# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Desert biomes are found throughout the Earth. These dry locations have specialized plants and animals that have become adapted to surviving on little water. Some plants and animals can actually store water within their bodies, such as cactus, camels, and some varieties of frogs found in Australia.

Due to there being fewer resources available, there are generally smaller concentrations of lifeforms in the deserts than in other biomes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Desert biomes are found throughout the Earth. These dry locations have specialized plants and animals that have become adapted to surviving on little water. Some plants and animals can actually store water within their bodies, such as cactus, camels, and some varieties of frogs found in Australia.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tropical rain forests are found in locations that receive significant amounts of precipitation. These locations are easily recognizable by their abundance of lifeforms. These lifeforms include numerous trees, plants such as ferns, and an abundance of insects, spiders, snakes, monkeys, and other plants and animals.

Tropical rain forests are very important to the overall health of the planet Earth, and are responsible for replenishing a significant portion of the atmosphere's oxygen supply.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tropical Rain Forest Biome - Geography for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tropical rain forests are found in locations that receive significant amounts of precipitation. These locations are easily recognizable by their abundance of lifeforms. These lifeforms include numerous trees, plants such as ferns, and an abundance of insects, spiders, snakes, monkeys, and other plants and animals.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Grassland biomes exist throughout the Earth, and in many cases can be vast, expanding across millions of square miles, or kilometers. These biomes are marked by sparse trees and extensive grasses as well as a variety of small and large animals. Some of the largest land animals on Earth live in grasslands, including American bison, elephants, giraffes, and so forth.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Grassland Biome - Geography for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Grassland biomes exist throughout the Earth, and in many cases can be vast, expanding across millions of square miles, or kilometers. These biomes are marked by sparse trees and extensive grasses as well as a variety of small and large animals. Some of the largest land animals on Earth live in grasslands, including American bison, ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The frozen cold ecosystems found near the northern most parts of the Earth are called tundras by scientists. These locations are known for their long cold winters, and their short cool summers.

The Earth's tundras are home to a variety of specialized plants and animals that have adapted to survival in such brutal environments. Animals such as seals, polar bears, arctic hares, and arctic foxes, as well as a variety of other animals have become experts at finding food and surviving the long cold winters. Many of these animals have white fur in order to allow them to blend in with the snow.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The frozen cold ecosystems found near the northern most parts of the Earth are called tundras by scientists. These locations are known for their long cold winters, and their short cool summers. The Earth's tundras are home to a variety of specialized plants and animals that have adapted to survival in such brutal environments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
temperate deciduous forest biome facts for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
fun facts about temperate deciduous forest biome

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The temperate deciduous forest biome is characterized by its leaf-shedding trees and its seasons. This biome experiences all four seasons - winter, spring, summer, and fall. The temperate deciduous forest biome is located in the United States, Canada, Europe, China, and Japan. There are also some parts of Russia that contain this biome.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The desert biome is an ecosystem that forms due to the low level of rainfall it receives each year. Deserts cover about 20% of the Earth. There are four major types of desert in this biome - hot and dry, semiarid, coastal, and cold. They are all able to inhabit plant and animal life that are able to survive there.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The tundra biome is an ecosystem situated near the North Pole in the Arctic Circle. It is by far the coldest of all biomes. The winters are extremely cold with temperatures typically below -34° C. The summers last only about two months and the temperatures are still very cold ranging from 3° to 12° C.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Grassland Biome Facts

Grassland biomes are made mostly of grasses. They are said to be between a forest and a desert when it comes to rainfall. They do not receive enough rainfall to grow trees like a forest but they contain lots of grass so they receive more rain than a desert.

Grasslands are also known as prairies, pampas, steppes, and savannas.

Grassland biomes are normally situated between a forest and a desert. In fact, grasslands surround every desert in Asia.

Twenty-five percent of the Earth is covered by the grassland biome.

There is a grassland biome on each continent with the exception of Antarctica.

Tropical and temperate are the two kinds of grasslands. Tropical grasslands experience warm weather all year long while temperate grasslands are warm part of the year and very cold during the other part.

Grasslands are perfect for cropping and pasturing because its soil runs deep and is extremely fertile.

Periodic fires, whether they are human induced or occur spontaneously, are very important to the grassland to ensure that invasive plants do not take over.

Tropical grassland biomes are located in the Southern Hemisphere while temperate grassland biomes are located in the Northern Hemisphere.

The grasses in the tropical grassland biome tend to be taller than that of the temperate because of the constant warm weather and additional rainfall it receives.

Since grassland biomes have rich soil, much of them are used for farming. There is only 2% of the original grassland left in North America.

There are two seasons in the temperate grassland: the growing season and the dormant season. Plants do not grow during the dormant season because the climate is too cold during that time.

Animals that you can expect to find in a grassland biome are zebras, lions, wolves, prairie dogs, and foxes. The animal diversity is dependent upon the location of the biome.

Large animals called bison previously ruled the grassland biome and roamed by the millions. During the 1800s, settlers begin to slaughter them for various reasons.

Since so much of the grassland biome has been utilized for farmland, the United States has made efforts to restore the grassland by planting grasses in areas previously used for farming.

The grasslands in the United States are known as prairies and are considered to be temperate grasslands.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Grassland biomes are made mostly of grasses. They are said to be between a forest and a desert when it comes to rainfall. They do not receive enough rainfall to grow trees like a forest but they contain lots of grass so they receive more rain than a desert.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tropical Rainforest Biome Facts

The tropical rainforest biome is an ecosystem that covers about 7% of the Earth's surface. They are found all over the world but the majority of the tropical rainforest lies in South America in Brazil. The weather in the tropical rainforest is rainy yet pleasant all year round, day or night.

Rainforests are extremely important because the water they produce is evaporated and then used as rain in other areas.

The average temperature of the tropical rainforest remains between 70 and 85° F.

The tropical rainforest is very rainy as its name implies. The rainfall can reach up to 400 inches in one year.

Orchids are a type of epiphyte plant that grows in the tropical rainforest. It grows on the surface of other plants, usually trees.

The tropical rainforest has hundreds of different types of trees living there.

There are over 2,500 different vine species in the tropical rainforest. Some have a thickness that equals the circumference of a human being.

Tropical rainforests are one of the oldest biomes on Earth and therefore have a great variety of animals living there.

About half of all known species of plants and animals live in the tropical rainforest.

There are some tropical rainforests that have been around since dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Most of the animals living in the tropical rainforest live in the trees. There they can find all of their necessities and rarely have to come down to the floor of the forest.

Insects make up the majority of living creatures in the tropical rainforest.

Rainforests provide people with many cooking spices such as vanilla, allspice, and black pepper.

Some people choose to live in the tropical rainforest and become farmers for the food and spices people eat.

Because of the amount of trees in the tropical rainforest biome, it is responsible for the majority of the oxygen production in the air that we breathe.

The droppings of birds in the tropical rainforest grow into new plants.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
tropical rainforest biome facts for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
fun facts about tropical rainforest biome

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The tropical rainforest biome is an ecosystem that covers about 7% of the Earth's surface. They are found all over the world but the majority of the tropical rainforest lies in South America in Brazil. The weather in the tropical rainforest is rainy yet pleasant all year round, day or night.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The taiga biome is the largest terrestrial biome and extends across Europe, North America, and Asia. It is located right below the tundra biome. The taiga biome is also known as coniferous forest or boreal forest. This biome typically has short, wet summers and long, cold winters. Precipitation is moderate in the taiga.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Don't like the cold? If not, then it is probably a good idea to stay away from Earth's tundra biomes. Tundras can be found circling the Arctic Ocean throughout North America and Asia.

A tundra is like a very cold desert, getting less then 25 cm (9.8 inches) of rain and snow per year. The moisture that the Tundra does receive ends up locked in a layer of permanent frost called the permafrost. Even in spring, summer and fall, which all together only last about three months, this layer of permafrost never thaws.

In the summer, the surface snow melts, creating pools of water, which are used by many plants and animals. During this short warm season, the tundra comes to life. Many flowers, insects, birds, and other animals can be seen. Very quickly, summer ends, and it is back to the long,harsh, cold winter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tundra Biome - Earth's Biome - Kids Biology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Don't like the cold? If not, then it is probably a good idea to stay away from Earth's tundra biomes. Tundras can be found circling the Arctic Ocean throughout North America and Asia. A tundra is like a very cold desert, getting less then 25 cm (9.8 inches) of rain and snow per year.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Location | Weather | Plants | Animals | People | Links

LOCATION: Although few animals and plants are adapted to the extremely dry desert life, the desert is a vital biome. The desert is important because it covers about a fifth of the earth's surface! There are both hot and cold deserts. Antarctica is the largest desert in the world, while the Sahara in Africa is the largest of the hot deserts. There are also deserts close to Santa Barbara, such as the Mojave the Colorado Desert which encompass parts of Southern California. In North America, there are four major hot, dry deserts, including the Mojave and the Great Basin. Outside the U.S. hot, dry deserts are found in the Southern Asian realm, South and Central America, Ethiopia and Australia.

Another type of desert is the coastal desert, for example, the Atacama Desert in Chile of South America. And then there are cold deserts. That sounds pretty silly! If deserts are supposed to be hot, how can there possibly be a cold desert? Well these deserts are in places like Antarctica and Greenland where vegetation is sparce, just like the more commonly known hot, dry deserts.

WEATHER: Weather is not the same in all deserts. The seasons in hot and dry deserts are usually very hot during the summer and warm during the rest of the year. During winter these deserts get little rainfall. Rain is often light, or in short concentrated bursts. Most of the time evaporation rates are faster than rainfall rates. Sometimes the rain evaporates before even hitting the ground. This is the reason for the dry characteristic of this type of desert. Coastal deserts are in moderately cool to warm areas. Coastal deserts usually have cool winters followed by fairly long, warm summers. The temperature in the winters is generally 41°F (5&degC) or below. In the summer the weather heats up to between 55° and 75°F (12 and 24&degC). Average rainfall is usually 3 - 5 inches (8 - 13 cm). The Atacama is the Earth's driest desert. In the Atacama 1 millimeter or more of rain falls every 5-20 years. Cold deserts have short, moist and moderately warm summers, and long cold winters like one could expect in Antarctica. The winter temperature ranges from -5°F to -110°F (-20.5 to -79&degC), and in the summer it can be a nice, balmy, 32°F (0&degC). The coldest day recorded in Antarctica was -113°F (-80.5&degC)!

PLANTS: Deserts plants have many adaptations to survive in such a dry environment. They are good at storing and finding water. Some plants have seeds that can stay dormant in the sand for a long time, until there is enough rain for them to grow. In hot deserts, you'll often find Cacti. Cacti are great at storing water. With their waxy coating, water can't escape and their spines protect them from being desert dinner. Their roots are shallow, and widely spread so that any rain can be absorbed immediately! Some other plants you might find in the hot desert are creosote bush, sagebrush, and ocotillo. Coastal deserts house a variety of plants. These plants must adapt to minimal rainfall by having extensive root systems that come up to the surface to absorb any possible rainfall, and go far down to absorb any water saturated in the ground. These plants also have very thick leaves that can absorb and store water whenever it is available. The plants that live in coastal deserts include salt bush, rice grass, black sage and chrysothamnus. Plants can even live in cold deserts, but you won't find as many here as in other types of deserts. Plants in cold deserts include algae, grasses, and plants with spiny thin leaves. Usually these plants grow only in the summer.

ANIMALS: Deserts are a very important biome. No, not because of all the sand! Mostly because of all the plants and animals that call the desert "home". Some animals that live in the hot desert are cold-blooded, like snakes, insects, and lizards. Mammals that live in the desert are usually small, such as the kangaroo rat and kit fox. Sometimes it's hard to survive in the desert. Some mice build their home out of fallen cactus spines to protect themselves from predators like coyotes and hawks. In the Eritrean coastal desert in Djibouti, Africa, animals like gazelles, skinks, geckos and dikdiks roam the desert. Fewer animals live in the cold desert. In Antarctica, most of the animals live near the ocean shore. Because of their ice home, seals, penguins, and other birds rely on fish, squid and other sea creatures for their food.

PEOPLE AND THE DESERT: People have a variety of uses for deserts. The desert is popular for tourism and recreation. Often people visit to see the beautiful sand colors and rock formations. Many people enjoy visiting the desert because it is a quiet place to get away from the business and noise of cities and spend time in the open land. The desert offers many types of recreation, for example, rock climbing, hiking and dirt biking. Mining, grazing, road building, and utility projects take place in the desert. Because of desert sensitivity, it is important that desert uses be managed properly to protect the wildlife and habitat.
LINKS: The Deserts in the American Southwest Deserts Environment Geography for Kids: Deserts Cool Planet: Deserts Biomes of the World: Desert
Back to Biomes Index

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Location | Weather | Plants | Animals | People | Links LOCATION: Although few animals and plants are adapted to the extremely dry desert life, the desert is a vital biome. The desert is important because it covers about a fifth of the earth's surface! There are both hot and cold deserts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Location | Weather | Plants | Animals | People | Links

LOCATION: There are two types of rainforest biomes: temperate and tropical rainforests. Temperate rainforests are found along coasts in temperate regions. The largest temperate rainforests are on the Pacific coast in North America, stretching from Alaska to Oregon. Other temperate rainforests are found along the coast of Chile, the United Kingdom, Norway, Japan, New Zealand, and S. Australia. Tropical rainforests are generally found between 30°N and 30°S latitudes, covering 6 - 7% of the Earth's land surface. Tropical rainforests can be found around the world: In Central and South America; in Western Africa, eastern Madagascar, and the Zaire basin; and in Indo-Malaysia along the west coast of India, Assam, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Queensland, Australia.

WEATHER: Rainforests are important because they help maintain global weather patterns and rain. Water that evaporates from trees falls in other areas as rain.

Tropical rainforests are lush and warm all year long! Temperatures don't even change much between night and day. The average temperature in tropical rainforests ranges from 70 to 85°F (21 to 30°C). The environment is pretty wet in tropical rainforests, maintaining a high humidity of 77% to 88% year-round. The yearly rainfall ranges from 80 to 400 inches (200 to 1000 cm), and it can rain hard. It can downpour as much as 2 inches (5 cm) in an hour!

Temperate rainforests are also wet, but not as rainy as tropical rainforests. It rains about from 60 - 200 inches (150 - 500 cm) each year, while the other moisture comes from the coastal fog that lingers on the trees. The fog provides about 7 - 12 inches (18 - 30°C) of rain each year. Temperate rainforests are a lot cooler than tropical rainforests, but the temperatures are still mild. They often have two distinct seasons: one long wet winter, and a short drier summer.

PLANTS: One type of plant often found in a rainforest is an epiphyte. Epiphytes are plants that live on the surface of other plants, especially the trunks and branches. They often grow on trees to take advantage of sunlight in the canopy. In temperate rainforests common epiphytes are mosses and ferns, while in tropical rainforests there are many kinds of epiphytes, including orchids and bromeliads. There are more than 20,000 varieties of orchids found in the rainforest.

There are about 10 -2 0 species of trees in temperate rainforests that are mostly coniferous, meaning they have needles. Trees in temperate rainforests can live much longer than humans, some live for up to 1000 years! Tropical rainforests have a bigger variety of trees, hundreds of species in fact! These trees are mostly broadleaf trees and have a shorter lifespan. They usually live for 50 - 100 years.

Most trees in tropical rainforests have thin, smooth bark. They don't need thick bark to keep them from drying out because the rainforest is so wet. Also, smooth bark makes it difficult for other plants, such as epiphytes, to grow on the tree surface. Trees often have buttresses, large branching ridges near the base, for support because their roots are often shallow and they grow tall to reach the sunlight. Prop roots also help support trees in shallow soils. Many plants in the rainforests have adapted leaf shapes that help water drip off the plant to avoid too much moisture, which might make bacteria and fungus grow.

Tropical rainforests are so big that they are divided into four zones. The top layer of the rainforest is called the emergent layer. Giant trees grow here that are much taller than the trees below. The next layer is the canopy. It contains trees standing 60 to 150 feet (18 to 45 meters) tall. Their branches form a canopy, like a big beach umbrella that shades the forest floor. Thick, woody vines are found in the canopy. Over 2,500 species of vines grow in the rainforest. Some vines, called lianas, are sometimes as big around as a person! They climb the trees in the canopy to reach for sunlight. The next layer, the understory, is a dark, cool area below the canopy, but above the ground. The understory is shaded from much of the sunlight by the canopy. The forest floor is the bottom layer of the rainforest. This is the area where fallen, decomposing plants and trees lay on the ground. Many insects live here. Temperate rainforests have all of these zones except the emergent layer. The tallest trees in the temperate rainforest canopy grow to be about 300 feet (90 meters) tall.

ANIMALS: Tropical rainforests are home to half the plant and animal species on Earth. Scientists believe that there is such a great diversity of animals in tropical rainforests because they are one of the oldest ecosystems on earth. Some forests in Southeast Asia have been around for at least 100 million years, ever since dinosaurs roamed the earth. Animals in the tropical rainforest are specially adapted to live in this unique environment. A common characteristic found among mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, is an adaptation to living in trees. One example is New World monkeys that have prehensile tails that curl around branches allowing the monkey to hold onto the tree with its tail! Other animals are brightly colored, sharply patterned, have loud vocalizations, and like to eat lots of fruit. Most of the animals in the tropical rainforest live in the canopy. There is so much food available up there that some animals never go down to explore the forest floor! Birds are important to rainforests because they like to eat seeds and fruit. Their droppings grow into new plants and help rainforests to survive. In turn, tropical rainforests are important to birds because they provide winter grounds as migratory destination. Parrots are not the only type of birds you will see in the rainforest. In fact, about 27% of the bird species in the world live in tropical rainforests. Insects make up the largest single group of animals that live in tropical forests. They include bright beautiful butterflies, menacing mosquitoes, camouflaged stick insects, and colossal colonies of ants.

In temperate rainforests you'll find a different set of amazing animals. Most of these animals live on, or near the forest floor where they are protected from the wind and rain by the trees above. Many birds and small mammals, such as chipmunks, like to eat seeds that fall on the forest floor. Lots of insects live in the temperate rainforest. Most of them live in tree bark, decomposing dead plant matter, or mossy areas. Birds and amphibians like to eat these insects. Some mammals in the temperate rainforest include deer and bobcats. Cougars and bobcats are the top predators in this biome.

PEOPLE AND THE RAINFOREST: Tropical rainforests are important because they provide oxygen, take in carbon dioxide, and are a huge source of biodiversity and cultural diversity. However, people also rely on tropical rainforests for food, medicine, timber, travel, and more. Rainforests around the world provide people with food and spices, for example, allspice, vanilla, cacao, cassava, ginger, bananas, black pepper, sugar cane, nutmeg and more. Many people are also moving from crowded cities where they cannot find jobs into the rainforest where they are becoming small-scale farmers. With all of this use, we need to be concerned about the stress we are putting on rainforests. Thirty acres of trees are cut in tropical rainforests every minute! Some scientists estimate that rainforests the size of Pennsylvania are lost each year. There are many causes of deforestation. People are logging for firewood, charcoal, building materials and other uses. Trees are being removed for commercial agriculture, which may cause permanent damage. Converting rainforests to pasture land for cattle ranching has destroyed many rainforests. Mining for gold, bauxite, and other minerals can destroy the land, and make it vulnerable to erosion.

What can you do to help our world's rainforests? One way to start helping is to learn more about the plants, animals and people, as well as the issues surrounding rainforests and deforestation. When you learn about new issues, write letters to governmental officials and the newspaper suggesting ways to help solve the problem. Practice conservation at home. This will help reduce the use of rainforests, as well as ecosystems all over the world. Bauxite is a mineral used to make aluminum. By recycling, you will reduce the need for bauxite, which is mined in tropical rainforests. Pets from other countries may have been taken from the wild or imported illegally from tropical countries. If you buy pets that are captively bred in the United States, you will be sure that they didn't come from the rainforest, or another unique environment. Investigate the source of the wood for your furniture to see where it comes from, and if it was harvested sustainably. All of these actions will help protect rainforests all over the world.
LINKS: Rainforest Education Cool Planet: Tropical Rain Forest Rainforest Species Profiles Explore Africa's Rainforest National Geographic: Rainforests at Night Mongabay.com Geography for Kids: Tropical Rain Forests Tropical Rainforests: What's it Like Where You Live?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Location | Weather | Plants | Animals | People | Links LOCATION: There are two types of rainforest biomes: temperate and tropical rainforests. Temperate rainforests are found along coasts in temperate regions. The largest temperate rainforests are on the Pacific coast in North America, stretching from Alaska to Oregon.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Enter the Access ID and Passcode provided by your school to access Britannica School.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Location | Weather | Plants | Animals | People | Links

LOCATION: Taiga, also known as coniferous or boreal forest, is the largest terrestrial biome on earth. It extends in a broad band across North America, Europe, and Asia to the southern border of the arctic tundra. It is also found at cool, high elevations in the more temperate latitudes, for example, in much of the mountainous western region of North America. Much of the taiga in North America was once covered with glaciers. As the glaciers receded, cuts and depressions were left in the landscape that have since filled with rain creating lakes and bogs.

WEATHER: Long, cold winters, and short, mild, wet summers are typical of this region. In the winter, chilly winds from the arctic cause bitterly cold weather in the taiga. The length of day also varies with the seasons. Winter days are short, while summer days are long because of the tilt of the earth on its axis. Fire is not uncommon in the taiga during the summer. Fires may seem destructive, but they actually help this biome by removing old sick trees, making room for new growth. Precipitation is relatively high in the taiga and falls as snow during the winter and rain during the summer. The total yearly precipitation in the taiga biome is 10 - 30 inches (25 - 75 cm).

PLANTS: Compared to other biomes, the taiga has less diversity in plant life. The most common type of tree found in the taiga is the conifer, or cone-bearing tree. Conifers, also known as evergreens, include pines, spruces and firs. There may also occasionally be deciduous species present, such as oak, birch, willow, or alder, in a particularly wet or disturbed area. The soil in the taiga is thin, acidic and not very nutrient rich. It also is rocky. Due to these factors, plants in the taiga have different adaptations than the plants we find around Santa Barbara.

The< name, evergreen, describes an important adaptation of conifers. Just like Kermit, they are always green! Because they don't drop their leaves in the winter, they don't have to regrow them in the spring. This is good for trees in a tough environment because growing new leaves takes a lot of energy. Another adaptation of conifers to live in the taiga has to do with their needles. Although the taiga has moderately high precipitation, the frozen winter ground makes it difficult for trees to get water. Having thin needles with a waxy coating limits water loss of the conifer through transpiration. The dark color of the pine needles is also important. What happens when you where a dark T-shirt on a sunny day? You get hot, right? This is because your dark shirt is absorbing energy from the sun. Well, the dark needles do the same thing for the evergreen. They help the tree absorb the maximum amount of energy from the sun for photosynthesis. Conifers also have that pointy shape for a good reason. The winter snow slides right off of their branches. Without this shape the heavy snow might break or damage the conifer branches.

ANIMALS: The cold climate of the taiga makes it a difficult place for many animals to live. Many have thick coats of fur to insulate against the cold, and some hibernate. Others migrate to warmer areas in the chilly winters. Animal populations are mainly seed-eating squirrels and jays; small mammals like ermine and moles; and larger browsing animals such as deer, moose, elk, and snowshoe hare. The bogs and ponds in the taiga provide a great summertime breeding place for many different insects. Migratory birds often come to the taiga to nest and feed on all these insects. The typical predators for this area are grizzly bears, wolves, lynxes and wolverines. These are pretty ferocious, so their prey must adapt to flourish. Some animals hide from predators by changing color to blend into the different summer and winter habitats. For example, the ermine is dark brown in the summer, but in the winter it turns white. What excellent camouflage!

PEOPLE AND THE TAIGA: There are a few large cities in the southern parts of the taiga, such as Moscow and Toronto, but most of it is relatively unpopulated. There are also a few native communities of people who still live indigenously in the taiga. The major industries of the taiga include logging, mining, and hydroelectric development. These activities have had negative impacts on areas of this biome and may continue to negatively affect it in the future. A majority of the logging in the taiga is done by clear-cutting, using heavy machinery to remove much of the surrounding forest. Hydroelectric development may seem beneficial because it uses water to generate power, but it has damaged the taiga by changing stream habitats and flow patterns, and flooding large areas and changing the landscape. Mining is a concern because it may result in pollution of surrounding soils and water, specifically acid rain. Regrowth of mature forests takes a long time because of the climate and soil conditions of the taiga. Many large vertebrates who live in the taiga are sensitive to human presence, habitat alteration, and pollution. Two simple things you can do to help the taiga are learn more about this biome, and use paper wisely making sure to recycle. This will help reduce the need for logging of trees for pulp used to make paper.
LINKS: The Taiga Taiga Topics Blue Planet Biomes: Taiga Taiga Rescue Network Earth Floor: Taiga Geography for Kids: Coniferous Forest Earth Observatory: Coniferous Forest
Back to Biomes Index

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Location | Weather | Plants | Animals | People | Links LOCATION: Taiga, also known as coniferous or boreal forest, is the largest terrestrial biome on earth. It extends in a broad band across North America, Europe, and Asia to the southern border of the arctic tundra.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Copyright © 2018 Discovery Education. All rights reserved. Discovery Education is a subsidiary of Discovery Communications, LLC.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Enter the Access ID and Passcode provided by your school to access Britannica School.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the world's biomes and ecosystems. The network of life and biodiversity needed for all to survive.