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﻿ Taiga

__Ecosystem and Location__: The Taiga is located near the top of the world; across northern Europe, Asia, and North America. Many different coniferous trees live here, as the climate is perfect for these types of trees. Most of the animals here either hibernate in the winter or migrate south in order to escape the harsh weather. __ Climate __ :


 * very cold in winter months
 * harsh conditions, not many plants can live here besides trees
 * average summer temperatures: high- 70 degrees Fahrenheit/ low- 20 degrees Fahrenheit
 * average winter temperatures: high- 30 degrees Fahrenheit/ low- -65 degrees Fahrenheit
 * usually moist; rain, sleet, or snow

__Taiga Plants:__

- Balsam Fir: has needles thatare 1 1/2 inches long and can be 40 to 80 feet tall

Balsam Fir Needles

- Black Spruce: able to survive in tough climates because of it's layered twigs, waxy needles, and rough bark



Black Spruce

- Siberian Spruce: can grow up to 30 meters high and have short needles

- Paper Birch: can grow up to 50- 75 feet



Paper Birch

- Fungi: grows on and in living or dead trees

- Coniferous trees keep leaves longer than most so they can begin photosynthesis early

- Deciduous trees lose leaves in autumn and re-grow them in spring, this lets the trees use less energy in winter and also keeps more branches from falling off in wintertime, due to snow buildup

__ ﻿ __ __ Taiga Animals __ :

- Snowshoe Rabbit: back feet are large and act like snowshoes, fur turns white in winter and rusty brown in summer

Snowshoe Rabbit David and Linda mid south bunny museum

- Long-Eared Owl: when fully grow is around 13 inches tall, one ear is 50% larger than other one and is higher up on head so the owl can hear better



===- Wolverine: Wolverines give birth in March for the spring. These carnivorous animals are a lot more active in the summer than any other season in the year. The Wolverine loves to use their incredibly sharp teeth and claws to hunt and eat their food ===

Wolverine TerryL.sohl

- Canadian Lynx: Not very common, can grow up to 2-4 feet as an adult, are hunted for fur - Gray Wolf: has a sense of hearing 20 times greater than human's, maximum lifespan is 17 years

- Northern Lynx: mainly hunts snowshoe rabbits, have fur covered paws to make them quieter while hunting

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__Human Impact on the Taiga__:

Exploration and development of oil and natural gas reserves are effecting the Taiga in negative ways. Global warming is also an issue, making parts of the Taiga warm enough for deciduous trees to replace coniferous. Humans can reduce oil usage and use alternative resources to power electricity, as drilling for these are beginning to be a problem for wildlife of all kinds on the Taiga. Logging is also a serious issue.

Made By: Tyrail, Josh, and Austin = =

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