The boreal forest, or taiga, is primarily composed of coniferous trees and spans a continuous belt from North America to Eurasia, characterized by a unique ecosystem influenced by water, nitrogen, and carbon cycles. Natural disasters like earthquakes can significantly disrupt this biome, leading to habitat destruction and the loss of animal populations, followed by a period of secondary succession where new plant life begins to regrow. The role of decomposing organisms and scavengers is crucial in restoring the ecosystem by providing nutrients and aiding the spread of seeds.

1. Boreal (Taiga) ForestBy: Garrett Northcutt

2. Info…I have the boreal forest (taiga) biomeThe boreal forest is mostly consisted of coniferous forest. It is a continuous belt from North America to Eurasia. A series of overlying formerly glaciated areas and areas of patchy permafrost on both continents, the forest is mosaic of succession and sub climax plant communities, used to changing environment conditions. Taiga is a Russian word for a forest which covers so much of that country.

3. Annual Precipitation & Temperature Chart

4. Biotic FactorsPinecones- Plantae Eastern Fir- Plantae Canadian Balsam- Plantae Black Spruce- Plantae Bog Spruce- Plantae Swamp Spruce- Plantae Bald Eagle- Animalia Long-Eared Owl- Animalia Wolverine- Animalia Fungus- Fungi Moss- Fungi Sedges- Fungi Moral-Fungi Protozoan’s- Protista Algae- Protista Lichen- Bacteria Soil bacteria- Bacteria PleuroziumSchreberi – Bacteria Calothrix- Bacteria Nostoc - Bacteria

5. Food Chain and WebSUNSwamp Spruce FungusBog Spruce  MossBlack Spruce Snow RabbitSnow Fox Bald Eagle LichenCanadian Balsam Snow Rabbit Bald EagleCalothrixEastern Fir Snow Rabbit WolverineNostocPinecones Snow squirrel Long-Eared OwlPleuroziumSchreberiProtozoanAlgae Soil BacteriaFood Web-EvergreenPinecones Squirrel WolverineNostoc bacteria

6. Water CycleIn the taiga biome- the water cycle is very active. It helps circulate the water in the biome to create a stable source of water. With the forests’ cold state and low growing seasons, the cycle of water is very important to help support a lively ecosystem and produce a good community of species.

7. Nitrogen CycleThe nitrogen cycle helps circulate the non usable nitrates in the ground to useable nitrogen that plants can use. If the cycle was not present, then the dead and decayed organisms would overflow the increase of useless nitrates in the soil and plants and animals would die due to the increase in nitrates. Creating these nitrates help the plants constantly have a supply of nitrogen.

8. Carbon CycleThe carbon cycle is one of the most important cycles in the boreal forest biome. With the large vegetation species, carbon is a necessity. The carbon cycle creates a wave of steady carbon that plants will always need to create their own food. Using this carbon, plants will go through photosynthesis giving off oxygen which is a necessity to all living things.

9. Affect of an EarthquakeAffects/consequences of disaster- with this natural disaster, most tall plant life will be destroyed, causing tall trees and shrubs to fall over, also in higher altitudes it would cause a possible crack in ice if any, causing flooding, or there could be an avalanche in the mountainous regions. With the loss of the habitat of trees and shrubs, and the possible damage of flooding and avalanche, the normal ecosystem of life will be affected greatly. Birds and other animals with homes in the trees have lost homes, causing them to die out or migrate away. Other animals that rely on those animals will have a loss of food and die out and lose population. In this scenario, there would be no sign of primary succession in this biome. In secondary succession, the boreal forest would look like a normal forest up to the day of the natural disaster. In this case it was an earthquake. The forest would be a densely populated forest covered in evergreen trees, with pine needles and pine cones covered the floor of the forest. Then when the earthquake hits, it would cause plant life to be uprooted, animals to be killed and scared off, and predators have a loss of food. The disaster would cause a massive disruption in the ecosystem until secondary succession took over to rebuild the root system of the biome. In rebuilding the structure, first the decomposing bacteria would go in and decompose any animals or dead plant life that litters the forest floor. Decomposing the material would cause nutrients given off from the bacteria, giving lost nutrients to the soil to help re-grow of other plants. Soon after, scavengers will go in and pick the extras out of the debris and help carry seeds and other pollen to also help recreate growth in the area. With scavengers like squirrels, the will find acorns scattered on the floor and they will bury them in what they think as a good spot. Soon, that acorn will grow into a new tree to take the old ones spot. Also, some animals that come across a pine cone will have its seeds stuck to them, which the animal will leave and spread the seeds across the deserted forest, causing another hope for new plant life. With the large trees out of the way, most of the undergrowth will have a time to thrive. With new sunlight, the grasses and shrubs will thrive out and help with fertile soil, and help create rooted areas for animals to live and regroup their population.

10. Bibliographyhttp://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Experiments/Biome/graphs.phphttp://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/taiga_plant_page.htmhttp://biomesfirst.wikispaces.com/Taiga+Factshttp://www.radford.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/taiga/taiga.htmlhttp://www.radford.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/main.html