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Which vegetation is known as Taiga vegetation?

seo-qna
Last updated date: 25th Jul 2024
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Answer
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Hint: Vegetation is a grouping of plant species as well as the ground cover they provide. It is a broad term that does not refer to specific taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other botanical or geographic characteristics.

Complete answer:
Taiga, also known as the boreal forest, is a biome (major life zone) of vegetation that consists primarily of cone-bearing needle-leaved or scale-leaved evergreen trees and is found in northern circumpolar forested regions with long winters and moderate to high annual precipitation.
The taiga, or "land of the little sticks" in Russian, derives its name from the collective term for Russia's northern forests, particularly those of Siberia. The taiga, also known as the boreal (meaning northern) forest region, covers approximately 17 percent of the Earth's land surface area in the far Northern Hemisphere's circumpolar belt. Beyond this point, the taiga merges with the circumpolar tundra.
The taiga is dominated by a small number of conifer species, namely pine (Pinus), spruce (Picea), larch (Larix), and fir (Abies), as well as some deciduous genera such as birch (Betula) and poplar (Populus) (Populus). These trees are capable of reaching the highest latitudes of any trees on the planet. Plants and animals in the taiga have adapted to short growing seasons with long days that range from cool to hot.
Coniferous trees, such as spruce, pine, and fir, are widespread. Coniferous trees have needles instead of broad leaves, and their seeds grow inside woody cones that protect them.
The taiga soil is deficient in nutrients.
Mosses, lichens, and mushrooms cover the taiga floor instead of shrubs and flowers.
These animals are hunted by many birds of prey, including owls and eagles, from the taiga trees.
Moose, the world's largest deer, can survive in the cold taiga.

Thus, Coniferous vegetation is also known as Taiga vegetation.

Note:
While boreal forests are typically low in biodiversity, they do support a diverse range of animals around the world. The boreal forest of Canada is home to 85 mammal species, 130 fish species, 32,000 insect species, and 300 bird species.