GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS The Boreal forests represent the largest terrestial biome in the world. The forest also represents 29% of the world's forest cover. It is home to an average of 85 species of mammals, 130 species of fish, some 32,000 species of insects, and300species of birds.
SOIL The soil in Boreal forest are typically poor in nutrient and very acidic. This is cased from the Evergreen trees and how thin there pine needles are. The temperature of the soil changes based on the climate. The top layer or soil in Boreal forest thaw during the warmer seasons and freeze during the winter. The bottom layers stay frozen almost all year.
LOCATION: Boreal forest make up about 17% of the earth surface. It has the highest latitudes of trees on the earth. They are only found in the Northern hemisphere of the earth. The boreal forest spans about 17 kilometers and it covers parts of Canada, Russia, Scandinavia, and Alaska.
CLIMATE The climate is one of the coldest. It is located farther away from the equator than any other forest. The temperature ranges from -5 to 5 degrees Celsius (23-41 degrees Fahrenheit ). Much of the precipitation comes from left over snow. The precipitation ranges form 20cm to 200cm per year. Rain forest tend to get 50cm to 160cm of rain fall and the temperature ranges from 68-93 decrease Ferlinghetti. In Boreal Forest the winters last very long and the summers are very short and cold.
VEGETATION Due to the soil in Boreal forest being so acidic and the freezing temperature it is often hard for plants to live. There are many plants and animals that have been able to adapt to these conditions. Some of these plants are shrubs, willow, mountain ash, and alder. Some of the brighter colored shrub such as blue berries and cranberry's attracts birds such as the Bohemian waxing.
Notable Location Cape Breton Highlands National Park protects over 20% of the boreal forest in the northern Cape Breton ecosystem.