Between the broad-leaved forest and the tundra is the taiga or conifer forest, stretching from northern Europe to Siberia and Canada, i.e. all over the northern part of the earth. Taiga is a Russian word that means “conifer forest”. The climate in this area is fairly harsh in winter (the temperature may be as low as -30°C) and cool in summer (sometimes up to 20°C). The temperature in the Siberian taiga is often -60°C. The annual temperature range is wide.

The taiga in the world. The taiga is nowhere in the southern hemisphere, since there is no mass of mainland at the appropriate latitudes. In the northern hemisphere, instead, the taiga forms an uninterrupted belt all around the world, from Scandinavia to Asian Siberia and Canada.

This biome turns south into a deciduous forest, except in the central part of the continents, where it spills over into the step. Upper north, instead, is the bleak expanse of the tundra, and the border between the taiga and the tundra is often marked by birch woodland. The taiga is the largest uninterrupted forest area on earth; its average width measures 1,500 km and covers 8% of the lands above sea level. Rainfall is poor, generally about 400-600 mm, and decreases in the far north: sometimes just about 150 mm, like in many deserts. In southern Europe, conifer forests can be found between 1500 and 2000 metres a.s.l., and in many respects they resemble the taiga of northern plains. 

Plants of the taiga
This biome contains a high number of arboreal species: mainly firs (Abies and Picea), pine trees, birches, and fewer larches, willows, alders and poplars. The genus Piceaconsists of firs that can grow to an impressive size (over 50 m) and have a thick evergreen foliage; in Italy, we have Picea abies (or Picea excelsa), and many other species can be found everywhere in the Northern Emisphere (Eurasia and north-America). Like the Picea, also the genusLarixhas also a circumboreal distribution (Eurasia and north America), although in our regions it is represented by one species only, the larch (Larix decidua), which interestingly is the only conifer that sheds its leaves in winter (that’s where the name decidua comes from). 

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Animals of the taiga
Mammals living in the taiga include foxes, lynxes, bears, minks, squirrels, while larger ones include grey wolves and their preys: caribou, reindeers and moose. In winter, wolves hunt these herbivores in packs, often dividing themselves into two groups to encircle their preys before attacking them. Sometimes, either group upsets the herd of preys, and the other one creeps up on them. Nevertheless, only the young, wounded or older specimens are taken, while adults are spared. During the harsh winter, the majority of these mammals live within the forest, sheltered by the vegetation. The species that do not hibernate have adjusted somehow to move nimbly on snow. 

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Birds and small animals of the taiga
Most of the birds that live in the taiga migrate south during the winter, while two species (the European red crossbill and the white-winged crossbill) have adapted to resist this season, feeding on one of the most abundant and nourishing products of this biome: conifer seeds (pine kernels). Pine kernels are enclosed within strong woody cones and can only be pulled out by skilfully using the crossbills’ adapted beak: the European red crossbill (Scandinavia and Russian Confederation) and its American counterpart, the white-winged crossbill, have beaks that criss-cross at the tip, which are therefore extremely useful to pull out conifer kernels. 

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The taiga is a young biome
The taiga is a young biome, since in many areas of the world ice withdrew from the boreal region relatively recently. 14,000 years ago the temperate regions began to lose most of their ice, while taiga areas remained covered in ice until relatively recently, and at the highest latitudes ice still covers some parts of the region, for instance Norway and the north-west of north-America.

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The importance of a forest
After heavily exploiting its own natural resources for years, Russia is beginning to understand the ecological importance of its own forests. The about-turn in the management of this heritage over the last decade has now led to many changes: there are now over 140 state natural reserves, whose reproduction plans have in some instances ensured the survival of some animal species, including the European bison. Scientifically, study missions have been organised; four to Siberia alone (1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000), as part of EU-funded research plans.

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