Hunting the Wild Taiga Dirt and Preserving the Delicate Ecological Balance
Soil
Soil in the sub-arctic Taiga rests on top of a layer of permafrost in some areas and bedrock in others. Both foundations trap water in the upper layers of shallow soil. This trapped moisture can form bogs, called muskegs. Moss, short grasses, and at times even tree can grow in these spongy areas.
Because of the shallow nature of the usable soil, and the lack of concentrated nutrients, the Taiga supports conifer forests. These tree have shallow but very broad root systems that enable them to grow closer to the surface and to spread out for nourishment. They also share a symbiotic relationship with fungi that helps them extract more nutrients from the sparse soil.
The forest floor supports mosses, lichens and fungus. Each are well-adapted to negotiate the poor quality of the taiga soil. Mosses are able to absorb nutrients and water through their surfaces (leaves) rather than drawing water from the soil through a root system as vascular plants do. Instead, somewhat like a sponge, they absorb and spread water from their surface through the plant, thus making them less dependent on nutrients from the soil.
Lichen can prosper in spite of the Taiga’s unfriendly soil because it is a symbiotic relationship between fungus and algae. Fungi in lichen, rather than being dependent on soil to deliver nutrients can harvest them from the co-existing algae, which are producers (creating their own food through photosynthesis). In return, the Fungi provide a protective environment for the algae, so it is not dependent on soil quality to be successful. This partnership allows both species to thrive on hard, nearly impenetrable surfaces.
As mentioned earlier, fungi also form symbiotic relationships with conifers in order to survive the harsh soil. As decomposers, fungi breakdown nutrients from dead conifers and in doing so, enrich the soil by recycling the nutrients for the trees.
Drunken Forests
The nature of the Taiga soil also produces what some have nicknamed Drunken Forests. Sometimes, layers of permafrost thaw and cause the ground to sag. Shallow-rooted conifers are drawn toward the resulting depressions and lean. The effect suggests tipsy trees, and thus the nickname.
In summary, vegetation in the Taiga prospers in spite of, rather than because of, the poor soil. The soil alone does not provide the needed nutrients or a deep luxurious anchor to support the rich boreal forests. Instead, through symbiotic relationships and physical structures that make the vegetation less dependent on this taiga dirt, life finds a way.
Ecological Concerns
Life in the Taiga is already perched on the precipice of a very fragile balance. The harsh weather and unyielding soil makes each species deeply dependent on the survival of other species in which they are in symbiotic relationships. If the trees are cut down, then the fungus on the floor will suffer a loss of nutrients. Birds will no longer have pine cones to break through and feast on the seeds contained within, and then wolves and bears will be deprived of this source of protein that they have found in birds. Moose eat the pine needles and other tree products, and wolves eat the moose. There is no part of this delicate biome that can be sacrificed without have a negative and far-reaching impact on other species that call the Taiga home.
Logging: Logging is a major threat to the Boreal forest. The wood pulp gathered is used mostly in paper products. Efforts to protect the forests while maintaining supply and jobs have been to recycle, and utilizing other resources for pulp, such as hemp.
Mining: Mining leaves a negative and long lasting impact on the Boreal forest. Roads are cut through the forest and water is polluted. In Canada, Alberta mines sand, gravel, gold, iron and other minerals. The forest does not recover quickly from these endeavors.
Hydro-Electric: Again, in Canada, hydro-electric power generation is damaging the forest. Dams divert water from some areas and flood other areas. These activities also fragment some habitats.
The list of endangered species of the Taiga include: grizzly bears, beavers, Siberian tigers, and wood bison. While over hunting contributed to the current crisis, pollution, habitat destruction and logging have also taken a toll. Bird and fish populations are also adversely affected.
Conservation efforts that also consider supply and financial impact may prove to be most effective. When both aren't taken into consideration, we could end up pitching one set of important interests against another.
Sources:
http://www.ontarionature.org/protect/campaigns/boreal_threats.php
http://www.ramp-alberta.org/river/boreal/impacts.aspx
https://www.anbg.gov.au/bryophyte/what-is-bryophyte.html
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/taiga/?ar_a=1
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/taiga-plants.html
Soil in the sub-arctic Taiga rests on top of a layer of permafrost in some areas and bedrock in others. Both foundations trap water in the upper layers of shallow soil. This trapped moisture can form bogs, called muskegs. Moss, short grasses, and at times even tree can grow in these spongy areas.
Because of the shallow nature of the usable soil, and the lack of concentrated nutrients, the Taiga supports conifer forests. These tree have shallow but very broad root systems that enable them to grow closer to the surface and to spread out for nourishment. They also share a symbiotic relationship with fungi that helps them extract more nutrients from the sparse soil.
The forest floor supports mosses, lichens and fungus. Each are well-adapted to negotiate the poor quality of the taiga soil. Mosses are able to absorb nutrients and water through their surfaces (leaves) rather than drawing water from the soil through a root system as vascular plants do. Instead, somewhat like a sponge, they absorb and spread water from their surface through the plant, thus making them less dependent on nutrients from the soil.
Lichen can prosper in spite of the Taiga’s unfriendly soil because it is a symbiotic relationship between fungus and algae. Fungi in lichen, rather than being dependent on soil to deliver nutrients can harvest them from the co-existing algae, which are producers (creating their own food through photosynthesis). In return, the Fungi provide a protective environment for the algae, so it is not dependent on soil quality to be successful. This partnership allows both species to thrive on hard, nearly impenetrable surfaces.
As mentioned earlier, fungi also form symbiotic relationships with conifers in order to survive the harsh soil. As decomposers, fungi breakdown nutrients from dead conifers and in doing so, enrich the soil by recycling the nutrients for the trees.
Drunken Forests
The nature of the Taiga soil also produces what some have nicknamed Drunken Forests. Sometimes, layers of permafrost thaw and cause the ground to sag. Shallow-rooted conifers are drawn toward the resulting depressions and lean. The effect suggests tipsy trees, and thus the nickname.
In summary, vegetation in the Taiga prospers in spite of, rather than because of, the poor soil. The soil alone does not provide the needed nutrients or a deep luxurious anchor to support the rich boreal forests. Instead, through symbiotic relationships and physical structures that make the vegetation less dependent on this taiga dirt, life finds a way.
Ecological Concerns
Life in the Taiga is already perched on the precipice of a very fragile balance. The harsh weather and unyielding soil makes each species deeply dependent on the survival of other species in which they are in symbiotic relationships. If the trees are cut down, then the fungus on the floor will suffer a loss of nutrients. Birds will no longer have pine cones to break through and feast on the seeds contained within, and then wolves and bears will be deprived of this source of protein that they have found in birds. Moose eat the pine needles and other tree products, and wolves eat the moose. There is no part of this delicate biome that can be sacrificed without have a negative and far-reaching impact on other species that call the Taiga home.
Logging: Logging is a major threat to the Boreal forest. The wood pulp gathered is used mostly in paper products. Efforts to protect the forests while maintaining supply and jobs have been to recycle, and utilizing other resources for pulp, such as hemp.
Mining: Mining leaves a negative and long lasting impact on the Boreal forest. Roads are cut through the forest and water is polluted. In Canada, Alberta mines sand, gravel, gold, iron and other minerals. The forest does not recover quickly from these endeavors.
Hydro-Electric: Again, in Canada, hydro-electric power generation is damaging the forest. Dams divert water from some areas and flood other areas. These activities also fragment some habitats.
The list of endangered species of the Taiga include: grizzly bears, beavers, Siberian tigers, and wood bison. While over hunting contributed to the current crisis, pollution, habitat destruction and logging have also taken a toll. Bird and fish populations are also adversely affected.
Conservation efforts that also consider supply and financial impact may prove to be most effective. When both aren't taken into consideration, we could end up pitching one set of important interests against another.
Sources:
http://www.ontarionature.org/protect/campaigns/boreal_threats.php
http://www.ramp-alberta.org/river/boreal/impacts.aspx
https://www.anbg.gov.au/bryophyte/what-is-bryophyte.html
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/taiga/?ar_a=1
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/taiga-plants.html