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A boreal ecosystem is an ecosystem with a subarctic climate located in the Northern Hemisphere, approximately between 50° and 70°N latitude. These ecosystems are commonly known as taiga and are located in parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. [1] The ecosystems that lie immediately to the south of boreal zones are often called hemiboreal ...
The vast majority of water in the taiga is freshwater, occupying lakes and rivers. Many watersheds are dominated by large rivers that dump huge amounts of freshwater into the ocean such as the Lena river in Central Siberia. This exportation of freshwater helps control the thermohaline circulation and the global climate.
The short (3–4 month) growing season in boreal forests is sustained by greater levels of rainfall than the tundra receives (between 30 and 85 cm or 12 and 33 in per year). This biome is dominated by closed canopy forests of evergreen conifers, especially spruces, fir, pine and tamarack with some diffuse-porous hardwoods.
The boreal forest/taiga supports a relatively small variety of highly specialized and adapted animals, due to the harshness of the climate. Canada's boreal forest includes 85 species of mammals , 130 species of fish, and an estimated 32,000 species of insects . [ 37 ]
The area is overcast much of the time - Kamchatka has one of the highest levels of cloud cover in the world, with precipitation averaging over 15 days per month. The peninsula is affected by the cool current in the Sea of Okhotsk to the west, and the East Kamchatka Current that flows SW down the east coast in the Pacific Ocean. [1]
This vast ecoregion is located in the heart of Siberia, stretching over 20° of latitude and 50° of longitude [1] (52° to 72° N, and 80° to 130° E). The climate in the East Siberian taiga is subarctic (the trees growing there are coniferous and deciduous) and displays high continentality, with extremes ranging from 40 °C (104 °F) to −65 °C (−85 °F) and possibly lower.
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Precipitation is a major component of the water cycle, and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the planet. Approximately 486,000 cubic kilometres (117,000 cu mi) [ 2 ] of water falls as precipitation each year; 373,000 cubic kilometres (89,000 cu mi) of it over the oceans. [ 2 ]