Threats To The Taiga

Question 1

Mining

Answer 1

People go to the taiga to mine because they think no one lives there but tribes do and by driving there with their machines they polute the air. They chop down trees for space but by doing that they destroy habitats for animals and force them to move and leave their homes. It has long lasting effects on the ecosystem and can take a decade to fix

Question 2

Oil extraction

Answer 2

Oil seeps down into the soil and is taken up by trees, which normally kills them. Lots of oil spills into the sea when people transfer into other countries, it kills animals almost instantly and takes years to clean up.

Question 3

Tourism

Answer 3

People go to the taiga on holidays in huge boats which breaks the ice on the water where animals need to go. It reduces biodiversity, melts lots of the ice, people litter and there is more pollution as people drive along the ice they release fossil fuel also the tracks in the ice take 30 years to disappear so no animals or people in their tribes can use it.

Question 4

Wildfires

Answer 4

Wildfires are much more common because of climate change heating up the pine needles that have a very flammable substance in side that helps it catch fire easily. They can destroy more than 700000 hectares of forest.

Question 5

Pests

Answer 5

The taiga is a home to thousands of pests. They are normally kept in check by the cold winter temperatures but as climate change occurs the potential for pests infestation and diseases to spread grows. Mountain pine beetles strip the needles of the trees and drains the colour out of them. 96-99% of forest is destroyed

Question 6

Acid rain

Answer 6

Some parts of the taiga are affected by acid rain, Acid rain forms when fossil fuels are burnt, releasing sulphur dioxide and nitrogen into the air. These react with water in clouds to form sulphuric and nitric acids. Precipitation carries these acids down to the surface. When falling on the taiga, it reduces biodiversity in a number of ways: Lakes and wetlands become so acidic that fish, insects and aquatic plants can die, Spruce needles are damages and less able to photosynthesise, Soils become too acidic, meaning they are less fertile and can damaging tree roots and starting fires.Weaker roots can’t take up nutrients, and so are more at risk of disease and insect attack, If the trees die, this reduces available food for animals further up the food chain, resulting in further biodiversity loss.