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Coniferous Forests
Climate, Soils, Vegetation, Human Impact
Author:
Syed Ali
Edu Level: Unit2
Date: Aug 8 2025 - 8:37 PM
⏱️Read Time: 1 min
Coniferous Forests
Location
- 60° N and poleward in Northern Hemisphere
- Found in Canada, Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska, high altitudes in temperate zones, and S. Chile
Climate: Cold Temperate Interior
- Very cold winters (down to –30°C), short cool summers
- Low precipitation, mostly snow
- High wind speeds; blizzards and strong windchill
Vegetation
- Evergreen conifers dominate; photosynthesis can occur year-round
- NPP ~800 g/m²/year
- Adaptations:
-
- Conical shape sheds snow
- Pine needles with thick cuticle reduce transpiration
- Resinous bark and shallow roots
- Seeds protected in cones
Soil: Podzol
- Formed via podzolisation – acidic, leached soils
- A horizon: grey, sandy, lacking nutrients due to eluviation
- B horizon: organic matter + iron/aluminium sesquioxides → forms hardpan
- Thin leaf litter due to slow decay of pine needles
- Precipitation > evapotranspiration → waterlogged soils, poor for farming
Human Impact
- Deforestation:
-
- Logging for timber, paper, and development (roads, resorts, ski slopes)
- Leads to habitat loss, reduced NPP, soil erosion, and fragmentation
- Air Pollution:
-
- Emissions from industry cause acid rain → damages trees, soils, and aquatic systems
- Poaching:
-
- Illegal hunting reduces species population, disrupts food webs
- Climate Change:
-
- Thaws permafrost, alters species migration, affects conifer survival in southern ranges
