Types of Forest

Types of Forest

1. Taiga

   • The Northern Conifer forest biome found in Canada, Scandinavia and Russia
   • Taiga has a lower species biodiversity because the amount of energy captured from photosynthesis to drive the food web is low
   • Conifers retain their leaves all year round, allowing for annual photosynthesis. This is aided by needle-shaped leaves with waxy cuticles and stomata in grooves help to reduce water loss

2. Tropical

   • The region of the Earth within 22.5 degrees of the equator, where the Sun is overhead at some time during the year
   • Frequent rainfall, high light and temperature levels
   • Ideal conditions for growth lead to high levels of biodiversity and primary productivity

3. Temperate Deciduous

   • A temperate climate has summers and winters of roughly equal length and rarely has temperature extremes
   • Deciduous trees shed all of their leaves in the winter to reduce water loss and snow damage. Examples include oak, maple, beech, elm and ash
   • Good primary production levels, resulting in good biodiversity

4. All forests are usually climax communities - the community left at the end of primary ecological succession