3.2.1. Coniferous forest (boreal forest):

♤ Cold regions with high rainfall, strong seasonal climates with long winters and short summers are characterised by boreal coniferous forest

♤ This is characterised by evergreen plant species such as Spruce, fir and pine trees, etc and by animals such as the lynx, wolf, bear, red fox, porcupine, squirrel, and amphibians like Hyla, Rana, etc

♤ Boreal forest soils are characterized by thin podzols and are rather poor. Both because, the weathering of rocks proceeds slowly in cold environments and because the litter derived from conifer needle (leaf ) is decomposed very slowly and is not rich in nutrients.

♤ These soils are acidic and are mineral deficient. This is due to movement of large amount of water through the soil, without a significant counter-upward movement of evaporation, essential soluble nutrients like calcium, nitrogen and potassium which are leached sometimes beyond the reach of roots. This process leaves no alkaline oriented cations to encounter the organic acids of the accumulating litter.

♤ The productivity and community stability of a boreal forest are lower than those of any other forest ecosystem.