Taiga, Indirect Threats Flashcards
What is commercial logging?
Cutting down trees for money
What is wood from taiga trees used for?
Furniture, Paper, Construction
What are tar sands?
A mixture of sand and oil
Where is the taiga located?
In the northern hemisphere. A broad belt across North America, Europe, and Asia
What is the largest terrestrial biome on earth?
Taiga
Why is tar sand mined/fracked?
To extract oil
What is the dominant tree/plant of the taiga biome?
Coniferous trees
As well as the mines themselves, how else do mines damage forests?
Forests are cleared to build roads/other connecting infrastructure and contamination of water sources
How many barrels of oil are required to extract 2 barrels of oil from tar sands?
1
What is the average temperature of the taiga biome in Degrees Celcius?
0
What are the major impacts of mining tar sands on the environment?
Toxic waste and polluted water
What is the total yearly rainfall for the taiga biome?
30-85 centimetres
How is Hydroelectric Power (HEP) generation a threat to the taiga biome?
Vast areas of taiga forests are deforested and flooded
What is the climate like in the taiga biome?
Subarctic, typically with short, wet summers & long, cold winters
How much of the taiga forest has been deforested?
8%
How much paper, derived from taiga conifers, is used each year in the world?
400 million tonnes
What are the major direct threats to the taiga forests?
Mining minerals, Hydroelectric Power (HEP), extracting fossil fuels, Logging
What endangered mammals are most at threat from the loss of the taiga biome?
Canadian Lynx, Grizzly Bears, Siberian Tigers, Snow Leopards
What endangered birds are threatened by the loss of the taiga biome?
Falcon, Goshawk, Crane
What is permafrost?
A layer of permanently frozen soil
What type of timber is found in the taiga biome?
Softwood
Conifer trees in the taiga biome are referred to as what?
Evergreen
Winter temperatures in the taiga can reach as low as…
-50 Degrees Celcius
Summer temperatures in the taiga can reach as high as…
20 Degrees Celcius
How do many mammals survive the long, cold winters?
Hibernation
What biome borders taiga to the north?
Tundra
What biomes border taiga to the south?
Temperate deciduous & temperate grassland
In what countries where you would find the taiga biome?
Canada, USA, Russia, Finland, Norway, Sweden
Why do trees in the taiga tend to have shallow roots?
Due to the thin soil
What is a biome?
Large ecological areas on the earth’s surface, where particular animals and plants adapt to their environment
