UNIT 3 - FORESTRY

1. UNIT 3 - FORESTRY TOPIC 5 – THE BOREAL FOREST

2. LOCATION • Boreal Forests are also known as TAIGA forests • What portion of forests are BOREAL? • Boreal forests are CIRCUMPOLAR, meaning they circle the earth, spanning the top of Northern Europe, North America, and Asia (Called the “great green scarf”the Earth) • 82 % of all Canadian Forests are boreal (Largest Canadian Biome) • 100 % of NL forests are boreal

3. CLIMATE • Coldest biome on Earth other than the tundra • Latitude is 50-60 degrees north of equator • Long, cold winters lasting 5-6 months of the year • Short, warm summers • Precipitation is generally snow • Temperatures: • –50 0C to 300C throughout the year • average is less than 10 0C for eight or more months of the year

4. GROWTH RATE • The Boreal forest is the SLOWEST GROWING FOREST on EARTH • WHY? • Shoot/root growth does not occur until temperature is high enough • Short Growing Season – 130 days • Low decomposition rate due to cold temperatures, so nutrient levels in soil are low • Extreme weather is common, killing buds and reducing growth • Cold snaps during growth season can reduce growth for the next season

5. SOIL CONDITIONS • SOIL is THIN(SHALLOW). • Soils is ACIDIC • Due to decomposing needles • Soil has LOW DRAINAGE • Evergreens provide permanent shade, so soil is often waterlogged as a result. • Soils is NUTRIENT-POOR • Decomposers are slower in cold, acidic soil • Waxy coating of evergreens makes for a slower decomposition rate

6. BIODIVERSITY • On a species level, it the LEAST BIODIVERSE of all forest types • Sometimes called the “spruce-moose” forest! • Why? • With colder temperatures, and slower decomposition rates, ENERGY AVAILABILITY IS LOW • Recall the FLORA means “plants” and FAUNA means “animals”

7. BOREAL FOREST FLORA • Boreal forests are mostly CONIFEROUS, with a smaller portion of DECIDUOUS TREES • Most common trees are coniferous softwoods BLACK SPRUCE and BALSAM FIR. • Other softwoods include Eastern larch and pine. • The smaller portion deciduous hardwoods include white birch and trembling aspen.

8. BALSAM FIR • Used in NL for pulp and lumber • Most abundant tree on the island, 2nd most abundant in Labrador • At maturity, about 12-15 m in height meters in height and 30-50 cm in diameter • Can reach ages of 70-100 yrs old • Favourite snack of MOOSE • Most common naturally disturbance is INSECT DAMAGE • Needles are flat (will not roll in fingers) and grow horizontally on twig • Memory Tool: Flat is Fir

9. BLACK SPRUCE • Provincial tree of NL • Used in NL for pulpwood and for Christmas trees • Most abundant tree in Labrador, 2nd most common on island • At maturity, about 9-12 m in height and 15-30 cm in diameter • Can reach age of 200 years • Most common disturbance is FIRE, cones are adapted to survive fire • Needles are four-sided, will roll in fingers and are spirally arranged • The other common spruce in NL is white spruce.

10. EASTERN LARCH (TAMARACK) • Makes good posts and poles. • Many locals incorrectly call this tree a juniper in NL • It is an unusual conifer because it drops its needles in winter (deciduous conifer).

11. WHITE BIRCH • Most common birch in NL and most important HARDWOOD in NL • Also called the paper birch or canoe birch • Used for fuel wood and in value-added wood products • scattered over the island but common in valleys on west coast of island • Other less common birch is YELLOW BIRCH

12. BOREAL FOREST FAUNA • What types of fauna live in our forests? • Moose • Black Bear • Woodland Caribou • Canadian Lynx • Snowshoe Hare • Red Squirrel • Little Brown Bat • Mink • Coyote • Beaver • Newfoundland Marten • Red Fox • Masked Shrew • Voles • Rock Ptarmigan

16. LINKS • http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=YNG7_aAhyY4 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhj_qVII1Wg • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB9uzMjiYSQ • http://fliiby.com/file/130754/cuwxmfpbfd.html • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfxRXL0KGXQ&feature=related • http://www.hww.ca/media.asp?mcid=2

17. UNIT 3 - FORESTRY TOPIC 6 – SURVIVING THE HARSH ENVIRONMENT of a BOREAL FOREST

18. ADAPTATION 1 – PREVENTING DESSICATION) • Coniferous leaves are modified to prevent dessication, which means “drying out” • They are modified into needles or scales that: • decrease surface area • reduce water loss by transpiration (evaporation from leaves)

19. ADAPTATION 2 – WITHSTANDING SNOW LOAD • Conifers have downward sloping of boughs, allowing trees to shed a heavy snow load.

20. aDAPTATION 3 – WITHSTANDING EXTREME COLD • At low temperatures between 0 to -40 degrees Celsius, other trees might freeze to death. • In conifers, liquids in the tree remain liquid, a process known as super cooling. • Some conifers that can survive below -40 degrees Celsius include white and black spruce, and tamarack

21. ADAPTATION 4 – MAXIMIZING PHOTOSYNTHESIS • Due to the ALBEDO EFFECT, darker objects absorb more heat energy as compared to lighter–hued objects. • The dark green of conifer needles helps the trees absorb the maximum heat from the sun and begin photosynthesis as early as possible

22. ADAPTATION 5 - CONES • Example: Black Spruce • It produces two types of seed cones, CLOSED and OPEN CONES. • Open seed cones drop each year and sprout in any area where there is enough light to grow. • Closed cones cannot release their seeds unless heated to a high temperature by fire. The heat of the fire melts the resin that acts like glue to keep the seed cone closed