Where is the biome located?
Boreal forest is the largest terrestrial biome, 1/3 of all forests in the world! Majority of Canada and Alaska of 60% are covered by boreal forests.
Climate
Boreal forests has warm to cold temperatures ranging from 20 to as low as -30 degrees Celsius. Precipitation rates are 40-100cm annually. Snow is present in this biome.
Global warming
Because the borest forest is a cold area, it is and will continue to be affected by global warming in a negative way. Plants and animals alike has adapted to survive the cold weather. However, global warming will change weather patterns and will create a warmer biomes. This will cause ice and snow to melt, which will cause major flooding and is not beneficial to the animal, plants, or the biome.
These are 2 major cities that are in boreal forests.
This is the climate and precipitation of a major city named Fort McMurray, Alberta that resides inside the boreal forest.
This is the climate and precipitation of a major city named Fairbanks, Alaska which is also inside the boreal forest.
Boreal forests often has very long and harsh winters, and short, warm summers. Winters can last anywhere from 4 to 6 months. Whereas the summers are 2 to 3 months long. During the summer, temperatures can reach up to 20 degrees, but may drop suddenly. There is considerable amount of rainfall during the summertime. Spring and fall are very short with characteristics of winter. Winters are very cold in the boreal forests. Temperatures can drop to -50 degrees, and snowfall occurs often.
Climate vs Location
The location of the biome greatly affects the climate of the enviroment. The boreal forest is cold due to the fact that it is very close to the arctic circles. The cold climate is the main cause of precipitation in snow form in the boreal forests due to the boreal forest being relatively close to the Arctic circle.
Physical structures and landscapes
The physical features include rough terrain, marshes and shallow lakes, and wetlands. The big coniferous trees create a shade, which blocks sunlight to hit the ground.
Soil conditions
The soil is very cold and damp. The soil has a very slow decomposition process. The top surface of the soil is very grainy, or sandy-like texture. The soil is very acidic due to pines and saps. This does not allow smaller plants to grow in the acidic soil.
Abiotic factors in soil
Even though the soil is dry and acidic, the shades that the trees provide slow down evaporation which allows for the soil to contain moisture after a summer rainfall. Due to the shade provided by the trees, swamps and wetlands can exsist.
Symbiosis
Although there are many unique symbiotic relationships to choose from, I chose the relationship between squirrels and trees. In this commensalism, the squirrel is provided storage and shelter inside the tree. However, the tree is not affected by this action. If trees were not present, squirrels would lose shelter and protection from predators. |