Biomes of Former Soviet Union Assignment

Taiga (submitted by John Lundgren and Cory Watson, modified by russianatlas.net)

Where found

In the Russian far north, the taiga is a coniferous, evergreen forest of subarctic lands covering a vast area of Eurasia. It stretches for more than 9,000 miles in a nearly unbroken chain from Saint Petersburg in the west to Kamchatka in the Far East. Largely untouched by human development, the Russian taiga is one of the largest, continuous land ecosystems in the world.

Climate

Extreme continental with frigid winters and short warm summers. The coldest place in N. H. near Verkhoyansk, Russia (-72 C abs. minimum) is inside taiga biome. 

Soils

Podzols - acidic, soggy and nutrient-poor.

Vegetation

There is not much diversity in the taiga. Evergreen trees reign supreme -- miles upon miles of the exact same species are tree is often the case in the taiga. Most trees in this biome tend to grow in dense patches of one or a  few species. In contrast, trees in the temperate deciduous biome drop their leaves in the fall. That way they can survive a heavy snowstorm without risking their branches. Evergreen trees in the taiga keep their leaves, but their cone shape helps prevent damage. Branches droop downward, which helps shed excess snow. The needles help keep the trees warm during the winter.

Plants

Taiga trees tend to be conifers. Conifers are evergreen trees that in late winter or early fall produce cones. If a cone becomes fertilized, it grows bigger. Only then do the seeds inside develop. Once the seeds ripen, the cone dries up and the seed falls out.

Animals

The Russian taiga stretches from the Ural mountains to the Pacific Ocean and represents 54 percent of the world's coniferous forests and 21 percent of the world's remaining standing forests. Much of this vast Russian forest remains intact and has now been recognized as 'frontier forests' -- areas that are relatively undisturbed and large enough to maintain biodiversity, 
including viable populations of the wide-ranging plant and animal species. A 
January 1997 study by the World Resources Institute determined that Russia
contains more than 26% of the world's remaining frontier forests. These 
Russian forests provide habitat for a dazzling array of rare species, 
including the Siberian tiger, Amur leopard, brown bear, and Japanese crane. 
The forests also provide livelihood for Russians and indigenous peoples 
alike. 

Siberian tigers are the largest of all the tiger subspecies, with male tigers averaging up to 700 lbs. and female tigers averaging up to 500 lbs. An average Siberian tiger is 12-13 feet from the nose to the tip of the tail and three feet high at the shoulders. Siberian tigers are the only tigers to live in cold weather, often below -18 degrees C, and get  their name from the region in which they live, the Amur-Ussuri region of  Siberia. In fact, they are quite comfortable in cold weather. The tigers 
manage to stay warm partly because of a layer of fat on its flanks and  belly. The thick, long, light yellow coat also helps keep the tiger warm  during the harsh winters of the Siberian wild. The Siberian tiger's coat is  a sharp contrast to that of other tiger species, whose coats are darker and 
much thinner.

Brown Bear is a large bear with a muscular hump on its shoulders. Bear is one of the most beautiful animals in Siberian forests. There are brown bears in Russia, but we know about arctic - polar bears and mountain - black bears. Siberian bear is brown. It's big and strong. People 
call it THE TAIGA MASTER, because it is the strongest animal here.  A bear is a predatory animal but also it likes mushrooms, berries, nuts and honey. One of the favourite meals for bears is fish. Bears spend a lot of time on the riverside for swimming and fishing in the summer time.
Winter is sleeping time for bears. Bears make a special home-den under the tree and sleep in it all the winter. A bear is a hero of many Russian tales. 

Siberian Crane has the longest migration route of all crane species,  ranging from breeding areas in the Arctic regions of Asia to wintering grounds in southern Asia, and that the species is highly dependent on the conservation of shallow wetlands for its survival 

 Reindeer are slightly smaller and were domesticated in northern  Eurasia about 2000 years ago.  Today, they are herded by many Arctic peoples in Europe and Asia including the Sami in Scandinavia and the Nenets, Chukchi and others in Russia. These  peoples depend on the reindeer for almost everything in their economy including food, clothing and shelter. Some 
Nenets even keep reindeer for pets!  Reindeer were introduced into Alaska 
and Canada last century, but most attempts failed.  Native peoples in these 
countries still prefer to hunt caribou rather than herd reindeer.

Sources for my info and pictures

1. Stolby Zapovednik photo by Eric Mayer, see The Wolves of Stolby, 13 April 1996.
2. http://mbgnet.mobot.org/pfg/diverse/biomes/taiga/