Taiga is located in a temperate humid geographical area. This territory is characterized by the presence of a large number of swamps and conifers. It is the largest binomial in the world. The total area of taiga is about 15 million square kilometers. In Russia, it occupies the largest part of the landscape zone, and in Europe - almost the entire territory of Finland and the Scandinavian Peninsula.
Conventionally, taiga is divided into three parts:
- South (fairly diverse vegetation).
- Medium (bilberry spruce forests prevail).
- Northern (mainly with stunted coniferous vegetation).
The extreme southern point of the climate zone is located on the 42nd parallel (this is the north of Japan, the island of Hokkaido), and the extreme northern point is on Taimyr (72nd parallel).
Flora
The flora and fauna of the taiga are rather scarce. Due to the small number of sunny days in the year, undergrowth is very small in the forest, so shrubs and moss cover prevail. The most common shrubs:
- Lingonberry.
- Juniper.
- Currant.
- Honeysuckle and others.
There are also few herbs in the taiga. The most common greens and sour. Spruce trees are common in the European part of this climate zone; light coniferous species and pines prevail in the Urals. In Alaska and Canada, they mostly ate with larch. And in the Far East and Siberia - rare-standing larch forests, cedars are also found.
Fauna
Plants and animals of the taiga, as in other binomes, are inextricably linked. Due to the scarcity of vegetation in this zone, there is not such a huge variety of fauna representatives as in the same subtropical zone. However, there are many more animals in the taiga than in the tundra.
There are no conditions for the reproduction and existence of cold-blooded representatives of the fauna in the taiga, therefore, they are practically absent. There are three types of binomial in the European and Asian parts:
- Garter Snake.
- Common viper.
- Viviparous lizard.
There are several types of amphibians: frogs, toads and salamander.
There are plenty of insects in the tundra, only in Canada there are about 32 thousand species. Almost all amphibians and cold-blooded animals present in this zone fall into suspended animation or hibernation in winter. And in those animals that are awake in the winter season, a decrease in activity is observed. There are many birds in the binome - about 300 species.
In the taiga, the flora and fauna are much richer in the forest than in the forest-tundra. In the forests, animals lead a sedentary lifestyle. Most of these fauna representatives are classified as fur species. In the tundra you can find wolverine, bear, sable, lynx, hare and others.
Musk deer
These animals have a fairly large habitat - from Eastern Siberia, Sakhalin to the Himalayas, Korea and Tibet. They prefer high terrain, most often they can be found at an altitude of 600 to 900 meters above sea level. However, in Tibet and in the Himalayas, musk deer live at an altitude of 3 thousand or more meters above sea level. Musk deer usually chooses the northern slopes of the mountains, where there are many lichens and no snow crust. In the summer it gets closer to mountain rivers, where there are a lot of fresh and lush vegetation in the meadows. In winter, he chooses slopes with pine and cedar groves.
This taiga animal is essentially a deer, but without horns. Its height is 70 centimeters, body length is from 85 to 110 centimeters. Musk deer weighs not much - from 10 to 17 kilograms. The animal has shorter front and longer hind legs. The back of his body is powerful, and the front is narrow. Color - brown or brown. A distinctive feature of the animal in the presence of saber-shaped upper canines in males that grow throughout life. In females, these canines are rudimentary.
The commercial value of musk deer is small. Her fur is of little value, and skins can go in extreme cases for the manufacture of suede products. However, the animal has glands in the back of the body that secrete natural musk. It is used in the perfume industry and in medicine.
Bear
Surely no one would like to meet this animal of the taiga. Although it is the bear that causes associations with Russia among residents of other countries. Our latitudes are characterized by a very large species - a brown bear, which can be about 750 kilograms in weight and reach 2.5 meters in length. It is omnivorous and only outwardly clumsy.
In fact, the bear runs perfectly, swims and jumps well. An interesting feature of all bears is that they run uphill much faster than on the plain. Despite its large size, its steps are almost inaudible.
Wolverine
This is an animal of the taiga from the family of marten. From Norwegian the name "Wolverine" is translated as "mountain whale", and from Latin - "glutton". The animal is small in size, the body length of the largest individual does not exceed 86 centimeters, the tail length is from 18 to 23 centimeters. The largest wolverines reach a weight of 30 kilograms.
Outwardly, the animal is very similar to a little teddy bear or badger. Wolverines have longer hind legs, a squat and clumsy body. Color - from light to dark brown. The beast hunts at night, and often changes places for daytime sleep, but does not go beyond its territory, which can reach 2 thousand square kilometers.
Wolverines can even attack a hoofed animal, but only if it is sick, they eat up for wolves and bears. The diet of them is exclusively of animal origin. However, in the summer they are not averse to taking honey or eating berries from wasps. They know how to fish very well, even encroach on birds. Even a bear avoids Wolverine because of the aggressive nature of the animal.
Elk
What animals in the taiga? Of course, it’s hard to imagine the edge of the forest without moose. This artiodactyl is much more dangerous than a bear, especially in the mating season. The behavior and condition of the animal at this time can be described as inadequate. The moose perceives any individual as an opponent and immediately attacks. If a person is in front of the animal, then, most likely, a blow with front hooves will be fatal. The impact force can reach 650 kilograms. Females prefer moose with large horns. This is due to the fact that such individuals are able to get more food, therefore, they can grow offspring.
Animals eat exclusively plant foods: lichens, branches and leaves of shrubs and trees, moss and mushrooms. Moose is very fond of salt, sometimes they even go out on tracks and lick it there. Huntsmen make special salt-feeders for them.
Wolf
Another animal that lives in the taiga is the wolf. They always gather in packs. In the taiga, no one has ever met a lone wolf. After all, it is very difficult to survive alone. The flock has a clearly organized hierarchical structure. Even if there is an outcast, he still will not leave, because he will not be able to survive on his own.
These animals are dangerous to humans in winter, when food is in limited quantities. Most fear should be black wolves. To kill this animal does not need a ticket, huntsmen will even be grateful for such a service. If in a particular region the animal population is growing too much, then special extermination raids are carried out. Anyone can take part in such an event.
Lynx
Today it is one of the rarest animals of the taiga. They lead a solitary lifestyle. Settle in dark coniferous forests. They feed on hares, birds, rodents and other small fur animals. If necessary, they can attack large artiodactyl animals. A taiga lynx acts like a cat, attacking its prey from an ambush. The animal is not a runner, after 85 meters of running it stops the chase. The lynx has excellent eyesight, unlike most other animals. If there is plenty of food, then she will live settled, if not, then the “cat” goes in search of other, better places, in a day she can walk up to 30 kilometers.
An interesting fact: the lynx can be tamed at any age and make it practically a pet.
Animals of the taiga of Russia
So, we continue to study the fauna of this region. The fauna of the taiga of Russia is also represented by the following species:
- Deer. In our country, most often found in Altai. It eats exclusively plant foods, mushrooms and berries, needles of evergreen trees. Like moose, deer love salt. All this is due to the fact that the diet of animals lacks minerals. Well amenable to captive breeding.
- Roe deer. The animal is also classified as deer. Two species live in Russia: European and Siberian roe deer. They live mainly in those places where the snow cover does not last long. If the snow reaches 50 centimeters, then for the roe deer this is a critical point. Prefers mixed forests.
- Boar. Another taiga animal living in Russia. Individuals living in cold regions are very strong and aggressive. In some cases, meeting a boar can cost a person a life. In the taiga, this animal can grow up to 4 meters in length. A boar, like a bear, eats everything. He prefers to live near small ponds and meadows, where it is easy to get food. The wild boar is a great swimmer, runs well.
- Fox. This is the trickiest taiga animal. It has good hearing, so even in winter, under the thickness of the snow, it can hear where the mouse is moving. The fox dives into the snow and catches its prey. Lives mainly in open areas, where it is easier to get food. In the vastness of Russia there are several species: silver brown, Arctic fox and others.
Finally
Despite the fact that the taiga was considered almost unknown until the mid-90s of the XIX century, with each passing day urbanization is advancing in this region. Therefore, animals require protection and preservation of the habitat. After all, this is a true northern paradise on earth, where clear water in rivers and lakes, dense forests and clean air. If nothing is done in the near future, the climate on the planet will change at a catastrophic rate, which will inevitably lead to the death of plants and animals.