Taiga forests, taiga plants. Flora of the taiga. What plants grow in the taiga: photos, videos, pictures of taiga vegetation The tallest tree in the taiga

Depending on soil and climatic conditions, taiga can be different types: dark coniferous taiga, light coniferous taiga and pine forests. The most widespread is the dark coniferous taiga. Her appearance is stern. The forest is twilight, the lower branches and tree trunks are covered with gray lichens, the soil is covered with a carpet of mosses and lichens, and there is a lot of dead wood. Fallen and half-rotten tree trunks form in places impassable rubble, in which many inhabitants of the taiga find shelter. IN taiga forest There are also bright clearings overgrown with bushes, berry fields, and tall grasses. The main tree species of the dark coniferous taiga are common spruce and fir, and closer to the Urals and in Siberia there is also Siberian cedar.

All types of spruce are distinguished by tall, up to 30-40 m, and sometimes up to 60 m, straight trunks; branches covered with thick needles descend almost to the ground, giving the trees a cone shape. Spruce needles are short, hard and prickly, and remain on the branches for 7-12 years. The cones are 10-15 cm long, ripen after flowering in the same year in the fall, in winter the seeds spill out of them and the cones fall off. In the first years, spruce grows slowly, by 10 years it usually does not exceed 1-2 m, but by 30-60 years it grows up to 25-30 m. It can grow up to 250-300 years, and sometimes up to 500-600 years. Straight spruce trunks provide excellent construction and ornamental material. Spruce wood is the main raw material for paper production. The most evenly layered wood is used to make musical instruments.

A characteristic companion of spruce and fir in the dark coniferous taiga of Russia, Siberian cedar belongs to the pine family. Real cedars grow in Lebanon and other countries with warm climate. Siberian cedar achieves the same large sizes, like spruce and fir, but forms dense crowns only in open spaces. This mighty tree lives up to 500-800 years, its trunk sometimes reaches a diameter of 2 m. The cedar needles are triangular, long (5-13 cm), stay on the shoots for 3 to 6 years and grow in bunches of 5 needles together. Based on the number of needles in a bunch, two-, three- and five-needle pines are distinguished. Of the main types of pine in our country, only Scots pine is two-coniferous, the rest (Siberian cedar, Korean cedar, dwarf cedar) are five-coniferous.

Siberian cedar is not very picky about soil, but grows best in richer loamy and moist soils. Cedar wood is durable, thin-layered, but soft and light, with a pleasant smell. Siberian cedar is especially famous thanks to its tasty seeds (they are incorrectly called pine nuts). The seeds are used for food and oil is extracted from them. Cedar cones ripen in the fall of the second or third year after flowering. In some years, so many cones are formed that the tops of the trees break under their weight. For this reason, as well as due to damage to the apical buds by insects and frost, cedar trees are often multi-vertexed, which gives cedar forests (cedar groves) a unique outline.

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Grape

In gardens and personal plots, you can choose a warmer place for planting grapes, for example, on the sunny side of the house, garden pavilion, or veranda. It is recommended to plant grapes along the border of the site. The vines formed in one line will not take up much space and at the same time will be well lit from all sides. Near buildings, grapes must be placed so that they are not exposed to water flowing from the roofs. On level areas it is necessary to make ridges with good drainage due to drainage furrows. Some gardeners, following the experience of their colleagues from the western regions of the country, dig deep planting holes and fill them with organic fertilizers and fertilized soil. The holes, dug in waterproof clay, are a kind of closed vessel that is filled with water during the monsoon rains. In fertile land root system The grapes develop well at first, but as soon as waterlogging begins, they suffocate. Deep holes can play a positive role on soils where good natural drainage, permeable subsoil is provided, or reclamation artificial drainage is possible. Planting grapes

You can quickly restore an outdated grape bush using the layering method (“katavlak”). For this purpose, healthy vines of a neighboring bush are placed in grooves dug to the place where the dead bush used to grow, and covered with earth. The top is brought to the surface, from which a new bush then grows. Lignified vines are laid on layering in the spring, and green ones - in July. They are not separated from the mother bush for two to three years. A frozen or very old bush can be restored by short pruning to healthy above-ground parts or by pruning to the “black head” of an underground trunk. In the latter case, the underground trunk is freed from the ground and completely cut down. Not far from the surface, new shoots grow from dormant buds, due to which a new bush is formed. Neglected and severely frost-damaged grape bushes are restored due to stronger fatty shoots formed in the lower part of the old wood and the removal of weakened sleeves. But before removing the sleeve, a replacement is formed. Grape care

A gardener starting to grow grapes needs to thoroughly study the structure of the grapevine and the biology of this interesting plant. Grapes are vine (climbing) plants and require support. But it can spread along the ground and take root, as is observed with Amur grapes in a wild state. The roots and aboveground part of the stem grow quickly, branch strongly and reach large sizes. Under natural conditions, without human intervention, a branched bush of grapes grows with many vines of different orders, which begins to bear fruit late and produces crops irregularly. In cultivation, grapes are shaped and the bushes are given a shape that is easy to care for, ensuring a high yield of high-quality bunches. Grapevine Planting Schisandra

Schisandra chinensis, or schisandra, has several names - lemon Tree, red grapes, gomisha (Japanese), cochinta, kodzyanta (Nanai), kolchita (Ulch), usimtya (Udege), uchampu (Oroch). In terms of structure, systemic relationship, center of origin and distribution, Schisandra chinensis has nothing in common with the real citrus plant lemon, but all its organs (roots, shoots, leaves, flowers, berries) exude the aroma of lemon, hence the name Schisandra. The schisandra vine that clings or wraps around a support, along with Amur grapes and three types of actinidia, is an original plant of the Far Eastern taiga. Its fruits, like real lemons, are too sour for fresh consumption, but they have medicinal properties, a pleasant aroma, and this attracted a lot of attention to him. The taste of Schisandra chinensis berries improves somewhat after frost. Local hunters who consume such fruits claim that they relieve fatigue, invigorate the body and improve vision. The consolidated Chinese pharmacopoeia, compiled back in 1596, states: “the fruit of Chinese lemongrass has five tastes, classified as the first category of medicinal substances. The pulp of lemongrass is sour and sweet, the seeds are bitter and astringent, and in general the taste of the fruit is salty. Thus, All five tastes are present in it." Grow lemongrass

From time to time I am visited by thoughts of leaving the noisy city, forgetting about the eternal rush and bustle of the city. Go to the taiga under the shadow of the taiga giants and spend the rest of your life there, breathe in clean air and be happy that there are still huge areas of terrain covered with tall trees on the planet.

What trees grow in the taiga zone

Coniferous tree species predominate in most of this climate zone; these include fir, spruce, pine, and many others. Despite the fact that most people associate the taiga only with coniferous forests, you can also see in it:

• rowan;
• alder and some other deciduous trees.

Taiga trees are rich in various forest products: hazelnuts, pine nuts, resin and some essential oils. Previously, pine needles were used to treat scurvy, and it saved many lives.

Amazing taiga tree

Amazing tree, growing on the border of tundra and taiga - taiga elfin wood. Some individual trees reach two hundred and fifty years of age. These trees grow exclusively on stones and are small trees. From this tree the famous medicine turpentine. Content essential oils there is twice as much in elfin wood as in pine. Substances obtained from taiga elfin wood are widely used in medicine. In general, a very interesting evergreen tree.

Take care of the trees

Taiga forests, consisting of millions of trees and spread over the vast territory of the Far East, Scandinavia and North America, supply oxygen to the entire planet. By creating a separate ecosystem for thousands of representatives of the animal world to live, they serve them as a reliable shelter and home. Humanity is mercilessly cutting down forests, destroying entire hectares of untouched forest. I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few decades general state taiga forests will deteriorate greatly. But let's hope for the best. I have been to the taiga and always tried to preserve its pristine beauty, not to litter there, not to light a fire or harm the trees in other ways, which I encourage you to do as well.

Each climate zone our planet is unique and beautiful in its own way. The harsh beauty of the taiga does not leave anyone indifferent who finds themselves among the damp aroma of the needles of centuries-old spruce, pine and larches.

You may not love Taiga, but it’s impossible not to admire her. And now we will mentally transport ourselves to the zone of dense taiga forests.

Location of the taiga zone

The taiga stretches in a wide strip across the northern part of Eurasia, covering the territory of Canada, Alaska and some North American states. This natural zone occupies 27% forest areas on our planet. Its northern part borders the south of the forest-tundra zone.

In the central part of Russia, its southern borders lie north of Moscow, and as it moves east, the taiga zone descends further and further south. In Siberia it extends all the way to Altai.

Taiga vegetation

The nature of vegetation is usually determined by the climatic conditions and soil composition of the area.

The climate of the taiga is very different cold winter and relatively warm, but short summer. IN Eastern Siberia in winter the thermometer often drops to -50°C, but the most low temperature, registered in this climatic zone- minus 68 °C. Precipitation in summer is not too heavy - from 200 to 750 mm per year, in some places 1000 mm. The high humidity of the region and permafrost prevent their evaporation, so the moisture stagnates and the soil becomes waterlogged. For this reason, the taiga zone is so rich in lakes and swamps.

For the taiga landscape the most typical podzolic soils and podzols are slightly whitish in color and have a low humus content.

And only on Far East the soil is brown in color and has a high humus content. Humus is the component of soil that contains substances necessary for plant nutrition.

These circumstances left their mark on the vegetation of this region. They can withstand such spartan conditions, mostly, coniferous trees.

Broad-leaved species do not have enough heat, light, and nutrients for their development. And only small-leaved trees - aspen, alder and birch - occasionally delight the eye of a traveler wandering into the taiga wilderness.

Types of trees

Coniferous giants are usually divided into light coniferous and dark coniferous. The first category prefers good lighting, but is very frost-resistant. and are not so picky about lighting, but do not tolerate severe frosts and heat. They grow in the European part of the taiga, while light-loving pine and pine settled in the Asian region. Unlike other conifers, larch sheds its bright, soft needles in the winter, like deciduous trees.

They can gain as much as 3 kg in a day. Getting ready for hibernation(suspended), bears diligently gain weight and very carefully equip their winter “apartments”. They look for dry places, dig dens in them and cover them with moss, dry leaves and pine needles. Walking hundreds of kilometers a year in search of food, they hurry to their dens for the winter, where the females give birth to their cubs.

A typical representative of the taiga fauna are. Their weight can reach 80 kg. Developed intelligence, strong paws and powerful fangs allow them to overtake their victims, who can even exceed them in size. Wolves live in pairs, and only in the fall they gather in packs of 25-30 individuals.

Lynxes, martens, wolverines, sables, and ermines also live in taiga forests.

They also found refuge in the forest thickets of the Far East. Their number in nature is due to human encroachment into their habitat and predatory extermination by poachers. These magnificent representatives of the cat family are listed and work is underway to preserve them.

The bird world of the taiga is also diverse. Wood grouse and hazel grouse live there permanently. Many species of birds prefer to wait out cold winters in warm regions.

Land development

Taiga is called the guardian of the Earth's health, its green lungs. And this is quite understandable. Huge green forests make it possible to maintain lower layers atmosphere has sufficient oxygen concentration.

The endless taiga massifs are, first of all, huge timber reserves Very good quality. Gas and gas deposits have been discovered and are being developed here. The taiga zone is rich in reserves of graphite and mica.

For a long time, the population of the taiga lived in fur hunting, fishing, and collecting nuts and berries.

Agricultural industries are gradually conquering new spaces, moving from the south of the taiga to its northern regions. The presence of water meadows and forest pastures creates good conditions for cattle breeding.

To study and protect this unique region, a number of national parks and nature reserves, including the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve (located on the right bank).

However, the dedicated work of employees who, out of duty and the call of their hearts, strive to preserve this unique edge, can't give desired results, without the help of the local population. Only their joint efforts will enable future generations to enjoy the gifts of this region and admire its beauty.

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Eastern Siberia is a taiga region, where the taiga zone extends to the borders with Mongolia, occupying an area of ​​almost 5 million hectares. square kilometers, covers the watersheds of the Siberian Plateau, running up the steep slopes of mountain ranges and along narrow gorges, approaching the mountain peaks of the East Siberian mountains.

There are almost 4 thousand square meters. km are occupied by forests, the total wood reserves of which are simply huge!

Vegetation of the East Siberian taiga

The vegetation and soil of the taiga zone of Eastern Siberia develop under more favorable conditions than in the tundra and forest-tundra zones.

A wide variety of trees grow here: cedars, pines, fir and spruce, with aspen, alder and birch occasionally mixed in with them.

On sandy soils, something like pine forests are formed from taiga larches; on damp soils, damp larch taiga develops, which, with constant humidity, is replaced by moss and sphagnum taiga.

In drier places, lingonberry larch taiga is widespread (especially in the easternmost regions).

Of the other indigenous types, birch forests are quite widespread here (in the southern part). The closer the taiga comes to Pacific Ocean, the more often one comes across fragrant poplar among the described trees.

But what tree is the most important and basic in Eastern Siberia?

Right! This is larch!

Two out of three taiga trees necessarily belong to this incredibly amazing genus of conifers: Siberian larch and Daurian larch (Larix dahurica).

The latter grows on loams, sands, and peat bogs, growing freely on permafrost soils, since permafrost is a common occurrence in this part of the East Siberian taiga.

True, it is difficult for an inexperienced person who rarely or rarely visits the taiga forest to distinguish one type of larch from another.

Siberians adore larch for everything: for the extraordinary smell of new pine needles, for its beauty, for the hot fire in the stove, for the strength of fences and houses.

Nowadays furniture in houses is made from pressed shavings and sawdust; rarely does anyone undertake to make it from larch.

However, previously in Siberia, beds were made only from larch, since over time it becomes stronger than stone. And yet, by folk signs, bugs are afraid of the smell of larch, just as moths are afraid of cedar.

The character, location, occupation and life of the population of Eastern Siberia bear a more or less clearly expressed imprint of the influence of the taiga.

Climate and landscape of the East Siberian taiga

So special and unique, in every sense, the East Siberian taiga begins where the climate is very harsh and sharply continental.

There is less precipitation here than in the western regions, the thickness of the snow cover is small and permafrost is almost ubiquitous. Summer in the taiga is not hot, but not particularly cold either, although it is short, and winter lasts a long time with heavy snowfalls and long frosts.

The terrain is more rugged than its neighbors.

There are few swamps and are found mainly in lowlands and flat interfluves.

The East Siberian taiga is located on the territory of the basins of two largest Siberian rivers - and.

Fauna of the East Siberian taiga

The fauna of Eastern Siberia is much richer and is inhabited by such major large representatives as: wolf, wolverine, Brown bear, fox, sable, reindeer, Siberian roe deer, wild boars, lynxes, hares, squirrels, chipmunks.

In the Eastern Siberian rivers there is simply a huge amount various types fish

Of the birds: wood grouse, black grouse, hazel grouse, nutcrackers and many birds, for example, such as the Black Stork, Black Crane, Peregrine Falcon and Golden Eagle and others, are listed in the Red Book.

The East Siberian taiga offers great opportunities for long-term survival, and the abundance of dry wood makes it easier to build a camp; there will be no problems with fuel for the fire either.

Have fun travels and excursions!

The taiga biome, also known as a fascinating ecological phenomenon, encircles northern latitudes globe from North America to Eurasia. Taiga is a difficult place to live, so plants and animals must be adapted to the harsh conditions to survive. climatic conditions, soil and terrain. The soil of the boreal forest is cold, marshy and poorly suited for plant growth.

Surprisingly, there are a number of various plants, which are able to withstand long, harsh winters and the short, fleeting summers of the taiga, and they range from big trees to tiny lichens. The taiga flora plays a certain role in this unique ecosystem.

Due to tough weather conditions and climate, not many plants survive in the Taiga. The main threats to flora are forestry, Forest fires, insects and pesticides. Species composition trees of the boreal forest consists of black spruce, white spruce, banks pine, American larch, paper birch, aspen, balsam poplar, etc. Below is an expanded list of taiga plants, which includes trees, shrubs, herbs, berries, flowers and lichens growing in boreal forests.

Flora of the taiga:

Balsam fir

Balsam fir is a coniferous tree from the pine family, common in the taiga of North America. Their relatively small height and branches growing from top to bottom make balsam fir well adapted to heavy snowfalls. These trees are a favorite shelter for.

Menzies's Pseudo-tsuga

Pseudosuga Menzies, or Douglas fir, or Pseudosuga thyssolifolia is a species of coniferous trees growing in the western part of the North American continent. These evergreen trees are an incredibly valuable source of food for animals. Pseudotsuga Menzies are tall, thick-trunked trees that can grow up to 100 m in height, with a trunk diameter of 4-5 m.

White fir

White fir, also known as comb fir, European white fir and Norway fir, is a tree in the pine family, native to southern and central Europe. White fir got its name because of its light-colored bark. Tree height varies from 30 to 50 m (in in rare cases up to 60 m), and the average trunk diameter is 1.5 m.

Black spruce

Black spruce, like Pseudohemlock mensis, is a much narrower coniferous tree with drooping branches that give it a pyramid-like shape. Black spruce is a very durable tree and it has special features that are very well adapted to the difficult climatic conditions of the taiga.

Gray spruce

Gray spruce, or Canada spruce, or white spruce is an evergreen coniferous tree similar to black spruce, but with a much lighter trunk and leaves. White spruce is native to North America, where it grows from northern Alaska to Newfoundland.

Siberian spruce

Siberian spruce is a tall coniferous tree, with branches hanging down like a black spruce from top to bottom. Widely distributed in the Siberian taiga regions, it is one of the main sources of wood for the Russian logging industry.

Banks Pine

Banks pine is a species of coniferous tree in the pine family, native to Canada and the northeastern regions of the United States. Often found on mountain slopes, well adapted to drought, severe frosts and undemanding to soil.

Scots pine

Scots pine is a widespread coniferous tree in Europe and Asia, easily recognizable by its reddish-orange bark. Average height trees is 35 m and the trunk diameter is about 1 m. Scots pine is regularly used in the timber industry.

Red cedar

Juniperus virginiana is a small coniferous tree from the cypress family, growing in various climatic zones of North America from Florida to the Canadian taiga. Externally, Virginia juniper looks more like a large bush, rather than a tree.

Paper birch

Paper birch is a plant in the birch family that gets its name from its bark, which resembles paper when peeled off. IN wildlife found in the northern part of North America, and is also cultivated in Europe and Russia. These trees are used for a variety of purposes, ranging from boat building to making birch syrup.

Gmelin larch

Gmelin larch is a species of coniferous tree, a member of the pine family. It is one of the most durable trees in the world, found in most of the coldest northern regions of the planet, and is especially abundant in the Siberian taiga.

Tamarack

American larch is a coniferous tree from the pine family native to the North American taiga region. These trees love the cold and also prefer wet and swampy areas, which are available in many parts of the taiga. North American taiga regions. It is the most commonly used wood for making snowshoes.

White poplar

White poplar - fast growing deciduous tree from the willow family. Loves moisture, which is more than abundant in the taiga. The average height of the tree is 16-27 m (sometimes more), and the trunk thickness is up to 2 m.

Hemlock

Hemlocks are evergreen coniferous trees of the pine family that especially thrive in cool, humid regions of Asia and North America. The genus includes 10 species of trees, 4 of which grow in North America and 6 in Asia.

The dwarf pine, or dwarf cedar, is a low bush-like tree from the pine family, which is found in the Far East, Eastern Siberia, northeastern Mongolia, northeastern China, North Korea and Japan. Elf cedar is capable of reaching 4-5 m in height, but this can take hundreds or thousands of years (Yes! These plants can live that long!).

Willow

Don't expect to see the classic willow in the taiga, but there are many species that are adapted to harsh climates. Unlike their tall counterparts, taiga willows are usually short, and sometimes there are specimens only a few centimeters in height.

Rose hip

Rosehip is a genus of shrubby plants from the Rosaceae family. Many types of rose hips are common in temperate and subtropical zones, but there are species that prefer more northern regions. These are low plants, about 2-3 m, which are well protected by thorns from attacks by animals on the beautiful flowers.

Kalmia angustifolia

Kalmia angustifolia is an evergreen shrub plant common in the taiga. The height of the plant varies from 15 cm to 1.5 m. Kalmia angustifolia blooms in the summer, the flowers are raspberry-pink in color, and the leaves are green throughout the year.

Green alder

Green alder is a shrub tree from the birch family. Despite its name, the leaves and branches of the plant may have a reddish tint. Green alder blooms in the warm season. Widely distributed in the taiga zone of North America and Eurasia, loves regions with high humidity.

Ivan-tea angustifolia

It's small herbaceous plant loves taiga regions, which have heavy upper canopy cover, and grow among forest clearings in dark, damp places.

Cranberry

The taiga is rich in swamps and wetlands, which attracts plants such as cranberries that thrive in similar conditions.

Cowberry

Lingonberries are an integral part of the diet of many animals. This is an exceptionally hardy evergreen plant, which makes lingonberry a typical representative of the taiga flora.

Ledum

Ledum is a shrubby plant with relatively small white flowers and fuzzy leaves. Often found around wetlands.

Common waxweed

Another type of low-growing shrub that loves the humid environment of the taiga, and has a number of amazing adaptations - such as long creeping roots, which allow it to live in areas unsuitable for other flora.

Cotton grass

Cotton grass - perennial flowering plant, preferring wetlands. Distributed in the northern regions of North America, Europe, Russia and Asia.

Lichens

Trees plus moisture equals thriving lichens, and lots of lichens equals lots of happy animals! As in other ecosystems, lichens play important role in the taiga, providing valuable nutrients for animals living in the harshest climatic conditions.

Sphagnum

Sphagnum, also known as peat moss, is a genus of moss widespread in the Northern Hemisphere around bogs and boggy areas of the taiga. Peat moss is a very hardy plant that contributes to waterlogging.