What our northern forest lacks in diversity, it makes up for in fortitude
Look out the window. If you see trees, you are looking at the boreal forest. A co-worker, years ago, once referred to this forest as the boring forest, due to its relatively low diversity of plants and animals. I thought this nickname was clever, given the Yukon is home to only eight types of trees.
The reason for this apparent shortcoming? Most wildlife can’t survive this far north. Our winters are too harsh, our summers too short. (I see you nodding your head.) But the very factors that limit species diversity in the North are the greatest strengths of the ones that do live here. Only the hardiest flora, fauna (and humans) can endure, which begs the question: Is this supposedly boring forest actually the burliest of them all?
The boreal forest is big
Small is not an adjective used to describe the vast landscape out your window. The boreal forest, defined by the types of plants and animals that call it home, which are determined largely by the climate, is the largest land-based life zone on Earth. In Canada alone, the taiga, as it’s also called, covers one-third of our land mass, from the East Coast across to the Rocky Mountains and north to treeline. Across oceans it also blankets large parts of Russia, Eurasia and Scandinavia.
Can a forest this colossal be boring? Surely not.
The boreal forest is brutally cold
The boreal forest is the northernmost treed area on the planet. Put another way, no other trees can survive as far north as those out our back door. Continue towards the Arctic coast and the trees cede to tundra. The boreal forest is shaped by a cold climate and short growing season. Unlike at the equator, the taiga never receives direct, overhead sun. Even in the summer, the rays touch down at an angle, reflecting much of the solar radiation back into the sky.
The sun also travels through more atmosphere to reach the North, decreasing the impact of the sun. Not even the long hours of summer daylight can counter these effects. And, in the depths of winter, you already know how little heat the scant hours of daylight offer. For most of the year, the boreal forest is a challenging and often brutal, but not dull place to call home.
The boreal forest lets only the boldest survive
Plants and animals that live in the boreal forest are well-equipped. As Henry explains, trees in the taiga are either “hardy” or “very hardy” (a description borrowed from naturalist E.C. Pielou). Coniferous trees fall under the latter category. The Christmas-tree-shaped white spruce, with its poky blue-green needles, is the most widespread tree in the Yukon. It and other coniferous trees save energy by keeping their needles year-round. These tough, cylindrical appendages shed snow and allow trees to photosynthesize (make food) whenever the sun is strong enough.
Deciduous trees like trembling aspen and balsam poplar fall into the “hardy” category. Unlike coniferous trees, they shed their leaves in the fall and use precious energy regrowing them in the spring. But, like coniferous trees, they have internal mechanisms that prevent their cells from freezing in harsh temperatures, which would kill them. These are adaptations more southern trees like maple and oak lack. Minus 40 degrees Celsius is not their cup of tea.
Similarly, only the most-resilient mammals call this unforgiving forest their home. Their survival comes down to more than just the thickness and quality of their fur, although that is important. To thrive in the boreal forest, the plants and animals need to be—above all— adaptable to large seasonal and annual changes, says Tom Jung, a senior wildlife biologist with the Government of Yukon Department of Environment. “The boreal forest food web is often characterized as a boom-bust cycle, with food resources, from berries to bunnies, scarce one year and abundant another,” he says. From the muskrat to the moose, these animals are tough and resilient, adaptable to large swings in temperature and daylight.
The boreal forest is decidedly not boring
The next time you’re strolling through the forest, take a moment to roll a spruce needle between your fingers or run your hand down the trunk of a tree (if you are brave enough to remove a glove). Look for tracks and other signs of animals. As Henry said, even from space, the boreal forest reveals evidence of life on Earth. From ground level, it’s even more extraordinary.
Learn more about the boreal forest at a free talk on Jan/ 6, 2025. Visit Yukon.ca/wild-discoveries for details about this and about more walks, talks and hikes offered in the new year by Yukon Wildlife Viewing.
