Interesting Taiga Biome Facts

The Taiga Biome is the largest biome on Earth. It occurs in North America and Eurasia where it occupies parts of Alaska, Canada, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Japan, Mongolia, Finland and Kazakhstan. Also known as a boreal forest or coniferous forest, the Taiga Biome provides a home to many species of animals and plant life. Covering approximately 11% of the Earth's surface, the Taiga Biome is very important to the future of our planet, check out our interesting facts below to find out why.

Factsmania welcomes schools, students and teachers to use their printable facts about the Taiga Biome for free. We provide clear definitions and detailed information about this boreal forest's animals, plants, climate conditions, rainfall, snowfall, types of soil, extreme temperatures, seasons, size and location.

Interesting Taiga Biome Facts for Kids:- Learn interesting facts about the Taiga Biome including which countries it occurs in, what the climate conditions are, which animals live here, what the most common types of trees are and how they have adapted to the extreme temperature changes and climate conditions. Did you know that the weather in the Taiga Biome can be described as extremely cold during winter with plenty of snowfall and warm, rainy and humid during the summer? Did you know Taiga is a Russian name that means swampy moist forest?

Interesting Taiga Biome Facts for Kids:- Our free facts for kids make ideal teaching guides and fun activity sheets for students. Factsmania has compiled an interesting summary of Taiga Biome Facts for Kids as follows.

Interesting Facts about Taiga Biomes for Kids

Interesting Facts for Kids 1:- What is the Taiga Biome?
The Taiga is the largest biome on Earth. It is located below the Tundra Biome where it spans across North America and Eurasia. A biome, in general, can be described as a type of habitat found in places like tropical forests, savannah grasslands, wetlands, mountain tops and deserts. The Taiga Biome is also known as a boreal forest or coniferous forest.

Interesting Facts for Kids 2:- Where is the Taiga Biome located?
The Taiga Biome located below the Tundra Biome where it spans across North America and Eurasia. In North America, the Taiga Biome is present in the state of Alaska, parts of inland Canada and the northern extremes of the continental US. In Eurasia, the Taiga Biome occupies parts of Sweden, coastal Iceland, Norway, Russia, Northern Japan, Northern Mongolia, and areas of Finland and Northern Kazakhstan.

Interesting Facts for Kids 3:- How big is the Taiga Biome?
The Taiga is the largest biome in the world. It spans across Eurasia and North America, covering approximately 11% of the earth.

Interesting Facts for Kids 4:- What is the climate of the Taiga Biome?
The main seasons in the Taiga Biome are the summer and winter seasons. Spring and autumn do not last long enough to be recognized as seasons. The climate conditions of the Taiga Biome can be described as either extremely hot or extremely cold depending on the time of year.

Interesting Facts for Kids 5:- What is the temperature of the Taiga Biome?
Temperatures in the summer are often warm but can fall as low as -7 degrees Celsius and rise as high as 21 degrees Celsius. The summer season occurs for a shorter period than winter and experiences around 100 or less frost free days. The winter season is usually the longest and the harshest. In fact, the average temperature is below freezing point for six months of a year. The winter temperatures are very cold and range from -54 C to -1 C. There is a lot of snowfall during the winter months.

Interesting Facts for Kids 6:- What animals live in the Taiga Biome?
The extreme climate conditions of the Taiga biome, which range from either extremely cold to hot, do not allow for the existence of a large diversity of animal species. The animals that live in the Taiga Biome are mainly predators and are very well adapted to survive the harsh temperatures, especially in winter. It’s an incredible fact that many species of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and millions of insects live in Taiga Biome. Here are some of the animals found in this part of the world:

Interesting Facts for Kids 7:- Taiga Biome Reptiles
The Red Sided Garter and the European Adder are types of snakes found living in the Taiga Biome, although they hibernate during winter.

Interesting Facts for Kids 8:- Taiga Biome Amphibians
Among the types of amphibians found living in the Taiga Biome are species of frogs, toads and the Blue-spotted and Siberian Salamanders, these particular animals also hibernate.

Interesting Facts for Kids 9:- Taiga Biome Fish
Despite extremely cold weather conditions, many species of fish are able to survive life in the Taiga Biome, such fish species include the Alaskan Blackfish, Brook Trout, Siberian Taimen, Cisco, Chum Salmon, Walleye and the White and Longnose Sucker. These types of fish can survive, even in freezing water.

Interesting Facts for Kids 10:- Taiga Biome Birds
There are numerous species of bird found living in the Taiga Biome but mainly during the warmer season. Most birds migrate during the winter when the breeding seasons has ended. Such bird species include the Herring Gull, Spruce Grouse, Common Tern and Common Loon. Some birds, such as crows, sparrows and finches live in the Taiga Biome all year round, managing to survive its extreme climate conditions.

Interesting Facts for Kids 13:-  What plants are in the Taiga Biome?
The dominant trees found growing in the Taiga Biome are coniferous and Needleleaf trees. There is very little diversity when it comes to plants as the extreme weather conditions and nutritionally poor soil limit the growth of most plant species. The four main genera in the Taiga Biome are fir, pine, spruce and tamarack or the deciduous larch. The coniferous trees are also known as evergreens. This type of tree can be recognized by its long, thin waxy needles. Evergreen trees are well adapted to this boreal forest as they grow in an upside down cone shape which helps the slanted branches withstand the weight of the snow and protects them from extreme weather conditions. Coniferous trees grow very closely together and tightly in the Taiga Biome, which protects them from the cold and windy extreme weather conditions. Some of the most common types of coniferous trees found growing in the Taiga Biome include Hemlock, White Spruce and Douglas Fir Trees.

Interesting Facts for Kids 14:- What type of soil is found in the Taiga?
The main types of soil that are found in the Taiga Biome are spodosol, inceptisol and histosol. All three soil types are poorly developed and contain limited nutrients, hence the struggle for plants and trees of many species to grow in this part of the world. There are huge areas in the Taiga Biome, particularly in North America, that have barely any soil at all. Found in the southern part of the Taiga, Spodosol soil has high acidity levels which is caused by conifer tree needles. The histosol soil type is present in wetland areas and forms as a result of water being unable to drain. Inceptisol is also nutritionally poor soil as persistent water logging results in little to no clear layering. Certain areas of the Taiga may contain gelisol, another type of soil that is well layered due to permafrost.

Interesting Facts for Kids 15:- What are the environmental threats to the Taiga?
There are numerous environmental threats to the Taiga Biome some of which are caused by pollution, deforestation and mining. The Taiga Biome is important for many reasons, one of them being its range of animal species, some of which are endangered. Animals such as the Siberian Tiger, Amur and Siberian Crane are in danger and threatened by the environmental threats posed on the Taiga Biome. Some of the major causes of pollution in the Taiga Biome are oil and coal powered boats and the expansion of cities and towns. Pollution is also caused by oils spills which occur when tankers crash in the iceberg areas. As these emissions mix with rain cloud, the rain that falls can be acidic and cause further damage to the Taiga Biome.

Interesting Facts for Kids 16:- Taiga Biome Deforestation
Deforestation is happening in the Taiga Biome, taking away the natural habitats and homes of animals. The lumber mills are responsible for cutting down large numbers of trees in this beautiful boreal forest. This also results to an imbalance in the carbon dioxide in the area. Due to the extreme conditions and harsh climates in the Taiga Biome, any trees that our replaced take a very long time to grow back.

Interesting Facts for Kids 17:- How do humans affect the Taiga Biome
The Taiga Biome is affected in many ways by humans. There are numerous mines in the Taiga Biome and the explosions not only kill the wildlife but damage their habitats and areas where they go to feed. The mines also produce lye that makes its way into the water compromising its purity. In addition to all these environment threats and issues, the Taiga Biome falls victim to the threat of humans as it is a common hunting ground for poachers who often hunt and kill animal species that are already endangered.

Interesting Facts for Kids 18:- Why is the Taiga biome important?
The Taiga Biome is important as it is the biggest biome on Earth and is home to many species of plants and animals, including some endangered species. This particular biome can be described as a boreal forest which houses various types of coniferous and evergreen trees. Forests are the lungs of the planet as they convert CO2 (carbon dioxide) to oxygen. Deforestation poses a major threat to the future of our planet as the reduction of trees and plant life will reduce the production of oxygen which is required for animal life (humans) to survive.

Interesting Taiga Biome Facts for Kids