Conifer forests of the taiga biome
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy of Mikhail Dronov of Tomsk in southwestern Siberia

The Taiga Biome

The taiga biome is full of evergreen forests. These forests are sometimes called boreal forests. You can find taiga forests just south of tundra in the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and North America.

It is very cold and snowy in the taiga during winter. It is a bit warmer in the summer. During the summer the days are long, ice thaws, snow melts, and it is often rainy.

Conifer trees like spruce and fir live in the taiga. The trees grow close together. This protects them from cold and wind. There are a few deciduous trees that can live in the taiga like birch and aspen, but they are not common.

Many animals make their home in the taiga for at least part of the year. Some stay year-round. In the summer, there are lots of birds and insects. Many bird species migrate to the taiga and breed and nest there during summer. Other birds, such as sparrows and crows, stay in the taiga year-round. Mammals include plant eaters like rabbits and voles as well as meat eaters such as lynx, wolverines, and bobcats.

Last modified October 23, 2008 by Lisa Gardiner.

You might also be interested in:

Traveling Nitrogen Classroom Activity Kit

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

Biomes and Ecosystems

Biomes are large areas of the world where there are similar plants, animals, and other living things. The living things are adapted to the climate. Explore the links below to learn more about different...more

Tundra Biome

It is not easy to survive in the very cold places of the world. The soil is frozen and no trees can grow. This place is called tundra. Plants and animals that are adapted for cold do live there. Most...more

Albedo

This picture was taken from high above our planet. Looking at the Earth from very far away like this we can see that some parts of our planet look light in color, and some parts look dark. The color of...more

Desert Birds

Did you know that many species of birds live in the desert? You have probably heard of the roadrunner or seen the cartoon. The roadrunner is a real bird that lives in the desert! It prefers to run rather...more

The Desert Biome

Deserts are very hot and dry places. Deserts get very little rain each year. So how do plants and animals live here? This section on the desert ecosystem will explain how! Do you know what a desert looks...more

Desert Insects and Arachnids

There are all kinds of insects in the desert! Some of them cause a lot of problems. The locusts fly from place to place, eating all the plants they see. But not all desert bugs are bad. There isn't a...more

Desert Mammals

There are many species of mammals in the desert! Many of them dig holes in the ground to live in. These holes are called burrows. Rats and hamsters live in burrows. Bigger mammals, like the wild horse,...more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA