THE CONIFEROUS FOREST

By Rose Pidgorodetska

Background InformationThe Coniferous Forest is a forest of Conifers. A Conifer is a tree that produces its seeds in cones: a Pine tree. Conifer leaves conserve water with the thick, waxy layer that covers their leaves, also known as needles.  The vegetation in the Coniferous forest is small in size, but large enough to feed the vast herbivore population.  Most of these animals survive the brutal winters by migrating or hibernating. 

Rainfall Average Annual Rainfall- 14-29.5 in. Average Temperatures in the Summer-

57.2°F Average Temperatures in the Winter- 14°F

Climatogram

Producers

Balsam Fir Tree

Columbines

Larch trees

Ferns Poison Ivy

Primary Consumers

chestnut backed chickadee croton waxwingElk

Moose peromani red squirrel

Secondary Consumers

croton waxwing Great Grey Owl European Pine Marten

Red Fox

Endangered Animals:*Grizzly Bear*Spotted Owl*Woodland Caribou*Siberian Tiger*Siberian Crane

How humans affect the Coniferous Forest

Humans cut down most large trees to supply lumber for Americas housing. This changed forest eco systems by removing the canopy and allowing much more sunlight to reach forest floor. It gave brush a growth spurt and took away from plants that liked dark places like mushrooms and likens. People are clear cutting/logging which is destroying the Coniferous forest.

In Canada, one acre of forest is cut every 12.9 seconds!

What’s being done to Protect?

There are many things you can do to protect the coniferous forest like drive your car less, be careful when camping, never throw cigarettes outside your car window, and reusing paper products but there is nothing being done to protect the forest.

Sources http://rrms-biomes.tripod.com/id3.html http://

earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Experiments/Biome/bioconiferous.php

http://kingdominique.be/notepro/coniferous-forest-food-web

http://inchinapinch.com/hab_pgs/terres/coniferous/c_forest.htm