearby areas during the snowfalls and food scarcity. Following are some common animals found in the taiga biome.

Long-Eared Owl
Long-eared owl is a medium-sized owl that measures to about 35 cm in length. Its ears are not similar; one is about half times bigger than the another. This is an adaptation to hunt better in the dark conditions. Despite the name, this owl does not have long ears, rather it has long feathers in the head portion that appears like ears. Long-eared owl has yellow-colored eyes and black beaks.

Snowshoe rabbit
Snowshoe rabbit is larger than the typical rabbit species. It measures about 20 inches in length and 3-4 pounds in weight. Snowshoe rabbit is named so, as the toes can spread out resembling like a snowshoe. The coat color is grayish brown in summer that turns into snow white during the winter season, which helps them to protect from the predators such as wolf and lynx. Similar to other rabbits, it is herbivores and feeds on grass and other soft leaves.

Gray Wolf
Gray wolf, the biggest wild canine, is found in the taiga biome. It is easily identifiable by its yellow eyes and pointed ears. Gray wolf has rough and woolly fur coat that may be white, gray, brown or black in color. The thick coat provides insulation to this animal during the cold winter seasons. The long legs and large paws help them to travel in the areas covered with thick snow. Other adaptations of gray wolf include a sharp hearing and smelling sense with reflective retina. Male gray wolf is bigger than the female. They hunt in groups and feed on moose, deer, caribou and other weak animals.

Black Bear
Black bear, found commonly in North America, lacks characteristic shoulder hump. It has round ears, short claws and a short tail. Though majority of them are black in color, some may exhibit brownish or bluish color. The thick coat is an adaptive feature of this animal to survive in the taiga biome. Black bear is omnivorous and feeds on a wide variety of coniferous trees. Its food also consists of honey, carcasses, insects and small mammals. Black bear can hibernate in order to escape scarcity of food.

Other taiga animals include bald eagle, Canadian lynx, red fox, wolverine, river otter, bobcat and grizzy bear. Some common migrating birds found in taiga biome are geese, water fowl, woodpecker and duck. These birds migrate during winter and return to the taiga in warm summer months.