Palmistry 

Coniferous forest and plants that grow in it. Coniferous varieties

coniferous forests- this is natural area, which consists of evergreen plants - trees conifers. Coniferous forests grow in the taiga of Northern Europe, Russia and North America. In the highlands of Australia and South America, in some places there are coniferous forests. The climate of coniferous forests is very cold and humid.

According to international classification exist the following types coniferous forest:

  • evergreen;
  • with falling needles;
  • present in swamp forests;
  • tropical and subtropical.

According to the density of the canopy, light coniferous and dark coniferous forests are distinguished.

There is such a thing as artificial coniferous forests. Conifers have been planted in mixed or broadleaf forests in North America and Europe to restore forest where it has been heavily cut down.

Coniferous forests of the taiga

In the northern hemisphere of the planet, coniferous forests lie in the taiga zone. Here the main forest-forming species are as follows:

In Europe, there are pure pine and spruce-pine forests.

pine forests

AT Western Siberia a wide variety of coniferous forests: cedar-pine, spruce-larch, larch-cedar-pine, spruce-fir. Larch forests grow on the territory of Eastern Siberia. In coniferous forests, birch, aspen or rhododendron can be used as undergrowth.

In Canada, black spruce and white spruce, balsam fir and American larches are found in forests.

White spruce

There is also Canadian hemlock and lodgepole pine.

Aspen and birch are found in impurities.

Coniferous forests of tropical latitudes

Coniferous forests are found at some points in the tropics. Caribbean, western and tropical pine grows on the islands of the Caribbean.

In South Asia and on the islands, Sumatran and island pines are found.

In South American forests, such coniferous plants like Fitzroy cypress and Brazilian araucaria.

AT tropical zone Australian coniferous forests are formed by podocarps.

Importance of coniferous forests

There are quite a lot of coniferous forests on the planet. As trees were cut down, people began to create artificial coniferous forests in the place where broad-leaved species grew. In these forests, a special plant and animal world. The coniferous trees themselves are of particular value. People cut them down for construction, furniture making and other purposes. However, in order to have something to cut, you first need to plant and grow, and then use softwood.

The coniferous forests of the Northern Continent represent the longest areas of continuous forest cover on Earth. Conifers do well in high latitudes because they are evergreen, and photosynthesis can begin immediately as conditions become favorable for growth, without the need for leaves to regrow first, as is the case with deciduous forests. In this way, conifers compensate for the short growing season, which lasts from 50 to 80 days, depending on latitude. Seed maturation and reproduction are also related to climate. Coniferous trees, unlike deciduous ones, do not form fruit-bearing organs that are pollinated and ripen within one year. Fertilization in the female cone may take a year or more to complete, and may take up to three years until the bud develops and the seeds are ripe for distribution.
The absence of leaf litter and the prevailing cold climate conditions that slow down the natural decomposition of the deadwood carpet, a material that is difficult to decompose anyway, result in only a very thin layer of soil and little or no undergrowth. The mammals that inhabit these places for the most part are herbivorous and live on a diet of moss, pine needles, bark, and cones. Insectivorous birds are rare compared to those that feed on the seeds and buds of conifers. Forest fires are infrequent in these places, and usually occur in the spring, when there is little sap in the trees. At this time, vast areas can be devastated.
Resettlement begins deciduous trees- birch, alder and mountain ash, which only after some time are replaced by climax vegetation - spruce, larch, cedar * or pine.
The characteristic coniferous shape is tall and pointed at the top, ideal for bearing the weight of winter snow and allowing the snow to slide off quickly when it begins to melt in the spring. The shallow root system is perfectly adapted to the thin layer of soil that is characteristic of this habitat.
In the north, regions where the underlying soil layers remain frozen all year round, and therefore impervious to water, there are many rivers, streams and marshes with their own local flora of mosses and sedges. The forest becomes more and more sparse and blends with the nearby tundra. Large patches of tundra mosses and lichens grow on the uplands. Near the rivers in the transitional region, the forest remains dense and invades far to the north, into the tundra, along the river valleys. On the southern edge of the taiga belt, coniferous forests are gradually replaced by deciduous forests.
Around the world, small patches of coniferous forests occur outside their main latitudinal distribution, especially on mountain slopes where altitudinal zonality creates climatic conditions similar to the conditions formed near the poles.
During the Age of Man, coniferous forests suffered significant damage due to clearing for the needs Agriculture and industrial forest management. As a result, large areas of land were subjected to wind and rain erosion, which destroyed the structure of the soil and, naturally, reduced its ability to retain moisture. It took some time for the coniferous forests to recover from the damage done, as the normal succession process cannot take place immediately.

* It should be remembered that in the northern coniferous forests there is no true cedar (Cedrus genus). Under English word"cedar" can refer to juniper, Siberian cedar pine (most often called so), arborvitae and cypress. – V.P.

VEGETARIAN BEASTS

Evolution of the helmethorns

6 months

9 months

1 year

2 years

3 years

The horn formation on the head of the helmet grows gradually during youth and at the beginning of the period adulthood, and in the case of the helmeted helmet takes on a finished form by about the third year of life.

Animals that eat woody vegetation, are the largest inhabitants in areas covered with coniferous forest. In summer they feed mostly on young shoots and needles, and subsist on a diet of bark, mosses and lichens for the rest of the year. Throughout the northern continent, the most numerous species are those descended from the gigantelopes of the African subcontinent. These northern animals, although heavier than their distant antelope ancestors, are not even close in size to African gigantelopes. Only shaggy forms with Far North living in the tundra can be compared with them in size.
The difference in size between the two different northern forms stems from two different periods of settlement. The first of these took place about forty million years ago, before giant mountain ranges were erected between Africa and Europe, and about the time when the rabbits drove the antelopes out of their original home - from the African plains. Gigantelopes, then still in the early stages of their evolution, were forced to settle north into coniferous forests, where they later began to flourish and turned into helmets. Cornudens spp.
The second wave of migration took place closer to the present, about ten million years ago, when African gigantelopes reached their current elephant proportions. Erosion mountain range, which once separated the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia, opened up new routes to the north, and led to the gradual settlement of the tundra and the evolution of the woolly gigantelope Megalodorcas sp.
Soon after the appearance of these animals in the coniferous forests, the jaws and horns of the ancestral forms of helmets began to evolve in accordance with their new habitat. Like the now nearly extinct ruminants, many of these animals lacked upper incisors. They plucked grass using the lower incisors and the bone plate in the upper jaw. But such a system is not very effective to tear branches from forest trees. The first change that took place was the growth forward of the horny plate on the head, which formed a kind of beak. The lower lip became muscular and stretched forward to catch up
with it, thereby stretching the oral cavity forward at some distance from the front teeth. Such a primitive structure is still found in some species, for example, in the helmeted helmet. Cornudens horridus. In more advanced forms, however, the lower jaw also extended forward so that the front teeth were aligned with the horny beak. These adaptations are the result of evolutionary pressure that has allowed only those species to survive that can successfully feed on the branches and bark of conifers, as well as lichens. Bizarre horn formations above the eyes are also used for protection.
The structure of the horns has evolved one step further in the water helmet Cornudens latirostris that inhabits lakes and river banks. This creature has a horny plate stretched forward in the form of a wide formation similar to a rake, with the help of which this animal collects soft aquatic plants, which it looks for at the bottom of ponds and streams. On each leg, he has two wide hooves, widely spread apart and connected by a skin membrane, which prevents the animal from getting bogged down in soft mud and sand. In its way of life, the aquatic helmet is most likely reminiscent of hadrosaurs, the duck-billed dinosaurs of the last half of the Reptilian Age.

As in any other habitat, the animals of the coniferous forest are included in the familiar tangle food chains predators and their prey, with carnivores forming the last link. Here, as in temperate deciduous forests, predatory rats are the most ferocious and common hunters. They hunt under the trees in small packs, stalking the rabbit or helmet, separating the weak and aging individuals from the herd, and driving them to exhaustion. Predatory rats do this before attacking, then tearing apart the prey with strong front teeth. Helmethorns have mighty horns, so if pursued, it can be just as dangerous for both the predator and the one being pursued.
A predator unique to coniferous forests is the pumtret. Vulpemustela acer, a large weasel-like animal, one of the few still living representatives of true predators. Its size - up to two meters in length - makes it the most large predator, which lives in these areas, and perhaps owes its survival to its low, muscular body and ability to easily run through the sparse undergrowth, suddenly appearing in front of its prey. Pumtrets live in small family groups and usually hunt in pairs.
Not all predators are mammals; birds also take their share of small animal populations. bigbeak Pseudofraga sp., one of the largest birds of prey, has a wingspan of about a meter and lives in the western forests of the Northern Continent. It is descended from the starling, which evolved to fill the gap left when many ancient predator birds died out in the Age of Man. It has a rounded tail and broad, blunt wings that enable it to fly quickly and agile through densely growing trees. It has a straight strong beak and strong claws that it uses to grab prey. The closest living relative of the big beak, Parops
lepidorostris is a completely different being. It is only ten centimeters long and feeds mainly on insects, which it pulls out of the bark of trees with its thin beak.
With so many predators in the coniferous forest, it's no surprise that small mammals must have a variety of defensive adaptations to ensure their survival. needle-tailed squirrel Humisciurus spinacudatus is a perfect example of their ingenuity. It has a long, wide and flat tail with spines developing on its underside, which lies at rest on the ground. However, when the animal is alarmed, it throws its tail over its back, and with a sharp increase in skin tension, raises its needles. This becomes an almost impenetrable barrier, and can be used to repel an attack from any direction.
The beaver was a large rodent that adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle in the Age of Mammals, in part as a defense against predators. Beaver after man Castor spp. became even better adapted to life in the water. Its tail and hind legs have merged together into one large rowing surface, which, driven by the spine, produces strong rowing movements up and down. Its ears, eyes and nose are set high on the head and remain on the surface when the rest of the animal's body is submerged in water. Surprisingly, the rowing surface does not interfere with the movement of the animal on the ground, and is used as a grasping limb, allowing it to climb trees, expanding the range of possible sources of food and building material.

LIFE IN TREES

Birds and animals that feed on trees and on trees of coniferous forests

Throughout the Age of Mammals, rodents were one of the most successful animal groups in the coniferous forests. Their powerful teeth helped them cope with the hard plant material they found there, and their warm, fluffy skins helped them retain body heat during hibernation.*
Cuttertooth Tenebra vermiforme, a rodent related to the moth squirrel from deciduous forests temperate zone, in the highest degree adapted to life in a coniferous forest. Its huge incisors and worm-like body allow it to drill deep tunnels in a living tree, where in winter it is reliably protected from the cold. Although in some respects this animal is at an advanced stage of development, its parasitic lifestyle is rather primitive. The basis of his diet is the bark of trees, which he peels off completely, leaving the tree bare. This, combined with the severe damage it causes by burrowing, kills the tree within a few years.
Since incisors inhabit only living trees, they must constantly move, and every spring, after hibernation, young individuals of a new generation migrate in search of new lands. During migration, they are very vulnerable, and many of them are taken by predators before they complete their journey. The balance between woodworm and predator is extremely fragile, and only a small decrease in the number of predators is enough to cause an increase in the number of woodworms, which could lead to the complete destruction of the coniferous forest over large areas.
No one small rodent a different species among the inhabitants of coniferous forests is not so destructive. Many feed on shoots, bark, and seeds found in cones. Many species live on the ground and forage from the cones when they fall. Other species are lightly built and nimble enough to climb the branches where the cones grow.
One large, vole-like rodent, traveler Scandemys longicaudata, is unusual in that it has a prehensile tail. It is too heavy to reach the cones growing on the thinnest branches, and instead it feeds on them by hanging on its tail on a stronger branch growing nearby, and reaching for them with its front paws. Like other rodents of roughly the same size, it forages more than it needs to meet its one-time needs, and stores the rest for the hungry winter months. Its hibernation nest is a long hanging structure made of grass, strips of bark and pine needles. Hanging from the end of a branch, it is large enough to accommodate the animal along with enough food for a successful wintering.
Among the many seed-eating birds living in coniferous forests, the largest is the common pine nutcracker** Paraloxus targa. The two sexes of this bird differ greatly in both appearance and lifestyle. The male has a more powerful build and is armed with a massive beak, which he uses to break open pine cones and extract seeds from them. The female, smaller and duller in color, completely lacks the heavy beak of the male and is a scavenger, including carrion, insects, larvae and bird eggs in her diet. It is most likely that the ancestor of the common pine nutcracker was a bird similar in appearance to the modern female, and the distinctive features of the male evolved primarily for mating games, and his eating habits are a secondary adaptation.

Hello dear readers! I have prepared an article for you about coniferous forests. Here we will analyze what coniferous forests are and learn a little about their flora and fauna, as well as about pressing problems. And so, let's get started, perhaps ...The largest terrestrial biotope in the world these are coniferous forests, they encircle the northern part of the globe.

The evergreen trees of this vast zone, about 1300 km wide, grow where the climate is too harsh for a deciduous forest, but too mild for a tundra.

Coniferous forests in nature are found only in the northern hemisphere. They don't grow in southern hemisphere: The continents here do not extend far enough to the south, so there is natural vegetation comparable to conifers. Tasmania, New Zealand and the south of South America are covered with rainforests% and the temperate zone, in which coniferous trees still come across. If the forest consists of at least 80% coniferous species, only then is it considered coniferous.

Forest belt.

A strip of coniferous forests stretches from Scandinavia through the former USSR and further east to northern China. The northern border of the forests goes slightly beyond the Arctic Circle, and the southern strip reaches the 50th parallel in China. In Georgia, the Pyrenees, the Alps, and along the Himalayas, there are large areas of such forests.

The zone of primeval forests in North America extends from east to west, mainly between areas north of the 40th parallel and south of Hudson Bay, only slightly beyond the polar circle in Alaska and Canada. There are also large areas of coniferous forests in the south - along the Rocky Mountains (see mountain types) on west coast and west of the prairies in the center of the mainland.

In the north, coniferous forests border on the ice desert and tundra, and with sandy deserts and steppes in the south (in Asia). The term "taiga" has different meanings. Very often it is used to describe a coniferous forest. Some believe that the taiga is a coniferous forest, while others believe that this is the boundary that separates the forest from the tundra (it is also called a lichen massif, in which species such as Cladonia, Xantboria and Romalina grow).

This northern border of the forest is a light forest, often of a park type, with separate standing trees and tundra along the edge of the forest itself. This area is an ideal habitat for wild animals.

Forest types.


Types of natural coniferous forests are divided into mountain type and boreal type. Mountain forest types can be found in mid-latitudes and tropical latitudes (for example, the Rocky Mountains, the Himalayas). Boreal forest types can be found in the temperate cold zone, these are polar forests with a predominance of conifers.

A much greater variety of conifers can be observed in the Asian and North American boreal forests than in the European boreal forests.

The main groups of such forests are classified by needles. For example, spruces (Picea), firs (Abies), and junipers (Juniperus) have short and pointed needles, and all pines (Pinus) have tufts of long needles.

Cypress (Cbamaecyparis), cypress (Cupressus) and arborvitae (Thuja) have scaly foliage.

Cold adaptation.


Conifers are perfectly adapted to the harsh conditions of life in the north, where the temperature is below 6 ° C for 6-9 months a year. The branches of coniferous trees are tilted so that the snow does not break off them, but slides down (in the north, snow falls from 380 to 635 mm per year). These trees have leaves in the form of scales or needles, which are impregnated with resin, which prevents the cells from freezing.

The only deciduous conifers are the Chinese false larch (Pseudolarix) and the European larch (Lrix), which shed their needles annually.

Thanks to the choppy fibers that allow trees to sway and bend, but not split, most conifers can withstand the winds with confidence. For example, giant and evergreen sequoia(Sequoiadendron giganteum and Sequoia sempervirens), but they also, in addition, have a fire-resistant bark that protects them from forest fires, which rage quite often.
This bark is also characteristic of Banks' pine (Pinus banksiana) and white-stemmed pine (Pinus albicaulis).

Not all trees are protected from destructive fire. For some of them, it may even be useful. For example, the cones of the fine pine (Pinus attenuate) open only in fire. Sometimes they can lie up to 30 years, and when a wildfire happens and heats them up, they burst and throw out seeds that germinate in a carbon-rich conflagration. Fast growing young shoots turn the dark forest floor green. It turns out that the trees that dropped the cones may die, but new shoots rise from the ashes.

Due to the accumulation of resinous needles, the litter of a coniferous forest is often acidic. This is also due to the lack of decay and the return of nutrients to the cycle (this occurs in sparse deciduous forests).

A number of plants grow from the layers of pine needles - Soldanella (Soldanella spp) and liverwort (Hepatica). Large areas of land are covered with sphagnum (peat moss), and ferns and green club mosses grow on the trunks of fallen trees.

Also, not only algae, mosses and ferns love old wood and lower pine branches, but some types of flowering plants have also chosen these places, including blueberries, blueberries and alpine clematis.

Also, wet coniferous forests are very attractive for such mushrooms as, for example, common veselka. It is the unpleasant smell of these mushrooms that can be felt in most pine forests.

The yellow witch's broom is another interesting forest plant unusual shape with brightly colored flowers.

Year round growth.


Conifers are evergreens, which means they can grow all year round and participate in photosynthesis. Using, at the same time, the available minimum of light energy. Before deciduous trees, this is precisely their advantage.

Conifers, in addition, have superficial roots. This is an important factor, given that the deeper layers of the soil are permanently frozen. This is permafrost (more details in). Its age can be several thousand years, the thickness can reach 550 m. In Alaska, for example, 85% of the territory is covered with such a layer. Permafrost in Siberia occupies 10 million km 2, which is two thirds of the area.

At first glance, the generally harsh coniferous forests abound in animals, but the diversity of their species is relatively small. live here reindeer(or caribou) and numerous herds of elk. These species can also be found in Asia (about part of the world Asia), Europe (about part of the world Europe) and North America (about North America). These phytophagous animals are herbivores. Deer eat lichens in winter and grasses in summer, while moose eat woody plants in winter and aquatic plants in summer.

The growth of lichens on the ground and on trees is facilitated by the relatively clean environment of the boreal forests, and this provides food for deer. An adult male caribou (deer), with good nutrition, can reach a height of up to 2.1 meters, and a weight of 817 kg (the weight of the horns is 23 kg). The coniferous forests of both continents are also inhabited by bears, lynxes, wolves (carnivores), beavers, lemmings and red squirrels (herbivores).

Such large mammal as a puma or cougar lives only in North America. In the past, this species was mercilessly exterminated in the USA (read about the USA), this was due to the fact that a reward was placed on the head of each animal. Habitat Ussuri tiger became the coniferous forests of Asia. This species is today on the verge of extinction.

The most common and very small species of mammals that inhabit the coniferous forests of the planet is the common squirrel. It feeds on the seeds of pine cones.

Huge piles of empty cones indicate that there is a squirrel pantry somewhere nearby.

Forest insects.

Coniferous forests in summer and spring are filled with clouds of insects. They spend their winters hibernating. Red forest ants build large anthills (up to 1 m high) from needles, and bask in the summer sun outside.

Butterfly mourning is found most often in the coniferous forests of the world. It's attractive and big butterfly. Its adults fall into hibernation but they breed on willows. You can often see how such butterflies fly in forest clearings and clearings.

Boundary areas of the forest and light forests are preferred by nigella. Usually, in such butterflies, the wings are painted dark with brown-red patches, this allows them to absorb the meager solar heat northern latitudes.

Some alpine butterflies are extremely inactive - they gather in south-facing "warm" caves, while they do not fly, but crawl along the ground so that they are not blown away from their habitats by the wind.

The litter of coniferous forests, in comparison with deciduous forests, is poor in insects. This can be explained by the fact that here, as a rule, it is gloomy and dark, there is not enough light and there is no layer of shrubs. For many animals, insects are an important source of food. But dark places without a variety of wild plants from which you can get your own food do not attract insects.

Therefore, only beetles represent insects here, the larvae of which develop in the decaying wood of fallen trees.

Forest birds.

Owls and woodpeckers find shelter in the hollows of old pines. Woodpeckers also find enough beetle larvae here to feed their families. In North America, the Icelandic goldeneye and the Carolina duck live, they often nest in trees. The Icelandic goldeneye often occupies old woodpecker nests.

Birds prefer the canopy of the forest, because often it is there that the cones of conifers containing seeds are located.

Spruce crossbills and different kinds tits, which specialize in husking seeds and cracking nuts, have a special beak shape. They often gather in small flocks and groups. Crossbills, when feeding their chicks, often regurgitate hundreds of seeds that they swallowed during devastating raids on the forest canopy.

Forest and man.

Coniferous forests of the Earth originally appeared as a result of natural evolutionary processes. Most areas of coniferous vegetation show signs of deforestation - clearing and felling. This is the result of intensive human use of these natural areas.

This is done for a number of reasons: to obtain valuable timber, to clear land for arable land, to build roads and arrange their infrastructure.

20% of the growing forest (growing forest) of the whole world was located on the territory of the former USSR. Siberia accounted for one fifth of the Earth's forest reserves. But, unfortunately, in recent years, deforestation here has been carried out at an alarming pace. This happened in connection with the extraction of gas and oil, as well as with the harvesting of timber.

Although commercial forestry is widely practiced in some areas (in the Alps, for example), not all cut coniferous forests will be restored. But the highlands of North America and Europe (where coniferous forests did not grow before) began to be planted with coniferous species. Today in these areas there are solid forests.

The main purpose of growing coniferous forests is to provide a stable source of lumber for the construction industry and wood for paper production.

Growing large areas of trees of the same species is contrary to natural processes.

This gives rise to an environmental problem: pests such as woodworms, pine scoop, black rootworm cause devastating damage to forest plantations. Because their caterpillar larvae deprive trees of needles.

You have to pay for artificial plantings. This is fraught with the loss of other habitats and the associated decrease in the number of species of wild animals that used to live in this area.

Caledonian Pine Forest - this is all that remains of the boreal forests of Scotland. It is located on the west coast. Scotch pine lives here - trees twisted by the wind and twisted with age.

New plantings, which are several decades old, resemble an old forest. But until there is a variety and typical species of fauna and flora for such forests, a lot of time will pass.

Artificial and natural coniferous forests differ from each other in many ways.

Acid rain is another problem for coniferous forests. Acid rain (in more detail) is the product of pollutants that are released into the atmosphere. The most destructive component acid rain is sulphuric acid. It is formed when sulfur-containing pollutants combine with rainwater (these are mainly products of coal combustion). This acid is detrimental to pine needles!

That's all for now 🙂 I really hope that my article helped you and gave you the answers you were looking for! All the best!

Between the tundra in the north and the deciduous forest in the south stretch vast and picturesque coniferous forests. One type of such forest is called northern boreal forest, it is located between 50 ° and 60 ° northern latitude. Another type is temperate coniferous forest, grows in the lower latitudes of North America, Europe and Asia, on the high elevations of the mountains.

Coniferous forests are found mainly in the northern hemisphere, although some of them can be found in the southern.

These forests consist mainly of coniferous trees - trees that grow needles instead of leaves, cones instead of flowers, and seeds develop in cones. Conifers tend to be evergreen, meaning their needles stay on the branches all year round. An exception can be considered only the genus of larches, the needles of which turn yellow and crumble at the end of each summer. Such adaptations help plants survive in very cold or dry areas. Some of the most common species are spruces, pines, and firs.

Precipitation in coniferous forests varies from 300 to 900 mm per year, and in some temperate forests - up to 2000 m. The amount of precipitation depends on the location of the forest. In the northern boreal forests, winters are long, cold and dry, and summers are short, moderately warm, with an abundance of moisture. At lower latitudes, precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year.

The air temperature in the areas of pine and spruce forests ranges from -40° C to 20° C, the average summer temperature is 10° C.

Coniferous forests - an evergreen kingdom

Conifers grow where summers are short and cool and winters are long and harsh, with heavy snowfall that can last up to 6 months. The needle-shaped leaves have a waxy outer coating that prevents water loss in frosty weather. The branches, on the other hand, are soft and flexible and usually point downwards, so that the snow rolls off them without difficulty. Larches have been found in some of the coldest regions on our planet.

Evergreen forests consist mainly of species such as spruce, fir, pine and larch. The leaves of these trees are small and needle-like or scale-like, and most of them remain green all year round (evergreen). All conifers are able to live in cold and acidic soil.

All coniferous forests in the world can be classified according to the following types:

  • Eurasian coniferous forest with dominance in the east Siberian pine, Siberian fir, Siberian and Daurian ( Landsvennitsa Gmelin) larches. Scots pine and Norway spruce are important forest-forming species in Western Europe.
  • FROMNorth American coniferous forest dominated by white spruce, black spruce and balsam fir.
  • tropicalth and subtropicalth coniferous forest with an abundance of cypresses, cedars and sequoias.

Northern coniferous forests, such as the coniferous forest in Siberia, are called taiga or boreal forests. They cover vast areas of North America from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean and are located throughout Northern Europe, Scandinavia, Russia and throughout Asia through Siberia and Mongolia to northern China and northern Japan.

The length of the growing season in boreal forests is 130 days.

Cypresses, cedars and sequoias grow strictly vertically. The highest of them can reach 110 m in height. Trees are usually pyramidal. The short side branches grow quite close together, but they are so flexible that the snow just slides off.

(predominantly pine and larch):

(spruce and fir predominate):

Life in the coniferous forest

The biome is noticeably higher compared to the tundra: there are 120-150 species of nesting birds alone, and up to 40-50 species of mammals. At the same time, the biodiversity of coniferous forests is significantly inferior in its richness to tropical forests.

Even evergreen trees eventually shed their leaves and grow new ones. The needles fall on the forest floor and form a thick springy carpet of pine needles. Light, usually acidic soils of coniferous forests are called podzols and have a compacted layer of humus, which contains many fungi. filamentous mushrooms help to decompose needles that have fallen to the ground. These organisms provide nutrients from the fallen needles back to the tree roots. But since the needles decompose very slowly, the soils under such forests are low in minerals and organic matter, and the number of invertebrates such as earthworms there are very few of them.

Mosquitoes, flies and other insects are common inhabitants of the coniferous forest, but due to low temperatures there are few cold-blooded vertebrates such as snakes and frogs. Coniferous forest birds include woodpeckers, crossbills, kinglets, hazel grouses, waxwings, black grouse, hawks and owls. Mammals include shrews, voles, squirrels, martens, elks, deer, lynxes and wolves.

Too little light penetrates through the thick canopy of coniferous trees. Due to constant darkness, only ferns and very few herbaceous plants grow in the lower tier. Mosses and lichens, on the contrary, are found everywhere on forest soil, trunks and branches of trees. There are very few flowering plants.

Currently, extensive logging in boreal forests may soon lead to their extinction.

Importance of coniferous forests

Coniferous forests are the world's main source of commercial timber. Their use has many advantages:

  • Except in very cold areas, these forests grow rapidly and may be cleared every 40-50 years.
  • Many conifers coexist well
  • Frozen soil makes it easier to access wood for machinery and vehicles in winter
  • Softwood has many different uses - paper, construction and furniture, etc.
  • Softwood can be easily harvested as a crop using modern machinery.

acid rain

For the past 50 years, coniferous forests around the world have suffered from acid rain. The main reasons for which are:

  • Air emissions sulfur dioxide power plants and industrial enterprises
  • Increasing emissions from power plants and cars nitrogen oxides

These contaminants are carried air masses to the districts Western Europe. Fifty million hectares of forest in 25 European countries suffers from acid rain. So, for example, coniferous mountain forests in Bavaria are dying. There have been cases of damage to coniferous and deciduous forests in Karelia and Siberia.

The most common conifers:

  • Norway spruce
  • White spruce
  • Spruce black
  • Canadian hemlock
  • Lebanese cedar
  • European larch
  • Common juniper (veres)
  • Fir
  • podocarp
  • western pine
  • Caribbean pine
  • Scotch pine
  • pine tree
  • Fitzroy cypress

Conifers are mostly evergreens, woody or shrubby, with needle-like leaves. The needles are needle-shaped, scaly or linear leaves. Conifers belong to the class of gymnosperms. In total, coniferous plants number about 600 species. It is difficult to list the names of all coniferous trees, but it is possible to provide a list of coniferous trees that are the most famous and widespread in our strip.

Pine is an evergreen coniferous tree that grows everywhere throughout Russia, is distinguished by long needles and unpretentiousness to natural conditions. Sunny pine groves are a real natural sanatorium.

- coniferous decorative tree from the cypress family, many varieties of thuja are widely cultivated for landscaping parks and private farms.


- in wild nature grows in the tropical zone, also successfully bred as an ornamental tree or shrub, the foliage differs from all previous conifers, the leaves on upward shoots are arranged spirally, on horizontal shoots - linear. Yew is very poisonous, only pitted berries are edible.

- coniferous shrub of the cypress family, used for ornamental gardening.


- a mighty tree of the North Ocean coast of America of the cypress family. Trees - centenarians from this genus live for several thousand years.


- a beautiful coniferous tree that grows wild in the mountains of China.

The above list of conifers describes plants, each of which has many species - these are just the most common conifers.

In addition to those listed, conifers include: cypress, hemlock, ginkgo, araucaria, libocedrus, pseudo-hemlock, cunningamia, cryptomeria, sciadopitis, sequoiadendron and many others.