Trees characteristic of the taiga. What trees grow in the taiga. Types of taiga forests

The flora of the taiga amazes with its enormous diversity; here you can find trees, shrubs, and herbs. It is not for nothing that the taiga has earned the “title” of the green lungs of our planet. It is taiga plants that largely provide balance carbon dioxide and oxygen on Earth.

Let's take a closer look at the plants of the taiga.

Taiga: what is this?

The taiga forest is huge ecosystem, whose geographical location is the north of Eurasia, the North American continent and Scandinavia.

Mostly, vegetable world presented precisely coniferous plants, although there are many deciduous trees: aspen, rowan, birch, alder. The taiga cannot be called a place with favorable conditions, which is why its inhabitants - both animals and plants - have to adapt to the harsh, unkind climate.

The evergreen taiga is heterogeneous; within it there are:

• light coniferous (includes larch and pine);
• dark coniferous (spruce, fir and cedar grow here).

Due to the fact that there are a lot of swamps in the taiga, there is ample space for mosses and lichens. There are also bushes. What plants are most typical for taiga places?

Coniferous representatives

Deciduous trees

Shrubs

Shrubs

Interesting! In taiga forests you can also find shrubs that are traditionally perceived as garden shrubs: raspberries, rose hips.

All plants and animals that nature has “settled” in taiga forests are frost-resistant and have a good root system that can develop in cold or marshy soils. That's why there are so many here coniferous plants, since needles are special shape leaves, helping to reduce moisture evaporation.

Taiga forests, forests of the taiga zone, are characteristic of the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The main climatic features of the taiga forest area are long, cold winters with stable snow cover, a relatively small amount of precipitation in lowland conditions and its increase in mountainous conditions. In the north, taiga forests border on forest-tundra, in the south - on coniferous-deciduous forests. Taiga forests are common in Asian and European parts Russia, Scandinavian countries, in North America, both in flat and mountain conditions. The overwhelming majority of taiga forests in the European territory of Russia and in Western Siberia located on flat areas. Mountain taiga forests predominate in Eastern Siberia and the Far East. In general, taiga forests occupy about 90% of the forest area of ​​the Russian Federation.The predominant indigenous species in taiga forests are conifers. Therefore, the taiga zone is also called the zone coniferous forests. Small-leaved forests (mainly birch and aspen) in most of the taiga zone are derivatives; they appeared in place of coniferous forests as a result of fires and concentrated logging. Indigenous types of small-leaved forests are rare. According to the structure and productivity, taiga forests are divided into several subzones in the latitudinal direction. The northernmost is a subzone of sparse taiga, where coniferous stands of a very low quality class grow, with low canopy density and tundra-like vegetation cover. In the north of this subzone, the taiga turns into forest-tundra. To the south of the sparse taiga subzone is the northern taiga, which is characterized by more closed coniferous forests of quality classes IV-V, growing on gleyed podzols. The middle taiga subzone is characterized by closed stands of trees, mostly of quality class III. The soils are typical podzols. The south of the taiga zone is occupied by the southern taiga subzone. Coniferous stands of II-I quality classes predominate here. The participation of small-leaved species in the upper canopy is typical; sometimes there are native plantings of small-leaved species. The soil cover is represented by podzolic and soddy-podzolic soils. There are no clearly defined geographical boundaries between taiga forest subzones.

But approximately in the European part of Russia, the northern parts of the Arkhangelsk and Murmansk regions, the Komi and Karelia republics are classified as sparse taiga and northern taiga forests. Middle taiga forests are concentrated mainly in the southern parts of the republics of Karelia and Komi, the northern parts of the Vologda, Kirov, and Leningrad regions. The subzone of southern taiga forests covers Kostroma, southern part Vologda, most Leningradskaya, northern parts of Novgorod, Tverskaya, Yaroslavl regions, Udmurt Republic, central part Kirov region In the western part of the northern taiga European Russia Pine forests predominate; in the eastern part - spruce forests with an admixture of fir. In the Komi Republic and Arkhangelsk region. Larch also grows, but does not form large tracts here, being an admixture in the pine and spruce forests. Small areas are occupied by Siberian pine. In the southern taiga subzone there is approximately an equal ratio of pine and spruce forests. In Siberia, S. F. Kurnaev distinguishes 3 large provinces based on the nature of forest vegetation: West Siberian, Central Siberian, East Siberian. In the West Siberian province the northernmost flat part is a rare taiga dominated by Siberian larch and the participation of Siberian spruce. To the south is the northern taiga zone with a predominance of Siberian pine and the participation of Siberian spruce, and in some places Siberian larch. The middle taiga zone is represented by mixed plantings of Siberian pine, spruce and Siberian fir, and the southern taiga - Siberian fir with the participation of cedar pine and Siberian spruce. The Central Siberian province is characterized by a more severe climate and deep permafrost. The most cold-resistant species dominates here - Dahurian larch, which most often forms pure stands. Dark coniferous species - spruce, fir, Siberian pine - are found as a small admixture. In an even more severe continental climate Dahurian larch also dominates on permafrost soils in the East Siberian province. If in the European North pine, spruce, and birch grow along the northern border of forests, then in Siberia - larch. The harsh climatic conditions of the Central Siberian and East Siberian provinces, a small layer of thawing soil predetermine the low productivity of plantings.

The taiga forests of the Far East are characterized by a large variety of forest formations and species composition of trees and shrubs. This is explained by the very large amplitude climatic conditions in the latitudinal direction and vertical zonation of mountain taiga forests. The most extensive forest formation in the Far East is larch forests. The participation of larch in forest landscapes increases from south to north, where it dominates. Forests are formed by several types of larch - Daurian, Okhotsk, Olginskaya, and Primorskaya. Spruce-fir forests are widespread. The main forest-forming species here is Ayan spruce, which is usually accompanied by white fir. Ayan spruce is a valuable tree species with high physical and mechanical properties of wood; According to these indicators, fir is significantly inferior to spruce. Spruce-fir forests are concentrated mainly on mountain slopes from 400-500 to 1000-1200 m above sea level. seas. In flat areas they move far to the north. A typical forest species of the Far East is Korean pine (Korean cedar). The mountain taiga forests of Siberia and the Far East are characterized by vertical zoning, which corresponds to the zonality in the latitudinal direction of lowland forests. Thus, the upper mountain belt with the most severe climatic conditions in terms of rock composition and productivity of plantings is an analogue of the northern subzone of the taiga on the plain, the middle and southern mountain belts are respectively identical to the middle and southern taiga on the plain. The upper limit of taiga forests varies significantly depending on climatic conditions: the more favorable they are, the higher the limit. Thus, in the most severe climate of the north of Eastern Siberia it is 800-900 m, in the Sikhote-Alin mountains - 1300-1400 m, in the Western Sayan mountains - 1900-2000 m, in the southern regions of the Republic of Tyva - 2100-2400 m above sea level. seas.

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 the taiga forest there are also bright clearings overgrown with bushes, berries, 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 building 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 climates. 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 wet soils. Cedar wood is strong, thin-layered, but soft and light, with 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, based on the experience of their colleagues from western regions countries 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 fills with water during the monsoon rains. In fertile soil, the root system of grapes develops well at first, but as soon as waterlogging begins, it suffocates. 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, kozyanta (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 to be consumed fresh, but they have medicinal properties and a pleasant aroma, and this has attracted a lot of attention to it. 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 fresh 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 trees dominate much of this climate zone, this is fir, spruce, pine, and many others. Despite the fact that most people associate 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. The famous medicine turpentine is obtained from this tree. The content of essential oils in elfin wood is twice as high 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 a 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.

Home > Taiga articles > Taiga forests. Taiga plants

Boreal taiga forests are the largest ecosystem in northern Eurasia, North America and Scandinavia. Taiga plants are represented mainly coniferous trees, mosses, lichens and small shrubs, but taiga is different. There are several types of boreal taiga forest, in which certain plants predominate. Taiga forests are divided into light-coniferous taiga, dominated by pine and larch, and dark-coniferous taiga, dominated by spruce, Siberian cedar, and fir. The taiga soil is soddy-podzolic and acidic.

Let's look at the main plants of the taiga, which in some way can be useful to a traveler, hermit or commercial hunter.

First, let's look at the habitat of these plants:

We see that coniferous forests spread across almost the entire north of the land. On my own behalf I would like to add that mountain ranges are also covered with taiga European Alps, Carpathians, Rocky Mountains of North America, which is not shown in the diagram.

Coniferous trees of taiga forests

Siberian spruce

The most important representative of the taiga. The basis of the dark coniferous taiga, which has become its symbol. Most often, spruce grows in mixed forests, but is often the main forest former. Spruce wood is used in logging and is suitable for construction, although a little worse than pine wood. A spruce cone appears at the age of 15 to 50 years, depending on the place of growth. The interval between harvests is 3-5 years. Needles and cones are rich in vitamin C and others useful substances, they also contain a lot of essential oils. The needles secrete phytoncides that play an antibacterial role.

Scots pine

Pine forest

Scots pine, along with spruce, is widespread in Russia. The basis of the light-coniferous taiga. Pine wood is widely used in construction; due to its high resin content, it is one of the best natural building materials in the taiga zone. The resin has a very pleasant smell and is used for distilling tar, turpentine, and rosin. Previously, resins were widely used in shipbuilding and other construction projects that required the preservative properties of pine. The needles contain vitamin C and other beneficial substances.

Fir

I call fir the most affectionate tree of the dark coniferous taiga due to the fact that its needles are very soft and do not prick at all. Fir paws are good to use for bedding if you spend the night in the forest without a tent or foam mat. I also prefer to drink tea with brewed needles. The tea turns out aromatic, although without vitamins, since vitamins are destroyed when heated. Fir wood is little used and is poorly suited for construction.

Fir is more of a medicinal tree than a building material. Fir resin can be used to cover wounds: it has an antiseptic effect and promotes their rapid healing. Fir oil is widely used in cosmetics.

Siberian cedar

I already have an article about Siberian cedar. Let me just say that this is the most noble tree of the dark coniferous taiga. Pine nuts are highly valued due to their rich composition of nutrients. The presence of pine trees in the taiga indicates the presence of fur in it, which is another important factor. Cedar wood is used in construction and carpentry. It has a reddish tint and a pleasant smell. The wood is less resinous than pine wood. Cedar lives up to 800 years. The growing season is 40-45 days a year. The cones ripen within 14-15 months. Each cone contains from 30 to 150 nuts. Cedar begins to bear fruit on average after 60 years, sometimes later.

Larch

Larch forest, Yakutia

Larch is the hardiest tree in the taiga zone. It grows in mixed forests, but most often, due to its resistance to frost, larch forms a monoforest - larch. Larch can withstand frosts of -70°C, and even more. The needles are annual, not at all prickly, soft. Larch loves light areas of the area, so it is very difficult to find it in dark coniferous forests. As a rule, these will be solitary trees or monoleaf forests. Larch wood is very dense due to the short growing season. She has many rings. Thin wood can be very old age. Very well suited for construction, it is a desirable material for making the first crowns of taiga winter huts. Wood is not afraid of moisture and rots very slowly. Contains a lot of resin.

Deciduous taiga trees and shrubs

Birch

The most popular representative of deciduous trees in the taiga forest.

Distributed everywhere. Present in almost all mixed forests of northern latitude. Almost all parts of this tree are widely used. Wood is used for construction, crafts, and carpentry. Tar is extracted from the bark and made various items, it burns well. In the spring, birch sap, rich in vitamins and sugars, is extracted from living birch trees. Buds and leaves are used in medicine.

Aspen

Another representative of deciduous species in the taiga. Aspen is a relative of poplar; their bark can even be confused. Used for landscaping settlements as a fast-growing tree. The bark is used for tanning leather. It is used to produce yellow and green paint. Bees collect pollen from aspen flowers in April, and glue from the blossoming buds, which is processed into propolis. It is used in the construction of houses, used as roofing material (in Russian wooden architecture, church domes were covered with aspen planks), in the production of plywood, cellulose, matches, containers and other things. Young growth is winter food for moose, deer, hares and other mammals. Is medicinal plant. Aspen has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitussive, choleretic and anthelmintic effects. The combination of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties in aspen bark makes it promising in the complex treatment of tuberculosis, smallpox, malaria, syphilis, dysentery, pneumonia, cough of various origins, rheumatism and inflammation of the mucous membrane Bladder. An aqueous extract of aspen bark is used to treat opisthorchiasis.

Green alder

From the Berezov family. In the north it is a small shrub, in the south it is a tree about 6 m in height. Distributed in the taiga zone, less common than birch and aspen. Grows on wet soils. Bark and leaves provide dye for animal skins. Practically not used in everyday life. It is food for moose and serves as a refuge for game animals.

Linden

In the taiga forest, this guest is quite rare; it grows mainly in the south, in the central part of Russia, here and there in Western Siberia and in the Amur taiga. Wood is widely used in carpentry and joinery; it lends itself well to processing due to its softness. Medicines are made from some parts of the linden tree, and it is also an excellent honey plant. Basts, bast shoes, and mats are made from the bark of the tree (bast).

Rowan

Widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia and North America. It grows everywhere in the taiga. The use of rowan is small. The berries are eaten, rowan is a honey plant, and carpentry is made from the wood. The berries are used in folk medicine as an antiscorbutic, hemostatic, diaphoretic, diuretic, choleretic, laxative and as a remedy for headaches. Fresh rowan fruits have a bitter taste, but the first frosts lead to the destruction of the bitter glycoside sorbic acid - and the bitterness disappears.

The fruits of the most famous variety of rowan (nevezhinskaya), containing up to 9% sugar, have a sweet taste even before frost.

Juniper

A small shrub that grows everywhere in the taiga.

It also grows in the mountains of Nepal, Bhutan, and Pakistan. The fruits are cones and contain sugars, organic acids and microelements. Juniper is widely used in folk medicine due to its high content of phytoncides. Used in treatment various diseases, such as tuberculosis, kidney disease, bronchitis, etc.

Cedar elfin wood

It grows in relatively mountainous areas, on the border of taiga and tundra. It grows on stones, very slowly, and lives up to 250 years. The resin of dwarf cedar is rich in various substances. Turpentine is obtained from resin, which is an antiseptic, diuretic, causing skin hyperemia, and anthelmintic. Used to treat kidneys and bladder. Nuts are rich in nutrients and are in no way inferior to their older brother - Siberian cedar. Previously, pine needles were used as an antiscorbutic remedy; it also contains more carotene than carrots.

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cedar spruce fir birch aspen rowan Pine Spruce Birch Aspen Rowan)))) The basis of plant life in the taiga is coniferous trees.
In general, the vegetation of the taiga is very diverse. The entire territory can be divided into three parts. In the northern part of the taiga there are low-growing trees, most of them are spruce and pine. The middle part is characterized by spruce and blueberry forests, and in the southern part one can observe the most diverse vegetation. There is little light in the forest, so the low amount of undergrowth is understandable. In some places whole glades of green moss grow. In addition to trees, shrubs, such as juniper, currants, and honeysuckle, also grow in the taiga. Closer to the south, lingonberry and blueberry bushes are found in the forest. In the taiga in the Urals grow trees such as cedar, rhododendron, fir and some valuable deciduous trees. Coniferous trees. Coniferous trees. Coniferous trees.
In general, the vegetation of the taiga is very diverse. The entire territory can be divided into three parts. In the northern part of the taiga there are low-growing trees, most of them are spruce and pine. The middle part is characterized by spruce and blueberry forests, and in the southern part one can observe the most diverse vegetation. There is little light in the forest, so the low amount of undergrowth is understandable. In some places whole glades of green moss grow. In addition to trees, shrubs, such as juniper, currants, and honeysuckle, also grow in the taiga. Closer to the south, lingonberry and blueberry bushes are found in the forest.

In the taiga in the Urals, trees such as cedar, rhododendron, fir and some valuable deciduous trees grow. Just conifers - fir, cedar, spruce, pine, larch. The basis of the plant life of the taiga is coniferous trees.
In general, the vegetation of the taiga is very diverse. The entire territory can be divided into three parts. In the northern part of the taiga there are low-growing trees, most of them are spruce and pine. The middle part is characterized by spruce and blueberry forests, and in the southern part one can observe the most diverse vegetation. There is little light in the forest, so the low amount of undergrowth is understandable. In some places whole glades of green moss grow. In addition to trees, shrubs, such as juniper, currants, and honeysuckle, also grow in the taiga. Closer to the south, lingonberry and blueberry bushes are found in the forest. In the taiga in the Urals, trees such as cedar, rhododendron, fir and some valuable deciduous trees grow. What animals and plants are there in the taiga? I urgently need 15. I need 15 urgently. There are pears, apple trees and plums growing in the garden. There are 147 trees in total. There are three times more apple trees than plum trees and 28 more than pear trees. What trees grow in a coniferous forest? Which trees grow in a coniferous forest and which in a broad-leaved forest? Why broadleaf forests almost devoid of undergrowth? what trees are there in winter.

Vast and dense coniferous forests, stretching for many hundreds of kilometers and covering a vast area in a wide strip in the northern part of Europe, Asia and North America, are called taiga. In the north it is adjacent to the tundra or forest-tundra; in the south the taiga is replaced by a zone mixed forests, and in Western Siberia it borders on forest-steppe.

The climate of the taiga is harsh - with very cold winters and warm, but... short summer. In July average temperature is 10C, sometimes rises to 20C. In January, the average temperature in North America reaches -30C, and in Eastern Siberia -50C, the absolute minimum is -68C. Precipitation amounts to 300 - 600 mm per year, mostly in summer. The soils in the taiga are poor, infertile, and podzolic. Harsh winters lead to the fact that the soil freezes quite deeply, and during the short summer it does not have time to thaw. In many places in the Siberian taiga, under the top, slightly thawed layer, there is a layer permafrost.

The taiga is monotonous and dull. Only pine, cedar, spruce, fir and larch are all its coniferous species. They are occasionally mixed with birch, alder and aspen, and noble poplar is found in Eastern Siberia. Gloomy coniferous forest occupies a huge endless space, it seems there is no end to it. The soil in the taiga is covered with a carpet of moss and dead wood. Only occasionally in the darkness of the forest are there significant areas of cheerful birch trees. And so an endless forest stretches for thousands of kilometers, a forest that has neither end nor edge. It either spreads along swampy lowlands, then covers gently sloping mountains and hills with a closed cover, or climbs rocky ridges. This infinity and monotony constitute characteristic feature the largest forest in the world called taiga.

Due to the harsh climate, broad-leaved tree species such as oak, maple, linden, and ash cannot grow in the taiga. In a short time summer time they do not have time to develop leaves, flowers, and seeds. Only small-leaved tree species - aspen and birch - manage to use summer time. Coniferous trees are absolutely adapted to the conditions of the taiga: spruce, pine, Siberian cedar, fir and larch.

The taiga contains small-leaved tree species: gray alder, birch, aspen. Forests consisting of small-leaved tree species grow in the taiga, as a rule, at the site of clearing of coniferous trees or at the site of burnt-out coniferous forests. Small-leaved tree species are more light-loving species than conifers and, without human intervention, always give way to fir and spruce trees.
Broad-leaved species are not found in the taiga; only in the European part of the southern and middle parts of the taiga can occasionally be found individual small areas of broad-leaved forests.

Taiga, based on soil and climatic conditions, is divided into the following types: light-coniferous taiga, dark-coniferous taiga and pine forests. The largest area of ​​the taiga is occupied by dark coniferous taiga. In such a forest, eternal twilight reigns, gray lichen covers the lower branches and trunks of coniferous trees, and there is dead wood all around. Half-rotten and fallen trees create impassable rubble, the ground is covered with carpets of lichen and moss. In the forest you can occasionally find bright clearings overgrown with tall grasses, shrubs and berries. In the dark coniferous taiga grow: common spruce, Siberian cedar, Siberian fir.

Spruce. All types of spruce trees are distinguished by tall, sometimes reaching 60 meters, erect trunks; branches covered with thick needles practically touch the ground, giving the trees a cone-shaped shape. Spruce trees have prickly, hard, short needles that sometimes stay on the branches for up to 12 years. In autumn, after flowering, cones ripen, the length of which is 10 - 15 cm; in winter, the seeds from them fall off and the cones fall off. By the age of 10, the spruce reaches a height of only 2 meters, but in subsequent years it grows much faster and by the age of 60 reaches 30 meters. The age of spruce is 300 years, sometimes 600. It grows on fertile loamy and moderately moist soils.

Siberian fir. The tree trunk is straight, has a narrow conical shape, its needles are thick and dark green, lives up to 250 years, grows up to 40 meters. Externally, fir is very similar to spruce, but has several differences: the trunk is covered with smooth and blackish-gray bark, the needles are longer than those of spruce, flat and soft. The needles stay on the branches for up to 10 years.

Siberian cedar. Representative of the genus of pines. True cedars grow in countries where warm climate. Siberian cedar reaches the size of spruce and Siberian fir, but a dense crown appears only in open spaces. Lives up to 800 years, the trunk reaches two meters in diameter. Cedar needles are long (up to 13 cm), triangular, grow in bunches, and stay on shoots for up to 6 years.

Based on the number of needles in a bunch, trees of the genus pine are two-, three-, and five-coniferous. Siberian cedar and dwarf cedar are five-coniferous pines, and Scots pine is two-coniferous. Siberian cedar grows best in rich loamy and moderately moist soils.

Siberian cedar is famous for its seeds, they are also called pine nuts. After flowering, cedar cones ripen by the end of autumn of the second year. In some years, a lot of cones ripen and the tops of the trees break under their weight, hence the cedar often has several tops.

Spruces, firs and cedars are shade-tolerant trees; young trees grow under the cover of old trees. The crowns of the trees close together and form a dense canopy that blocks the wind. There is silence and twilight in the forest with old coniferous trees.
In the dark coniferous taiga, in addition to dark coniferous trees, there are: pine, larch, birch; in the south of the taiga you can find oak, linden, Norway maple, and gray alder. The bushes grow willow, juniper, currants, and in the southern part - rowan and hazel. The grass cover contains ferns, mosses, blueberries, lingonberries, some types of grasses and sedges. Plant roots are entwined with fungal hyphae.

The taiga part of Russia is characterized by the presence pine forests, the main tree of which is Scots pine.

Scots pine. One of the unpretentious tree species. It grows both in the warm south and in the harsh conditions of the north. It grows both on poor podzolic soils and on peat bogs and dry sands, and grows best on sandy loam (rich) soils, where pine forms the purest pine forests - these pines have the most valuable wood. By the age of one hundred years, Scots pine reaches a height of 40 meters. The pine crown is low, has a whorled type of branching (the branches on the trunk are located in the same horizontal plane). The needles stay on the branches from 2 to 7 years. After flowering, the cones ripen after 18 months and fall off after 2 years. Pine seeds, like the seeds of cedar, spruce, and fir, have lionfish, due to which they are carried by the wind over long distances. Pine grows up to 250 years, sometimes up to 400. The pine trunk is covered with thick dark gray bark, and higher up to the top the bark has a red-yellow color. Pine is a light-loving plant and does not tolerate shade. Bearberry, blueberry, and lingonberry are found in the grassy cover of the pine forest.

Light-coniferous taiga occupies a significant territory of Eastern Siberia, which is characterized by a sharply continental and dry climate. Winters here are very harsh, and summers are short and very hot. A layer of permafrost approaches close to the surface of the earth.
The main tree of the light-coniferous taiga is larch.

Larch (Daurian larch, Sukachev larch, Siberian larch). It grows quickly and reaches 30 meters by the age of one hundred years. It is believed that larch can grow up to 700 years. It differs from other coniferous trees in that it completely sheds its needles in the winter. Larch needles are soft, have a bright green color with a bluish bloom, grow in large bunches (up to 60 needles) on short shoots, and singly on long shoots. In autumn, the needles become lemon-yellow. The cones ripen in one summer and open only the following spring. The cones fall off the trees after a few years. The wood does not rot, but is very heavy in weight. Larch is a light-loving tree; it is not picky about climate and soil. The main species of the Yakut and East Siberian taiga is Daurian larch. The root system has well-developed lateral roots, thanks to which it has the ability to feed, despite the fact that there is a layer of permafrost only 10 -15 cm from the surface of the earth. In addition to larch, the light-coniferous taiga contains: spruce, pine, cedar, fir, and birch.