Boreal Forest Intro

Question 1

At times, the boreal forest is a major __ of carbon, but at other times, it’s a major ___ (it depends on the ___)

Answer 1

sink
source
season

Question 2

Although the boreal forest stores a lot of C, it releases it in the __ and ___ via respiration and ____.

However, there’s net ___

Answer 2

spring and fall
decomp

storage

Question 3

t/f
boreal forests have a high C loss to respiration than most other forest types

Answer 3

true

Question 4

Instead of the forest advancing northward with global warming, there are areas where the treeline may be forced ___ due to increased ____ _____ (____)

Answer 4

southwards
bog growth
paludification

Question 5

The continuous boreal forest in Canada isn’t very continuous anymore due to:
(list 4 possible reasons)

Answer 5

wildfires
forestry
agriculture
invasive species

Question 6

pine refuged in the ___ at the last glacial maximum, so moved ____ as the glaciers retreated

Answer 6

south

northward

Question 7

___ and ___ refuged in both the N and S at the last glacial maximum, so they could ___ from both directions as glaciers retreated

Answer 7

spruce and birch
colonize

Question 8

What are the dominant boreal forest trees?
- 4 conifers
- 2 deciduous

Answer 8

Conifers:
- spruce
- fir
- pine
- larch

Deciduous:
- birch
- aspen/ poplar

Question 9

___ ___ and __ ____ dominate in the boreal forest (especially the latter- why?

Answer 9

jack pine
black spruce

spruce most abundant b/c high moisture= they do well

Question 10

White spruce are ____ of stagnant water and ___ of shade

Answer 10

intolerant

shade-tolerant

Question 11

conifers= ___wood
deciduous= ___wood

Answer 11

soft
hard

Question 12

Black spruce ___ moist soil and shade, but they’re vulnerable to ___ because of their ___ roots

Answer 12

tolerate
wind
shallow

Question 13

Jack pine are found __ of the rockies, and grow on ___, ___ soils

• shade ___

Answer 13

east

sandy, thin soil

intolerant (but more tolerant than aspen/ birch/ tamarack)

Question 14

Lodgepole pine are found ___ of the rockies, and grow in well-drained, ___ ___ soil

shade___ and depend on ___ for seed dispersal

Answer 14

west

sandy loam soil

tolerant
fire

Question 15

What’s the concern with jack pine/ lodgepole pine hybrids?

Answer 15

these hybrids may allow pine beetles to spread from lodgepole pine to jack pine
*hybrids are in the middle (rockies)

Question 16

Tamarack are ___(coniferous/ deciduous) and live in __ organic soils
Shade___

Answer 16

deciduous
wet/moist
intolerant

Question 17

___ are shade intolerant and are usually the first to colonize after a fire (then succeeded by other species)

Answer 17

birch

Question 18

trembling aspen tolerate a __ range of conditions but are shade ___
They’re a ___ species

Answer 18

wide
intolerant
pioneer

Question 19

___ ___ are a shade intolerant pioneer species (of middle/ lower elevation) & they’re the source of the white fuzz in the air (seeds)

Answer 19

balsam poplar

Question 20

List at least 4 (max 8) types of birds found in the boreal forest

Answer 20

• great horned owl
• boreal owl
• great gray owl
• goshawk
• spruce grouse
• ruffed grouse
• dark-eyed junco
• yellow-rumped warbler

Question 21

t/f
birds in the arctic usually live there year-round

Answer 21

false
most are migratory and live there for the summer
- good location for breeding, not for food
- usually don’t have coping mechanisms for the cold

Question 22

Give some examples of mammals that could be found in the boreal forest

Answer 22

• moose
• lynx
• caribou
• wolves
• grizzly bears
• red fox
• snowshoe hares
• coyotes
• wolverine
• red squirrels

Question 23

the mammals of the boreal forest may ___, but not far, meaning they have coping mechanisms for the ____

Answer 23

migrate
cold