Page 200 - Super Earth Encyclopedia

WINTER CHILL

BOREAL FOREST

Between the northern temperate regions and the
icy Arctic lies the boreal forest zone—a huge swath
of mainly evergreen trees. Also known as the taiga
forest, it survives some of the lowest temperatures
on Earth outside Antarctica. Most of the trees are
conifers such as spruces and pines. They have tough
needle-shaped leaves that can withstand freezing,
and are always ready to soak up the energy of the
Sun whenever it shines. Beneath the trees, the ground
is often waterlogged and boggy with streams and
pools that freeze over in winter.

AROUND THE WORLD

The Boreal forest, or taiga,
ARCTIC
spans most of Scandinavia,
ASIA Russia, Siberia, Alaska, and
EUROPE Canada. At its northern fringes,
NORTH the trees give way to Arctic
AMERICA AFRICA
tundra. There is no boreal forest
Equator in the Southern Hemisphere
SOUTH AUSTRALASIA
AMERICA because there is very little land
at the right latitude between
the equator and Antarctica.
ANTARCTIC

ICY DEFENSES
The animals that live in the
boreal forest have to be tough
to survive the harsh winters.
Beavers survive by storing
food in ponds. These freeze
over, which keeps the food
fresh. The beavers dam
LIVING EARTH deeper and build their homes
streams to make the ponds

in the middle, where they are
safe from predators such as
wolves. When the water
freezes over, the beavers

198 stay hidden beneath the ice.

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