Ecosystems

The taiga in the world

The taiga is nowhere in the southern hemisphere, since there is no mass of mainland at the appropriate latitudes. In the northern hemisphere, instead, the taiga forms an uninterrupted belt all around the world, from Scandinavia to Asian Siberia and Canada. This biome turns south into a deciduous forest, except in the central part of the continents, where it spills over into the step. Upper north, instead, is the bleak expanse of the tundra, and the border between the taiga and the tundra is often marked by birch woodland. The taiga is the largest uninterrupted forest area on earth; its average width measures 1,500 km and covers 8% of the lands above sea level. Rainfall is poor, generally about 400-600 mm, and decreases in the far north: sometimes just about 150 mm, like in many deserts. In southern Europe ,conifer forests can be found between 1500 and 2000 metres a.s.l., and in many respects they resemble the taiga of northern plains.