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116-589: Lac La Ronge Provincial Park is located in the boreal forest of the north central part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Canadian Shield . Situated in the Churchill River system, this provincial park has close to 100 lakes and more than 30 canoe routes, many of which follow old fur trade routes. Summer activities include camping, hiking, boating, fishing, and swimming. In

232-500: A band of aspen parkland marks a different kind of transition along the south-central flank from boreal forest to grassland . In Central Canada , the southeastern flank is marked by the Eastern forest-boreal transition of Central Ontario and western Quebec . It consists mainly of mixed coniferous and broad-leaf woodlands. South of this transition can be found the deciduous woodlands of Southern Ontario . Canada's boreal forest

348-585: A consequence they have relatively low biological productivity. Owing to the short growing season, generally infertile soils, generally shallow soils, and frequent waterlogging, most of these forest types are slow-growing species, which generally tend to predominate in stressed habitats. Similarly, many of the understory shrubs are in the Ericaceae , a family known to tolerate acid, infertile and flooded habitats: examples include Labrador tea , sheep-laurel and blueberry . Since nutrient levels are so low, overall,

464-649: A dead end in the eastern side of the park. Wildlife found in and around the park include wolves, cougars, black bears moose, deer, elk, antelope, caribou, coyotes, foxes, lynx, gophers, and rabbits. Trees commonly found in the park's rugged landscape are jack pine, spruce, and larch. Fish species found in the park's largest lake, Lac la Ronge, include walleye , sauger , yellow perch , northern pike , lake trout , lake whitefish , cisco , white sucker , longnose sucker , and burbot . [REDACTED] Media related to Lac La Ronge Provincial Park at Wikimedia Commons Taiga The principal tree species, depending on

580-412: A fire regime to burn an area equivalent to the total area of an ecosystem is its fire rotation (Heinselman 1973) or fire cycle (Van Wagner 1978). However, as Heinselman (1981) noted, each physiographic site tends to have its own return interval, so that some areas are skipped for long periods, while others might burn two-times or more often during a nominal fire rotation. The dominant fire regime in

696-622: A new pine forest begins (see also fire ecology ). It has been estimated that prior to European settlement, this renewal process occurred on average every 75 to 100 years, creating even-aged stands of forest. Fire continues to cause natural forest disturbance, but fire suppression and clear-cutting has interrupted these natural cycles, leading to significant changes in species composition . Boreal vegetation never attains stability because of interactions among fire , vegetation, soil–water relationships, frost action, and permafrost (Churchill and Hanson 1958, Spurr and Barnes 1980). Wildfires produce

812-454: A number of adaptations specifically for survival in harsh taiga winters, although larch, which is extremely cold-tolerant, is deciduous . Taiga trees tend to have shallow roots to take advantage of the thin soils, while many of them seasonally alter their biochemistry to make them more resistant to freezing, called "hardening". The narrow conical shape of northern conifers, and their downward-drooping limbs, also help them shed snow. Because

928-484: A patch of sun; mosses and lichens thrive on the damp ground and on the sides of tree trunks. In comparison with other biomes, however, the taiga has low botanical diversity. Coniferous trees are the dominant plants of the taiga biome. Very few species, in four main genera, are found: the evergreen spruce, fir and pine, and the deciduous larch. In North America, one or two species of fir, and one or two species of spruce, are dominant. Across Scandinavia and western Russia,

1044-560: A polar species, some southern herds of muskoxen reside in the taiga of Russia's Far East and North America. The Amur -Kamchatka region of far eastern Russia also supports the snow sheep , the Russian relative of the American bighorn sheep , wild boar , and long-tailed goral . The largest animal in the taiga is the wood bison of northern Canada/Alaska; additionally, some numbers of the American plains bison have been introduced into

1160-561: A preference for burnt over forests, where it forages for insects burrowing in the dead trees that remain standing. Fireweed , as the name suggests, is a plant that similar thrives in recently burned areas. Blueberries and huckleberries are also stimulated by fires, probably benefiting from the removal of shade, and the nutrients released in ashes. The resulting berries are an important food source for boreal forest animals. Few species of boreal wildlife are classified under government conservation regimes as being at risk of extinction. However,

1276-408: A relatively small variety of highly specialized and adapted animals, due to the harshness of the climate. Canada's boreal forest includes 85 species of mammals , 130 species of fish, and an estimated 32,000 species of insects . Insects play a critical role as pollinators , decomposers , and as a part of the food web. Many nesting birds, rodents, and small carnivorous mammals rely on them for food in

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1392-407: A sawmill, pulp and paper mill, mine or railway maintenance facility. Boreal forestry activities support almost 400,000 direct and indirect jobs across Canada. Forestry, pulp and paper, mining, and oil and gas exploration and development are the largest industries along with tourism, trapping, recreation, light manufacturing and the services to support industry and communities. The forest products sector

1508-565: A vegetation mosaic supporting an ever-changing diversity of plant and animal populations (Viereck 1973). In the absence of fire, the accumulation of sphagnum peat on level upland sites would eventually oust coniferous vegetation and produce muskeg . Despite today's sophisticated and expensive fire-spotting and fire-fighting techniques, forest fires in Canada still burn, on average, about 28,000 km (11,000 sq mi) of boreal and other forest area annually. That average annual burn area

1624-412: A warmer climate. The mature boreal forest pattern in the south shows balsam fir dominant on well-drained sites in eastern Canada changing centrally and westward to a prominence of white spruce , with black spruce and tamarack forming the forests on peats, and with jack pine usually present on dry sites except in the extreme east, where it is absent. The effects of fires are inextricably woven into

1740-576: Is Canada's largest uranium producing zone in northern Saskatchewan and Quebec's largest hydroelectric generating facilities in the La Grande watershed. About eighty percent of the Indigenous population of Canada resides in forested areas – including one million in over five hundred First Nations and Métis settlements in boreal zones. Of that amount, over 17,000 work in the forest products industry, mostly in silviculture and woodlands operations in

1856-581: Is a threat to taiga, and how the carbon dioxide absorbed or emitted should be treated by carbon accounting is controversial. Taiga covers 17 million square kilometres (6.6 million square miles) or 11.5% of the Earth's land area, second only to deserts and xeric shrublands . The largest areas are located in Russia and Canada. In Sweden taiga is associated with the Norrland terrain . After

1972-616: Is a vast region comprising about one third of the circumpolar boreal forest that rings the Northern Hemisphere , mostly north of the 50th parallel . Other countries with boreal forest include Russia , which contains the majority; the United States in its northernmost state of Alaska ; and the Scandinavian or Northern European countries (e.g. Sweden, Finland, Norway and small regions of Scotland). In Europe,

2088-525: Is approximately 10% of the total boreal area. Most large forest products companies have certified their boreal forestry operations to one of three third-party, independently audited standards for sustainable forest management: Sustainable Forest Management refers to managing a forest ecosystem in a manner that maintains and enhances its long-term health. In July 2008 the Ontario government announced plans to protect 225,000 km (87,000 sq mi) of

2204-428: Is considered to be the largest intact forest on Earth, with around three million square kilometres still undisturbed by roads, cities and industrial development. Its high level of intactness has made the forest a particular focus of environmentalists and conservation scientists who view the untouched regions of the forest as an opportunity for large-scale conservation that would otherwise be impractical in other parts of

2320-414: Is equivalent to more than three times the current annual industrial timber harvest. It can be many more times that in intense fire years. However, although logging also removes trees, fire is not the same as logging, since fire has been a part of coniferous forests for millennia. Fire not only stimulates regeneration of many plant species, it recycles phosphorus and removes accumulated organic matter. Fire

2436-409: Is found in the smaller areas with oceanic influences; in coastal areas of Scandinavia and Finland, the growing season of the closed boreal forest can be 145–180 days. The shortest growing season is found at the northern taiga–tundra ecotone , where the northern taiga forest no longer can grow and the tundra dominates the landscape when the growing season is down to 50–70 days, and the 24-hr average of

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2552-427: Is further evidence pointing to a long and intimate association with fire. Seven of the ten most common trees in the boreal forest— jack pine , lodgepole pine , aspen , balsam poplar ( Populus balsamifera ), paper birch , tamarack , black spruce – can be classed as pioneers in their adaptations for rapid invasion of open areas. White spruce shows some pioneering abilities, too, but is less able than black spruce and

2668-554: Is home to many types of berries . Some species are confined to the southern and middle closed-boreal forest (such as wild strawberry and partridgeberry ); others grow in most areas of the taiga (such as cranberry and cloudberry ). Some berries can grow in both the taiga and the lower arctic (southern regions) tundra, such as bilberry , bunchberry and lingonberry . The forests of the taiga are largely coniferous , dominated by larch , spruce , fir and pine . The woodland mix varies according to geography and climate; for example,

2784-467: Is in the boreal, government statistics suggest that the harvest declined 18% from 2005 to 2006. Given the high number of mill closings from 2005 onward, mostly in Ontario and Quebec, it is a trend that most likely persisted through 2007 and 2008. Most of Canada's conventional onshore oil and gas production, including the rapidly expanding oil sands production in Alberta, is located in the boreal region as

2900-454: Is increasingly used as a management tool to maintain forest health in some parts of North America (see fire ecology ). Different parts of the boreal have different burn cycles. The drier western region, which receives lower average rainfall, had higher natural fire frequencies. Hence, more area is burned annually on average in the west than in central and eastern Canada. When natural burn cycles are interrupted by fire suppression, natural renewal

3016-454: Is largely Crown land . Over 90% of the boreal forest is provincial Crown land; another 5% is federally controlled and includes national parks, First Nations reserves and national defence installations. About 1,400 communities within the Boreal region rely on resource industries for at least part of the livelihood and stability. Many of these communities were carved out of the forest to support

3132-651: Is lowlands. The term "taiga" is not used consistently by all cultures. In the English language, "boreal forest" is used in the United States and Canada in referring to more southerly regions, while "taiga" is used to describe the more northern, barren areas approaching the tree line and the tundra . Hoffman (1958) discusses the origin of this differential use in North America and how this differentiation distorts established Russian usage. Climate change

3248-416: Is not a limiting factor, the ground freezes during the winter months and plant roots are unable to absorb water, so desiccation can be a severe problem in late winter for evergreens. Although the taiga is dominated by coniferous forests, some broadleaf trees also occur, including birch , aspen , willow , and rowan . Many smaller herbaceous plants, such as ferns and occasionally ramps grow closer to

3364-485: Is obstructed and species composition is changed. In addition, fire suppression causes fuel loads to increase so that fires, when they do occur, become more intense. One can argue that fire suppression actually creates a positive feed back loop, where ever more expensive fire suppression generates the conditions for ever larger fires. The negative effects of fire suppression are still under study, and not fully measured, but they need to be considered when making decisions about

3480-454: Is one of Canada's largest export industries, representing approximately 3% of GDP, with about half of the annual wood harvest coming from the boreal forest. Roughly one quarter of the boreal forest is managed for industrial forestry. The remaining three-quarters is either in parks, conservation areas, model forests or is considered non-timber-productive, generally defined as unsuitable for managed forestry or inaccessible. As recently as 2003, it

3596-527: Is spread across the Northern Hemisphere. These forests contain three structural types: forest tundra in the north, open lichen woodland further south, and closed forest in more southern areas. White spruce, black spruce and tamarack are most prevalent in the four northern eco-zones of the Taiga and Hudson Plains, while spruce, balsam fir, jack pine, white birch and trembling aspen are most common in

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3712-547: The Bering land bridge , a number of animal and plant species , more animals than plants, were able to colonize both land masses, and are globally-distributed throughout the taiga biome (see Circumboreal Region ). Others differ regionally, typically with each genus having several distinct species, each occupying different regions of the taiga. Taigas also have some small-leaved deciduous trees, like birch , alder , willow , and poplar . These grow mostly in areas further south of

3828-485: The Dfd and Dwd climate zones continuous permafrost occurs and restricts growth to very shallow-rooted trees like Siberian larch . The growing season , when the vegetation in the taiga comes alive, is usually slightly longer than the climatic definition of summer as the plants of the boreal biome have a lower temperature threshold to trigger growth than other plants. Some sources claim 130 days growing season as typical for

3944-646: The Eastern Canadian forests ecoregion (of the higher elevations of the Laurentian Mountains and the northern Appalachian Mountains ) in Canada is dominated by balsam fir Abies balsamea , while further north, the Eastern Canadian Shield taiga (of northern Quebec and Labrador ) is mostly black spruce Picea mariana and tamarack larch Larix laricina . Evergreen species in the taiga (spruce, fir, and pine) have

4060-551: The Hudson Bay Lowland and the Mackenzie River basin, are among the ten largest wetlands in the world. The boreal forest wetlands provide wildlife habitat (particularly for migratory birds), they maintain water flow in rivers, and they store significant amounts of carbon that otherwise would be released to the atmosphere. In contemporary times, the boreal forest has suffered little deforestation , defined as

4176-498: The Köppen climate classification scheme, meaning that the short summers (24 h average 10 °C (50 °F) or more), although generally warm and humid, only last 1–3 months, while winters, with average temperatures below freezing, last 5–7 months. In Siberian taiga the average temperature of the coldest month is between −6 °C (21 °F) and −50 °C (−58 °F). There are also some much smaller areas grading towards

4292-680: The Scots pine is a common component of the taiga, while taiga of the Russian Far East and Mongolia is dominated by larch . Rich in spruce and Scots pine (in the western Siberian plain), the taiga is dominated by larch in Eastern Siberia, before returning to its original floristic richness on the Pacific shores. Two deciduous trees mingle throughout southern Siberia: birch and Populus tremula . The boreal forest/taiga supports

4408-419: The golden eagle , rough-legged buzzard (also known as the rough-legged hawk), Steller's sea eagle (in coastal northeastern Russia-Japan), great gray owl , snowy owl , barred owl , great horned owl , crow and raven . The only other viable adaptation is seed-eating birds, which include several species of grouse , capercaillie and crossbills . Fire has been one of the most important factors shaping

4524-447: The lowest reliably recorded temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere were recorded in the taiga of northeastern Russia. Taiga has a subarctic climate with very large temperature range between seasons. −20 °C (−4 °F) would be a typical winter day temperature and 18 °C (64 °F) an average summer day, but the long, cold winter is the dominant feature. This climate is classified as Dfc , Dwc , Dsc , Dfd and Dwd in

4640-445: The middle boreal (closed forest), and the southern boreal , a closed-canopy, boreal forest with some scattered temperate, deciduous trees among the conifers. Commonly seen are species such as maple, elm and oak. This southern boreal forest experiences the longest and warmest growing season of the biome. In some regions, including Scandinavia and western Russia, this subzone is commonly used for agricultural purposes. The boreal forest

4756-498: The peatlands . During the last quarter of the twentieth century, the zone of latitude occupied by the boreal forest experienced some of the greatest temperature increases on Earth. Winter temperatures have increased more than summer temperatures. In summer, the daily low temperature has increased more than the daily high temperature. The number of days with extremely cold temperatures (e.g., −20 to −40 °C; −4 to −40 °F) has decreased irregularly but systematically in nearly all

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4872-498: The 1960s: although this trend was weak or even non-existent in the eastern forests, it was particularly pronounced in the western coniferous forests. However, in 2016, a study found no overall Canadian boreal forest trend between 1950 and 2012: while it also found improved growth in some southern boreal forests and dampened growth in the north (contrary to what the hypothesis would suggest), those patterns were statistically weak. Boreal forest of Canada Canada's boreal forest

4988-579: The Boreal Shield, at 1,630,000 square kilometres the largest of the eight zones, the Boreal Plains and Boreal Cordillera. A typical ecoregion of this southern tier would be the Eastern Canadian Shield taiga that covers northern Quebec and most of Labrador. Within the boreal region, there are about 1,890,000 square kilometres that are 80% to 100% forested and another 650,000 square kilometres with 60% to 80% forest cover. Most trees native to

5104-497: The Canadian boreal are conifers , with needle leaves and cones. These include: black spruce , white spruce , balsam fir , larch (tamarack), lodgepole pine , and jack pine . A few are broad-leaved species: trembling and large-toothed aspen , cottonwood and white birch , and balsam poplar . There are large areas of black spruce, a species which is tolerant of shallow soil, permafrost and waterlogged substrates, although as

5220-513: The Churchill River. Highway 102 forms this western boundary with one exception. About 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of the town of La Ronge , the park goes further west to include a section of Nemeiben Lake. The northern section of the park follows the Churchill River until it goes south to include the eastern shore of Lac la Ronge. Just north of Wapawekka Lake on the eastern shore the park ends. There are seven campgrounds throughout

5336-466: The Cordilleran region, fire is most frequent in the valley bottoms, decreasing upward, as shown by a mosaic of young pioneer pine and broadleaf stands below, and older spruce–fir on the slopes above. Without fire, the boreal forest would become more and more homogeneous, with the long-lived white spruce gradually replacing pine, aspen, balsam poplar, and birch, and perhaps even black spruce, except on

5452-645: The Hudson Bay area), chum salmon , Siberian taimen , lenok and lake chub . The taiga is mainly home to a number of large herbivorous mammals , such as Alces alces ( moose ), and a few subspecies of Rangifer tarandus ( reindeer in Eurasia; caribou in North America). Some areas of the more southern closed boreal forest have populations of other Cervidae species, such as the maral , elk , Sitka black-tailed deer , and roe deer . While normally

5568-612: The Northern Boreal lands. In February 2010 the Canadian government established protection for 5,300 square miles (14,000 km ) of boreal forest by creating a new reserve of 4,100 square miles (11,000 km ) in the Mealy Mountains area of eastern Canada and a waterway provincial park of 1,200 square miles (3,100 km ) that follows alongside the Eagle River from headwaters to sea. A report issued in 2011 by

5684-497: The Pew Environment Group described the Canadian boreal forest as the largest natural storage of freshwater in the world. The boreal forest is deeply ingrained in the Canadian identity and the images foreigners have of Canada. The history of the early European fur traders , their adventures, discoveries, aboriginal alliances and misfortunes is an essential part of the popular colonial history of Canada. The canoe,

5800-441: The Russian far-east, as part of the taiga regeneration project called Pleistocene Park , in addition to Przewalski's horse . Small mammals of the taiga biome include rodent species such as the beaver , squirrel , chipmunk , marmot , lemming , North American porcupine and vole , as well as a small number of lagomorph species, such as the pika , snowshoe hare and mountain hare . These species have adapted to survive

5916-596: The Yukon . In this western part of the boreal forest, there are, for example 127 species of grass ( Poaceae ), 118 species of Asteraceae , 115 species of sedge ( Cyperaceae ), 93 species of crucifer ( Brassicaceae ), 52 species of Rosaceae , 37 species of Saxifragaceae and 36 members of the snapdragon family ( Scrophulariaceae ). Overall, the flora has 1112 species – there are even 15 species of orchids. Canada's boreal landscape contains more lakes and rivers than any comparably sized landmass on Earth. It has been estimated that

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6032-399: The accumulated peat in the soil, and the predominance of coniferous trees, lightning-caused fire has always been a natural part of this forest. It is one of many ecosystems that depend upon such recurring natural disturbance. For example, fire dependent species like lodgepole and jack pine have resin sealed cones. In a fire, the resin melts and the cones open, allowing seeds to scatter so that

6148-465: The arts. The Canadian boreal forest is a very large bio-region that extends in length from the Yukon-Alaska border right across the country to Newfoundland and Labrador. It is over 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) in width (north to south) separating the arctic tundra region from the various landscapes of southern Canada. The taiga growth (as defined in North America) along the northern flank of

6264-573: The beaver pelt, the coureur des bois , the voyageurs , the Hudson's Bay Company and the North-West Mounted Police , the construction of Canada's transcontinental railways – all are symbols of Canadian history familiar to school children that are inextricably linked to the boreal forest. The forest – and boreal species such as the caribou and loon – are or have been featured on Canadian currency. Another iconic and enduring image of

6380-576: The biodiversity of regions varies, each ecozone has characteristic native flora and fauna. The boreal forest zone consists of closed-crown conifer forests with a conspicuous deciduous element (Ritchie 1987). The proportions of the dominant conifers (white and black spruces, jack pine ( Pinus banksiana Lamb.), tamarack, and balsam fir) vary greatly in response to interactions among climate , topography , soil , fire , pests, and perhaps other factors. The boreal region contains about 13% of Canada's population. With its sheer vastness and forest cover ,

6496-663: The boreal and other forest regions. Since the early 1990s, a strong impetus has been created to focus on conserving Canada's boreal legacy and sustainably managing economic activity within the entire region. The Canadian boreal is largely intact and available for multiple uses like timber harvest, recreation and hunting. Forestry companies have come to adopt the management practices known as eco-system based management, which takes into consideration criteria and indicators for sustainability – social, economic and environmental. A number of key principles have come to underpin Canadian forestry practices as mandated by forestry legislation, including

6612-483: The boreal forest creates a transition to the tundra region at the northern tree line . On the southwestern flank, the boreal forest extends into sub-alpine and lower elevation areas of northern British Columbia . The central interior of the province is occupied by a sub-boreal transition zone between the main boreal forest and the dry forests of the southern interior. However, across the Prairie Provinces ,

6728-440: The boreal forest is high-intensity crown fires or severe surface fires of very large size, often more than 10,000 ha (100 km ), and sometimes more than 400,000 ha (4000 km ). Such fires kill entire stands. Fire rotations in the drier regions of western Canada and Alaska average 50–100 years, shorter than in the moister climates of eastern Canada, where they may average 200 years or more. Fire cycles also tend to be long near

6844-459: The boreal forest, there is a considerable diversity of other kinds of plants. An accurate summary is difficult, since most compendia on plants are organized by political, rather than ecological boundaries; one exception addresses the flora of the Hudson Bay Lowland , but much of this area is not forested. One portion of the boreal forest can be used to illustrate plant diversity; consider the Flora of

6960-471: The boreal forest, typically with abrupt, irregular boundaries circumscribing homogenous stands, is indirect but compelling testimony to the role of fire in shaping the forest. The fact is that most boreal forest stands are less than 100 years old, and only in the rather few areas that have escaped burning are there stands of white spruce older than 250 years. The prevalence of fire-adaptive morphologic and reproductive characteristics of many boreal plant species

7076-470: The boreal makes an important contribution to the rural and aboriginal economies of Canada, primarily through resource industries, recreation, hunting, fishing and eco-tourism. Hundreds of cities and towns within its territory derive at least 20% of their economic activity from the forest, mainly from industries like forest products, mining, oil and gas and tourism. The boreal forest also plays an iconic role in Canada's history, economic and social development and

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7192-624: The boreal region contains over 1.5 million lakes with a minimum surface area of 40,000 m (430,000 sq ft) as well as some of Canada's largest lakes. Soft water lakes predominate in central and eastern Canada and hard water lakes predominate in Western Canada. Most large boreal lakes have cold water species of fish like trout and whitefish, while in warmer waters, species may include northern pike , walleye , and smallmouth bass . The boreal forest also has vast areas of wetland , particularly bogs and fens . Two wetland areas,

7308-527: The boreal region, allowing better survival for tree-damaging insects. In Fairbanks, Alaska , the length of the frost-free season has increased from 60 to 90 days in the early twentieth century to about 120 days a century later. It has been hypothesized that the boreal environments have only a few states which are stable in the long term - a treeless tundra/steppe, a forest with >75% tree cover and an open woodland with ~20% and ~45% tree cover. Thus, continued climate change would be able to force at least some of

7424-470: The composition and development of boreal forest stands; it is the dominant stand-renewing disturbance through much of the Canadian boreal forest. The fire history that characterizes an ecosystem is its fire regime , which has 3 elements: (1) fire type and intensity (e.g., crown fires, severe surface fires, and light surface fires), (2) size of typical fires of significance, and (3) frequency or return intervals for specific land units. The average time within

7540-487: The dark winters, depending on latitude. The areas of the taiga inside the Arctic Circle have midnight sun in mid-summer and polar night in mid-winter. The taiga experiences relatively low precipitation throughout the year (generally 200–750 mm (7.9–29.5 in) annually, 1,000 mm (39 in) in some areas), primarily as rain during the summer months, but also as snow or fog . Snow may remain on

7656-799: The decline of some major species of wildlife is a concern. Boreal woodland caribou , whose lichen-rich, mature forest habitat spans the boreal forest from the Northwest Territories to Labrador , is designated as a threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada . The Newfoundland population of marten is threatened by habitat loss, accidental trapping and prey availability. The boreal forests keeps large amounts of carbons in biomass, dead organic matter, and soil pools. Due to cold temperatures, significant amounts of carbon stocks have been built up, this combined with

7772-487: The dense vegetation growth including large trees. This explains the striking difference in biomass per square metre between the Taiga and the Steppe biomes, (in warmer climates), where evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation, restricting vegetation to mostly grasses. In general, taiga grows to the south of the 10 °C (50 °F) July isotherm , occasionally as far north as the 9 °C (48 °F) July isotherm, with

7888-459: The ease with which plants can use its nutrients. The relative lack of deciduous trees, which drop huge volumes of leaves annually, and grazing animals, which contribute significant manure, are also factors. The diversity of soil organisms in the boreal forest is high, comparable to the tropical rainforest . Fallen leaves and moss can remain on the forest floor for a long time in the cool, moist climate, which limits their organic contribution to

8004-567: The entire boreal forest is referred to as taiga , not just the northern fringe where it thins out near the tree line . The boreal region in Canada covers almost 60% of the country's land area. The Canadian boreal region spans the landscape from the most easterly part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador to the border between the far northern Yukon and Alaska. The area is dominated by coniferous forests, particularly spruce, interspersed with vast wetlands , mostly bogs and fens . The boreal region of Canada includes eight ecozones . While

8120-421: The forest carbon balance as well, including the combustion emissions and the after effects. The particular mixture of tree species depends upon factors including soil moisture, soil depth, and organic content. Upland forests can be closely mixed with forested peatlands. The resulting conifer forests are produced by and dependent upon recurring disturbance from storms, fires, floods and insect outbreaks. Owing to

8236-459: The forest history of an area 280 km north of the then-current tree line at Ennadai Lake, District Keewatin, Northwest Territories. Two lines of evidence support the thesis that fire has always been an integral factor in the boreal forest: (1) direct, eye-witness accounts and forest-fire statistics, and (2) indirect, circumstantial evidence based on the effects of fire, as well as on persisting indicators. The patchwork mosaic of forest stands in

8352-411: The forest sector are replanted or regenerated naturally. However, the resulting road network from logging has effects that persist long beyond the period of harvest; indeed, one can make the case that road construction is one of the most harmful and persistent effects of logging. There may be as many as five billion landbirds, including resident and migratory species. The Canadian boreal region contains

8468-486: The further increasing temperatures and disturbance rates will lead to the high net source of carbon that will remain for more than a hundred years. This will result in global impacts which researchers are still uncertain about. Direct effects of herbivores can lead to boreal landscapes as there may be decreased regeneration in some local forest patches. This is altering the input of soils, which could affect soil compaction, and density, or reduce microbial and nitrogen levels in

8584-435: The future health of boreal forests. Because parts of the boreal forest region are found in nearly every province and territory in Canada, there has not been much in the way of coordinated planning to develop the region. Prime Minister Diefenbaker talked of his "northern vision" but little was done to see it come to pass. A proposal was authored by Richard Rohmer in 1967 called Mid-Canada Development Corridor: A Concept and

8700-404: The ground for as long as nine months in the northernmost extensions of the taiga biome. The fog, especially predominant in low-lying areas during and after the thawing of frozen Arctic seas, stops sunshine from getting through to plants even during the long summer days. As evaporation is consequently low for most of the year, annual precipitation exceeds evaporation, and is sufficient to sustain

8816-519: The ground. Periodic stand-replacing wildfires (with return times of between 20 and 200 years) clear out the tree canopies, allowing sunlight to invigorate new growth on the forest floor. For some species, wildfires are a necessary part of the life cycle in the taiga; some, e.g. jack pine have cones which only open to release their seed after a fire, dispersing their seeds onto the newly cleared ground; certain species of fungi (such as morels ) are also known to do this. Grasses grow wherever they can find

8932-493: The harsh winters in their native ranges. Some larger mammals, such as bears , eat heartily during the summer in order to gain weight, and then go into hibernation during the winter. Other animals have adapted layers of fur or feathers to insulate them from the cold. Predatory mammals of the taiga must be adapted to travel long distances in search of scattered prey, or be able to supplement their diet with vegetation or other forms of food (such as raccoons ). Mammalian predators of

9048-486: The interior of the continents, with the driest climates, the boreal forests might grade into temperate grassland . There are two major types of taiga. The southern part is the closed canopy forest , consisting of many closely-spaced trees and mossy groundcover. In clearings in the forest, shrubs and wildflowers are common, such as the fireweed and lupine . The other type is the lichen woodland or sparse taiga , with trees that are farther-spaced and lichen groundcover;

9164-446: The landbirds in all of Canada and almost 30% of all landbirds in the United States and Canada combined. Many of the wildlife species, are, like the forests, dependent upon natural disturbance from fire and insect outbreaks. For example, at least three species of warbler (Cape May warbler, bay-breasted warbler and Tennessee warbler), have distributions and abundance related to spruce budworm outbreaks. The black-backed woodpecker shows

9280-410: The largest area of wetlands of any ecosystem of the world, serving as breeding ground for over 12 million waterbirds and millions of land birds, the latter including species as diverse as vultures, hawks, grouse, owls, hummingbirds , kingfishers , woodpeckers , and passerines (or perching birds, often referred to as songbirds). It is estimated that the avian population of the boreal represents 60% of

9396-680: The last 12,000 years since the beginning of the Holocene epoch, covering land that had been mammoth steppe or under the Scandinavian Ice Sheet in Eurasia and under the Laurentide Ice Sheet in North America during the Late Pleistocene . Although at high elevations taiga grades into alpine tundra through Krummholz , it is not exclusively an alpine biome, and unlike subalpine forest , much of taiga

9512-425: The latter is common in the northernmost taiga. In the northernmost taiga, the forest cover is not only more sparse, but often stunted in growth form; moreover, ice-pruned , asymmetric black spruce (in North America) are often seen, with diminished foliage on the windward side. In Canada, Scandinavia and Finland, the boreal forest is usually divided into three subzones: The high boreal (northern boreal/taiga zone),

9628-491: The length of the growing season and summer temperatures, vary across the world. The taiga of North America is mostly spruce; Scandinavian and Finnish taiga consists of a mix of spruce , pines and birch ; Russian taiga has spruces, pines and larches depending on the region; and the Eastern Siberian taiga is a vast larch forest. Taiga in its current form is a relatively recent phenomenon, having only existed for

9744-433: The lower boreal regions. Large populations of trembling aspen and willow are found in the southernmost parts of the Boreal Plains. One dominant characteristic of the boreal is that much of it consists of large, even-aged stands, a uniformity that owes to a cycle of natural disturbances like forest fires, or outbreaks of pine beetle or spruce budworm that kill large tracts of forest with cyclical regularity. For example,

9860-521: The many stands of white spruce, black spruce, and balsam fir are vulnerable to the cyclical outbreaks of a species of the spruce budworm, the Choristoneura fumiferana . Since the melting of the great ice sheet, the boreal forest has been through many cycles of natural death through fire, insect outbreaks and disease, followed by regeneration. Prior to European colonization of Canada and the application of modern firefighting equipment and techniques,

9976-403: The most extreme winter weather. The Dahurian larch tolerates the coldest winters of the Northern Hemisphere, in eastern Siberia. The very southernmost parts of the taiga may have trees such as oak , maple , elm and lime scattered among the conifers, and there is usually a gradual transition into a temperate, mixed forest, such as the eastern forest-boreal transition of eastern Canada. In

10092-655: The most thinly treed areas where the growing season and average tree size progressively shrinks until the edge of the Arctic tundra is reached. The southern tier of the boreal meanwhile consists of three other ecozones that form the largely uninterrupted or continuous forest in stretching as far south as Lake Superior in Ontario (as the Central Canadian Shield forests ecoregion) and the Manitoba-North Dakota border. These three southern zones are

10208-600: The natural burn/regeneration cycle was less than 75 to 100 years, and it still is in many areas. Terms like old growth and ancient forest have a different connotation in the boreal context than they do when used to describe mature coastal rain forests with longer-lived species and different natural disturbance cycles. However, the effects of forest fires and insect outbreaks differ from the effects of logging, so they should not be treated as equivalent in their ecological consequences. Logging, for example, requires road networks with their negative impacts, and it removes nutrients from

10324-500: The obligation for forestry companies operating on public lands to fully regenerate all areas harvested for timber and to consult the public on the preparation of forest management/harvest plans submitted to the relevant provincial authorities. As a result of growing public concern with sustainable development and conserving the integrity of the boreal forests, conservation initiatives are progressing on various fronts. The area in national and provincial parks and protected conservation areas

10440-491: The oceanic Cfc climate with milder winters, whilst the extreme south and (in Eurasia) west of the taiga reaches into humid continental climates ( Dfb , Dwb ) with longer summers. According to some sources, the boreal forest grades into a temperate mixed forest when mean annual temperature reaches about 3 °C (37 °F). Discontinuous permafrost is found in areas with mean annual temperature below freezing, whilst in

10556-461: The park that offer a variety of different camping experiences. All campgrounds have fire pits, washrooms, and access to potable water. The town of La Ronge, 243 kilometres (151 mi) north of Prince Albert on the west side of Lac la Ronge, is reached by Highway 2 . Highway 2 becomes Highway 102 within the community. The following places in the park are reached from La Ronge on Highway 102 (distances are all from La Ronge). Highway 912 ends in

10672-464: The past four decades for hydroelectric projects. As of 2005 , Canada as a whole has 91% of the boreal forest cover that existed at the dawn of European settlement. More deforestation has occurred outside the boreal region, in more southerly areas of the country. The forest sector annually harvests approximately ½ of 1% of the region. However, this is not considered deforestation by some, given that provincial laws are meant to ensure that areas harvested by

10788-406: The patterns of vegetation on the landscape, which in the east favour black spruce, paper birch, and jack pine over balsam fir, and in the west give the advantage to aspen, jack pine, black spruce, and birch over white spruce. Many investigators have reported the ubiquity of charcoal under the forest floor and in the upper soil profile. Charcoal in soils provided Bryson et al. (1965) with clues about

10904-455: The permanent conversion of forest area to non-forest due to activities associated with agriculture, urban or recreational development, oil and gas development, and flooding for hydroelectric projects. In Alberta, the province with the largest oil and gas industry, more trees are cut for agriculture or oil and gas exploration than for timber. In Eastern Canada, over 9,000 km (3,500 sq mi) of peatlands and forest have been flooded over

11020-446: The permanent ice caps and tundra , taiga is the terrestrial biome with the lowest annual average temperatures, with mean annual temperature generally varying from −5 to 5 °C (23 to 41 °F). Extreme winter minimums in the northern taiga are typically lower than those of the tundra. There are taiga areas of eastern Siberia and interior Alaska- Yukon where the mean annual temperature reaches down to −10 °C (14 °F), and

11136-471: The pines to disperse seed at all seasons. Only balsam fir and alpine fir seem to be poorly adapted to reproduce after fire, as their cones disintegrate at maturity, leaving no seed in the crowns. The oldest forests in the northwest boreal region, some older than 300 years, are of white spruce occurring as pure stands on moist floodplains . Here, the frequency of fire is much less than on adjacent uplands dominated by pine, black spruce and aspen. In contrast, in

11252-423: The presently existing taiga forests into one of the two woodland states or even into a treeless steppe - but it could also shift tundra areas into woodland or forest states as they warm and become more suitable for tree growth. In keeping with this hypothesis, several studies published in the early 2010s found that there was already a substantial drought-induced tree loss in the western Canadian boreal forests since

11368-484: The productivity of forest trees is highly dependent on the rate at which mineral elements such as nitrogen and phosphorus are recycled by litterfall and decomposition. After logging, the loss of nutrients may convert forested areas into shrub barrens dominated by shrubs such as sheep-laurel . Many of the plant species are fire-dependent, since fire removes neighbouring plants, and recycles nutrients locked in organic matter. Although there are rather few species of trees in

11484-514: The site, which may deplete nutrients for the next cycle of forest growth. Fire, on the other hand, recycles nutrients on location (except for some nitrogen), it removes accumulated organic matter and it stimulates reproduction of fire-dependent species. Canada's boreal region can be divided into seven ecozones. These seven can be divided into two main groups. The northern regions of the boreal forest consists of four eco-zones – Taiga Cordillera, Taiga Plains, Taiga Shield and Hudson Plains – that are

11600-416: The soil. Acids from evergreen needles further leach the soil, creating spodosol , also known as podzol , and the acidic forest floor often has only lichens and some mosses growing on it. In clearings in the forest and in areas with more boreal deciduous trees, there are more herbs and berries growing, and soils are consequently deeper. Since North America and Eurasia were originally connected by

11716-476: The soil. At high abundance, large herbivores often choose palatable, fast-growing plants which keep keystone species in boreal forests juvenile, which changes these forests. This moose-led transition in forest age class distribution and composition causes slower increases in net primary production with lower large herbivore populations. This means that they are not only changing boreal forests from carbon sinks to sources over moderate periods. Wildfires have impacts on

11832-434: The southern limit more variable. Depending on rainfall, and taiga may be replaced by forest steppe south of the 15 °C (59 °F) July isotherm where rainfall is very low, but more typically extends south to the 18 °C (64 °F) July isotherm, and locally where rainfall is higher, such as in eastern Siberia and adjacent Outer Manchuria , south to the 20 °C (68 °F) July isotherm. In these warmer areas

11948-542: The summer months. The cold winters and short summers make the taiga a challenging biome for reptiles and amphibians , which depend on environmental conditions to regulate their body temperatures. There are only a few species in the boreal forest, including red-sided garter snake , common European adder , blue-spotted salamander , northern two-lined salamander , Siberian salamander , wood frog , northern leopard frog , boreal chorus frog , American toad , and Canadian toad . Most hibernate underground in winter. Fish of

12064-512: The sun is low in the horizon for most of the year, it is difficult for plants to generate energy from photosynthesis . Pine, spruce and fir do not lose their leaves seasonally and are able to photosynthesize with their older leaves in late winter and spring when light is good but temperatures are still too low for new growth to commence. The adaptation of evergreen needles limits the water lost due to transpiration and their dark green color increases their absorption of sunlight. Although precipitation

12180-580: The taiga has higher species diversity, with more warmth-loving species such as Korean pine , Jezo spruce , and Manchurian fir , and merges gradually into mixed temperate forest or, more locally (on the Pacific Ocean coasts of North America and Asia), into coniferous temperate rainforests where oak and hornbeam appear and join the conifers, birch and Populus tremula . The area currently classified as taiga in Europe and North America (except Alaska)

12296-531: The taiga include Canada lynx , Eurasian lynx , stoat , Siberian weasel , least weasel , sable , American marten , North American river otter , European otter , American mink , wolverine , Asian badger , fisher , timber wolf , Mongolian wolf , coyote , red fox , Arctic fox , grizzly bear , American black bear , Asiatic black bear , Ussuri brown bear , polar bear (only small areas of northern taiga), Siberian tiger , and Amur leopard . More than 300 species of birds have their nesting grounds in

12412-401: The taiga must be able to withstand cold water conditions and be able to adapt to life under ice-covered water. Species in the taiga include Alaska blackfish , northern pike , walleye , longnose sucker , white sucker , various species of cisco , lake whitefish , round whitefish , pygmy whitefish , Arctic lamprey , various grayling species, brook trout (including sea-run brook trout in

12528-809: The taiga. In Canada and Scandinavia, the growing season is often estimated by using the period of the year when the 24-hour average temperature is +5 °C (41 °F) or more. For the Taiga Plains in Canada, growing season varies from 80 to 150 days, and in the Taiga Shield from 100 to 140 days. Other sources define growing season by frost-free days. Data for locations in southwest Yukon gives 80–120 frost-free days. The closed canopy boreal forest in Kenozersky National Park near Plesetsk , Arkhangelsk Province , Russia, on average has 108 frost-free days. The longest growing season

12644-408: The taiga. Siberian thrush , white-throated sparrow , and black-throated green warbler migrate to this habitat to take advantage of the long summer days and abundance of insects found around the numerous bogs and lakes. Of the 300 species of birds that summer in the taiga, only 30 stay for the winter. These are either carrion -feeding or large raptors that can take live mammal prey, such as

12760-467: The tree line in the subarctic spruce-lichen woodlands. The longest cycles, possibly 300 years, probably occur in the western boreal in floodplain white spruce. Amiro et al. (2001) calculated the mean fire cycle for the period 1980 to 1999 in the Canadian boreal forest (including taiga) at 126 years. Increased fire activity has been predicted for western Canada, but parts of eastern Canada may experience less fire in future because of greater precipitation in

12876-404: The warmest month of the year usually is 10 °C (50 °F) or less. High latitudes mean that the sun does not rise far above the horizon, and less solar energy is received than further south. But the high latitude also ensures very long summer days, as the sun stays above the horizon nearly 20 hours each day, or up to 24 hours, with only around 6 hours of daylight, or none, occurring in

12992-470: The winter, there's cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing. Saskatchewan's highest waterfall is in the park. Nistowiak Falls are located north of Lac La Ronge along the Rapid River . A little more than half of Lac La Ronge Provincial Park's area is water with Lac la Ronge being the largest lake. The park boundary begins on the western shore of Lac la Ronge at La Ronge and extends north to

13108-521: The world. The Canadian boreal forest in its current form began to emerge with the end of the last Ice Age. With the retreat of the Wisconsin Ice Sheet 10,000 years ago, spruce and northern pine migrated northward and were followed thousands of years later by fir and birch. About 5,000 years ago, the Canadian boreal began to resemble what it is today in terms of species composition and biodiversity. This type of coniferous forest vegetation

13224-407: Was recently glaciated . As the glaciers receded they left depressions in the topography that have since filled with water, creating lakes and bogs (especially muskeg soil) found throughout the taiga. Taiga soil tends to be young and poor in nutrients, lacking the deep, organically enriched profile present in temperate deciduous forests. The colder climate hinders development of soil, and

13340-536: Was discussed by officials and politicians but was never implemented. In 2014, John van Nostrand attempted to revive the concept. In the absence of a nationwide plan, private industry and the provinces have pursued development in particular products or certain regions. These include the Athabasca Oil Sands in Alberta, the Ring of Fire (Northern Ontario) , and Quebec's Plan Nord . Forest land in Canada

13456-465: Was estimated that the annual harvest in the boreal was about 7,500 square kilometres per year, equivalent to about 0.2% of the total Canadian boreal forest. The sharp downturn in the market for lumber because of the collapse of the housing market in the United States that began in 2006, coupled with import tariff and tax barriers, have knocked the bottom out of Canada's forest industry. In Ontario, Canada's most populous province, where most forestry activity

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