Christina Gonzales

Ivory Castaneda

Renyiel Fernandez

April 29,2025

Elevation: Around 150m-1100m

Temperatures:

Winter: -54℃ to -1℃

Summer: -7℃ to 21℃

Precipitation:

Snow: 20-40 inches

Rain: 10-20 inches

Their summer months are way shorter than their winter months, as they are 50-100 days where frost is not present. In exchange, the biome becomes warmer, rainy, and humid.

Wind will disrupt these areas and may cause fires. There are multiple patterns, but the main one is westerlies, with polar eastlies as a secondary option.

Activity 2.4 Distribution Patterns and Population Size Estimates.

Canada, Natural Resources. “Boreal Forest - Natural Resources Canada.” Canada.ca, 2015, natural-resources.canada.ca/forest-forestry/sustainable-forest-management/boreal-forest.

“Ledum Groenlandicum.” Usda.gov, 2024, www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/shrub/ledgro/all.html.

Leroux, Shawn J., et al. “Cumulative Effects of Spruce Budworm and Moose Herbivory on Boreal Forest Ecosystems.” Functional Ecology, vol. 35, no. 7, 3 May 2021, pp. 1448–1459, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13805. Accessed 24 Sept. 2022.

Madaan, Sonia. “Taiga (Boreal Forest) Biome: Temperature, Climate, Location, Plants, Animals | Earth Eclipse.” Earth Eclipse, 20 Aug. 2017, eartheclipse.com/environment/ecosystem/taiga-boreal-forest-biome.html. Accessed 11 May 2025.

“Mushroom Reproduction and Spore Germination Explained | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2024, www.britannica.com/video/spores-Fungi-billions-fungi-rise-generations/-108741.

“Mycorrhizal Fungi.” Www.spun.earth, www.spun.earth/networks/mycorrhizal-fungi.

NRDC. “Canada’s Boreal Forest: Why It’s so Important.” Www.nrdc.org, 1 July 2022, www.nrdc.org/stories/canadas-boreal-forest-why-its-important.

Petersen, Tanja K, et al. “Airborne Laser Scanning Reveals Uniform Responses of Forest Structure to Moose (Alces Alces) across the Boreal Forest Biome.” Journal of Ecology, vol. 111, no. 7, 14 Mar. 2023, pp. 1396–1410, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14093.

Rauschert, Emily. “Survivorship Curves | Learn Science at Scitable.” Www.nature.com, 2010, www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/survivorship-curves-16349555/.

Read, David J, et al. “Mycorrhizal Fungi as Drivers of Ecosystem Processes in Heathland and Boreal Forest Biomes.” Canadian Journal of Botany, vol. 82, no. 8, 1 Aug. 2004, pp. 1243–1263, https://doi.org/10.1139/b04-123.

Schwartz, Charles. REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY of NORTH AMERICAN MOOSE.

“The Physical Environment - Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP).” Ramp-Alberta.org, 2019, www.ramp-alberta.org/river/boreal/canada/physical+environment.aspx.

“What Are Mycorrhizae? | Mycorrhizae-Forming Fungus | Symborg.” Symborg, 12 Jan. 2024, symborg.com/us/what-are-mycorrhizae/.

White, Stephen. “Bog Labrador Tea.” Www.fs.usda.gov, www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/ledum_groenlandicum.shtml.

Yildirir, Gökalp, et al. “Parasexual and Sexual Reproduction in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: Room for Both.” Trends in Microbiology, vol. 28, no. 7, July 2020, pp. 517–519, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2020.03.013. Accessed 4 May 2022.

https://naturalheritage.state.pa.us/ccvi/Labrador-tea.pdf

interspecific interactions:

• Predation: They are preyed upon by wolves and bears

• Competition: The moose compete with other herbivores like deer for food especially during the season with the food is scarce.

• Herbivory: Moose feed and many different plants, young trees, twigs, shrubs, which is also how they get there energy.

• Parasitism: Moose are hosts to many parasites one of them is the winter ticks

• Mutualism: This is rare to see in moose but one of them could be when the bacteria in there digestive system help break down there cellulose consumption.

• Commensalism: Moose may provide shelter for birds when they are nesting, they do this with there antlers.

Interspecific Interactions:

• Predation and Parasitism: Labrador tea plants are not predators. They are also not known to be hosts for parasites.

• Competition: Competes with other plants for sunlight, soil and even water.

• Herbivory: The Labrador tea plant is a great resource for most herbivore animals like moose and hares.

• Mutualism: Grows in association with mycorrhizal fungi. The plant also can be involved in the cycling of nutrients.

• Commensalism: Labrador Tea plants provide a home for several insects.

Interspecific interactions:

• Mutualism: Mutually beneficial relationship with coniferous trees, exchanging nutrients for carbohydrates.​

• Competition: Competes with other soil microorganisms for space and resources.​

1. Pattern of dispersion?

   They are generally solitary animals, but can congregate in small groups, especially during winter near food and shelter. Juvenile moose, particularly males, tend to disperse farther from their natal range than females. In summer, moose, including bull moose and mothers with calves, may be distributed more randomly throughout their habitat.

2. What is the gestation time for the animal?

   Gestation length ranges from 216-240 days with a mean of 231 days.

3. What is the sexual maturity?

   Female moose can become sexually mature as young as 16 months, although 28 months is more typical.

4. How many offspring are usually produced? What type of survivorship curve does this organism produce (Type I, II, III)? 

   Moose typically produce one or two offspring, with one calf being the average. Moose exhibit a Type I survivorship curve.

   
   

Plant: Labrador Tea Plant (Rhododendron Groenlandicum)

1. Pattern of dispersion?

   Labrador tea plants have small, winged seeds that are easily dispersed by wind. This wind dispersal mechanism can lead to a random distribution with plants are scattered across the landscape without a specific pattern. 

2. What is the gestation time for the animal?

   They don't have a gestation time, however, Labrador tea reproduces sexually through seed production and asexually by vegetative sprouting.

3. What is the sexual maturity?

   Labrador tea plants typically reach sexual maturity, meaning they can produce seeds, in their 3rd or 4th year of growth.

4. How many offspring are usually produced? What type of survivorship curve does this organism produce (Type I, II, III)? 

   Labrador tea flowers are capable of producing a high number of seeds, with averages often exceeding 50 seeds per flower. Labrador tea plants exhibit a Type I survivorship curve.

   
   

Microorganism: Mycorrhizal Fungi (Suillus Tomentosus)

1. Pattern of dispersion?

   Mycorrhizal fungi generally exhibit a clumped pattern of dispersion, meaning they tend to be concentrated in areas where resources are abundant, such as around plant roots.

2. What is the gestation time for the animal?

   They don't have a gestation time, however, they reproduce through spores and their lifespan is closely tied to the host plant they are associated with. 

3. What is the sexual maturity?

   Mycorrhizal fungi do not have a traditional sexual maturity like other organisms. While they do exhibit some signs of sexual reproduction, they primarily reproduce asexually through spores. 

4. How many offspring are usually produced? What type of survivorship curve does this organism produce (Type I, II, III)? 

   Mycorrhizal fungi produce a vast number of spores as their main means of reproduction, sometimes producing millions to billions of spores per plant. They generally exhibit a Type III survivorship curve. This means they have a very high death rate in their ealry stages of life, but if they manage to survive beyond this point, they flourish.

• Logging, gas drilling, mining, and oil industries are one of the biggest issues attacking the Boreal Forest. Each year, one million acres of the environment suffers due to trees being cut for toilet paper, paper towels, and facial issues purposes.

What is being done to address/solve the problem? 

• Canada, which is where a Boreal Forest flourishes in, has established laws where it regulates harvesting to ensure that the forest wouldn't be harmed in an overdone manner.