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Northern Coniferous 
Forest 
Olivia Doyle
 Conifers are gymnosperms that exhibit a 
characteristic cone shape in their reproductive 
structures. 

WELCOME TO THE N
​ ORTHERN CONIFEROUS FOREST 

Rich with dense groves of evergreen trees, sparkling rivers and inviting lakes, the coniferous 
forest is one for the nature-lover. Experience nature in its purest form, surrounded by native 
species of moss, elk, snowshoe hares, moose, and even reindeer. Hike through the dense 
forest and become one with 
your beautiful surroundings. 

The coniferous forest is 

prominent in the northern parts 
of the world, including Canada, 
Maine, Finland, Sweden, and 
Norway. The green parts on the 
map to the right display the main 
areas of coniferous production. 

Biotic Factors 
Biotic factors include any living part of the ecosystem. In 
the coniferous forest, this would include animals such as 
moose, reindeer, caribou, snowshoe hares, bears, owls, 
foxes, wolves, lynxes, and racoons. Typical plant species 
include coniferous trees such as evergreens, spruces, pines 
and fir trees. The abundance of trees provides habit and 
shelter for animals.  
 Abiotic Factors: 
Abiotic factors are parts of the ecosystem that are nonliving and affect living organisms. 
These factors include light, altitude, abundant precipitation, cool temperature, and water 
sources. The coniferous forest does not receive intense solar radiation as the sun is never 
directly overhead. 
Coniferous forests make up ​one-third​ of the world’s forests. 

Climate: 
The climate of the coniferous forest is 
characterized by long and cold winters, 
high precipitation, and well-defined 
seasons. Moist and mild air from the 
Pacific causes the high amount of annual 
rainfall. Their summers are warm and 
humid. Average annual rainfall is from 
300 mm (11.8 in) to 900 mm (35.4 in) a 
year. The temperature ranges from -40 
degrees C to 20 degrees C. Because the 
sun is never directly overhead, solar 
energy is not intense. To the right is 
annual temperature & precipitation data 
from a coniferous forest in Alberta, Canada. Its climate is significant because it is estimated 
by scientists that Earth would be cooler without the coniferous forest biome.  

Flora: 
T​he flora tend to have short growing seasons of long days. The most prominent flora
of the coniferous forest include the coniferous trees, such as evergreens, spruces, pines, and 
firs. These trees display an adaptation to their environment in their needle-like leaves, 
which have a waxy coat that prevent water loss in cold temperatures. Additionally, their 
branches are flexible and point downwards so that snow slides easily off them. There is an 
abundance and diversity of mosses, with ⅓ of the ground cover made up of mosses. The 
fireweed plant exhibits a helpful adaptation to the forest, in that it is able to colonize and 
proliferate in recently burned areas. Vascular plants of the forest include the lingonberry 
and the baneberry.  

Pine trees (above) are a type of conifer. 

The fireweed plant can easily recover after forest fires. 

Fauna: 
Animals of the coniferous forest include moose, wolves, reindeer, caribou, and bears. Bears 
adapt to this biome by hibernating when temperatures drop. Birds native to the biome 
include thrushes, woodpeckers, warblers, and flycatchers. There are very few cold-blooded 
vertebrates (like frogs and snakes) because of the extremely cold temperatures in the 
winter. The snowshoe hare is particularly suited to the environment with its camouflage 
coat that undergoes change throughout the year depending on the season. In addition, its 
feet are large in proportion to its body to allow the hare to walk over the snow with ease.  
 

The reindeer (left) and the snowshoe hare (right).  

 
Symbiotic Relationships: 
Relationships between biotic and abiotic factors are essential in the success of an 
ecosystem. A particularly important symbiotic relationship in the coniferous forest is the 
mutualistic relationship between algae and fungi, which form lichen. Fungi provide nutrients 
and water to the algae, while the algae produce food for the fungi through photosynthesis, 
resulting in a benefit for both organisms. Fungi also form a mutualistic relationship with 
trees by colonizing its roots, producing minerals for the tree. An example of a commensalist 
relationship is the Great Grey owl’s relation to the tree- it takes shelter in the tree, without 
harming or helping it.  
 
Food Web: 
   

 
Fun Facts: 
● The taiga (coniferous forest) is the world’s largest biome
● The biome represents 29% of the world’s forest cover
● The lowest recorded temperatures in the northern hemisphere were recorded in the
taiga of northern Russia
● Only 12% of the coniferous forest is protected around the world, with 30%
designated for industrial development and energy

Works Cited
“Coniferous Forest Biome.” ​Untamed Science​,
www.untamedscience.com/biology/biomes/coniferous-forest-biome/​.

“Coniferous Forests: Location, Temperature, Precipitation, Plants and Animals.” ​Conserve

Energy Future​, 25 Dec. 2016, ​www.conserve-energy-future.com/coniferous-forest.php​.

Heimbuch, Jaymi. “30 Fascinating Facts about the Boreal Forest.” ​TreeHugger​, Treehugger, 5
Feb. 2018,
www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/30-fascinating-facts-about-the-boreal-forest.html​.

Juday, Glenn Patrick. “Taiga.” ​Encyclopædia Britannica​, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 5 Jan.
2018, ​www.britannica.com/science/taiga​.

The Princeton Review: Cracking the AP Biology Exam, 2018​. Penguin Random House, 2017.