Coniferous forest cover about a tenth of the world's land. In the the far north, they form a vast ring around the tundra and the north pole.
CLIMATE

 Because coniferous forests exist in a range of regions around the world, their climates depend on their location.

  • Temperate coniferous forests are found in areas with temperate weather: plenty of rainfall, cool winters, and warm summers.
  • Tropical and sub tropical coniferous forest are found in areas with tropical latitudes, making their climates more humid.
  • Boreal forest (taiga) is a forest biome that spans from Siberia to Canada, and has extremely cold winters, with summers ranging from mild to extremely hot.




Precipitation

As with any forest or environment that grows plants, water is a basic requirement. Levels of precipitation will be different from region to region, but all coniferous forests require enough rainfall to sustain and promote tree growth.
  • Temperate: Precipitation amounts will range based on location. Typical average amounts are about 300-900 mm (12-35 in.) but some areas can see as much as 2,000 mm (78 in.) of rain a year.
  • Tropical: With higher humidity amounts there is typically more overall precipitation in a tropical area. Some areas have “wet seasons,” which is when rainfall exceeds 60 mm (2.4 in) or more in a month.
  • Boreal: Due to extreme cold temperatures in the winter, these areas typically see most of their rainfall in the summer, with amounts ranging from 300-800 mm (12-30 in) a year

Temperature

  • Temperatures vary based on the location of the forest, but typically fall into these categories dependent on climate:
    • Temperate: These areas have moderate temperatures, but experience seasonal changes. Depending on location, some temperate areas may have overall colder temperatures – such as parts of Russia – or greater amounts of rainfall – such as London.
    • Tropical: Found in tropical locations, with a warm and humid climate. Temperatures are hot, with the requirement being that the average temperature year-round is 18 °C (64 °F) or higher.
    • Boreal: The temperature changes in the boreal coniferous forests are by far the most extreme, with winters averaging -54° to -1°C (-65° to 30°F) and summers -7° to 21°C (20° to 70°F), although both seasons can experience far colder or hotter temperatures any given year


INTERESTING FACTS......
  • These forests boast of many redwood species, including the giant Sequoia – the largest and longest living life form in the world
  • Conifers are considered to be the primary source of the commercial softwood timber required for production of paper
  • The northwestern coniferous forest, spread across the northwestern regions of the United States,  is characterized by lush green vegetation, earning it the name ‘temperate rain forest’