Coniferous Forest Biome: Evergreens of the North

1. · Precipitation is rain in summer and snow in winter ·40 to 200 cm of precipitation a year · Coniferous means “cone bearing” which means trees that produce seed cones conifers have leaves called needles which are waxy covered · Located in Northern Hemisphere · Located in sub arctic regions of North America, Europe, and Asia ·Warm summers (2 to 5 months) Long winters, cold and dry Ch. 9 Forest Biomes

2. Forest Biomes · these needles help tree conserve water · most conifers are evergreen meaning that they do not drop their needles · pines, hemlocks, fir, spruce and cedar • these trees grow in dense stands which blocks a lot of sunlight from getting to the ground  

3. Forest Biomes The snow acts like a blanket and prevents the floor of the forest from becoming permafrost. This insulates the roots of the trees and allows small animals (like mice) to survive under the snow.

4. Forest Biomes The soil of the coniferous forest is poor because the trees shade the forest floor. Few plants grow here because the fallen needles make the soil acidic. This makes the forest floor lack organic matter.

5. Forest Plants Ferns Lichens Mosses

6. Small Herbivores ·eat seeds mice,squirrels jays, other rodents and birds

7. Large Herbivores Feed on plants and bark • Moose, elk, beaver,snow-shoe hares

8. Large Predators eat the herbivores • grizzly bears, wolves, lynxes

9. All these animals have adaptations to allow them to survive the winters. They migrate, hibernate, or live under the snow. Some have thick body coverings