Boreal Forest (Taiga)

Boreal Zoologists
 What is a boreal forest?
 A boreal forest could  They also have a lot of
also be considered a wetlands which filter
carbon reservoir, it millions of gallons of
traps and stores carbon water and help
and prevents future regulate the
global climate change. hydrological system.
It purifies the air and a (or the plumbing of
climate regulator. the boreal forest).
Where are they
located?
 How are they formed?
 They are formed
by natural forces,
such as fire, wind,
insects, natural
growth pattern,
and functions as
they’ve had
through out the
years.
 Why are there fewer boreal
forests?
 Eight thousand years ago there were a higher
amount of boreal forest then there are now. In
the late 1900’s after the Industrial Revolution
had taken place, many of the boreal forests
started disappearing, especially in Europe.
 What is a boreal zoologist?
 An individual that
studies animals in a
specific area, which is
the boreal forest. He
studies mammals,
insects, reptiles,
amphibians, birds, and
humans.
 How are they helping
biodiversity?
 They are conserving it by observing how animals reproduce and
migrate, and how they adapt to their environments. They inform
people that if we don’t take care of these animals they will
become extinct.
 What is biodiversity?
 It is the different types
and the variety of
species found in an
ecosystem in a
given/certain area.
(biological
biodiversity.
 Is it important?
 Yes, because the more
biodiversity there is the
more stable an ecosystem,
environment, and biosphere
is. A certain species is
connected to the whole
food web of the world;
either another species is
dependent on this species,
or this species is dependent
on another species.
 Importance continued...
 When there are more species with different adaptations, they will have a
higher chance to survive changes and therefore will keep the species alive
(genetic variation).
 Another reason why biodiversity is important is actually an ethical one.
People believe that every organism on earth has the right to live whether
they have a use or not.
 How can humans impact
biodiversity?
 Humans have two Negative Positive
possible roles, we can We can cause animal If a species is in
conserve biodiversity extinction danger, we can keep
it safe until its’ pop.
and therefore make a is stable

positive effect or we We can destroy We can prohibit

habitats hunting endangered
can destroy it and species.
make a negative effect
like the table in your We use up the Captive breeding
organism’s resources programs
right.
 Mammals
 Mammals are warm
blooded animals that feed
their young with milk
through mammary glands.
 An example is the
Siberian Musk Deer, a
perfect example for
biodiversity. Natural
selection has given it
canine teeth that are up to
8 cm. long, and project
below the lips.
 Mammals’ role in biodiversity

 Mammals are part of the predator-prey relation, they are the ones
that keep species from overpopulating. They’re part of the food
web, where if they were taken away, their prey would overpopulate
and their predators would die out. They are essential organisms to
the boreal forest.
 wolverine
Others

Musk ox

Snowshoe hare

Polar bear
 Insects

 Insects are small organisms that don’t have a

vertebrae and are not used technically.
Examples are the black fly (left) and the
mosquito (right).
Insects’ role in biodiversity
 Insects serve the purpose of
being food to other
organisms in the boreal
forest. When birds migrate to
the northern forest they feast
on the insects. Insects also
decompose litter, supply
food, and eliminate diseased
trees. Although this is good,
insect attacks are more
frequent and with much
more intensity, which might
hurt the boreal species. They
also cause the climate to
become unstable.
 Lady
bugs

Glass wing
butterfly
firefly
Praying Mantis
 Reptiles/amphibians
 Reptiles are small animals that crawl or move
on their bellies or with their short legs.
 The reptiles/amphibians role
Poisonous blue
frog

 Their job is to keep the population of insects

and lesser animals at a stable point, and also to
be food for the bigger predators, like hawks.
 gecko
iguana

snake

Thorny Devil
 Birds
American bittern

 Birds are any of a

class of warm blooded
vertebrates
distinguished by
having the body more
or less completely
covered with feathers
and the forelimbs
modified as wings.
 Their role
 When birds migrate to
another site, they feed
on many insects and
therefore regulate the
insect population, they
are part of the food
chain and are the
predators whereas the
insects are the prey.
 Wood
pecker

Swan

Robin Mexican Parrot

Humans
 A human is a bipedal
primate mammal, or to
put it simply the
person near you.
 Our role
 Our role in a boreal forest is a bad one and a good
one.
 Some of us choose to help and support the forests;
by not letting fires happen, not hunting where
we’re not supposed to, by not destroying habitats,
or having excessive logging.
 While others choose to destroy many forests, setting
fires on purpose, poaching and selling exotic
species, and killing endangered and threatened
species for money.
How do we benefit from
biodiversity?
 Through out the ages
humans have benefited
from biodiversity.
Scientists have uses
for a lot of different
species, and every
time we eat, we
benefit from
biodiversity.
 Extinction
 Mass Extinction-The extinction of
many species in a very short time.
There is a theory that between 1800
and 2100, 25% of all species on Earth
will become extinct. The only
difference is that the extinctions will
be caused by us, instead of natural
causes.
Dinosaur Extinction
 Endangered and Threatened
Species
 Endangered Species-a  The difference
species that is likely to between these two is
become extinct if they that the endangered
are not protected species have a greater
immediately. chance to become
 Threatened Species-a extinct than the
species that has a threatened species.
declining population
and that is likely to
become endangered if
it not protected.
 Endangered Species
Fin
Asian whale
elephant

Spider
monkey

aye-aye
Threatened Species
Manta Ray

Giant Bronze
Gecko

Funcia di Basiliscu

Golden
Dancing
Jewel
How can humans cause
extinctions?
 Humans can cause
extinction by causing
habitat destruction, by
bringing exotic species
to unknown lands,
harvesting, hunting,
poaching, and
pollution.
 Habitat Destruction
 As the human population
grows, our need for shelter
also does. When we clear
forest and other areas we
are destroying many
species homes. Research
shows that almost 75 % of
extinctions are caused by
habitat destruction.
Importing Exotic Species
 Exotic Species-a
species that is not
native to a particular
region. By bringing
other species to
another’s habitat, they
may cause harm to the
native species, since
they aren’t adapted to
survive around them.
 Poaching
 Poaching-the illegal
harvesting or captures of
fish, game, or other species.
When people poach too
much it can lead to extinction
especially when that species
is already endangered. The
problem is that not all
threatened species are
protected by laws.
Pollution
 When pollution enters a
food web the damage is
critical. It harms the
animals, because it causes
their species to get sick,
and their offspring can
also get that diseases. One
example is the bald eagle
with the pesticide DDT.
What can humans
do to preserve
biodiversity?
 Captive Breeding Programs
 Wild experts/zoologists
try to restore an
endangered species
population. In the
programs the experts
breed the species in the
captivity, then hope to put
them back in the species
natural habitat. They
know they have succeeded
when the species can
successfully breed in their
environment.
 Preserving Genetic Material
 Germ plasm is any form of genetic material that
will help scientists make more of the species if
they ever become extinct, they actually save parts
of the reproductive germs. Another way is when
farmers trade or share seeds.
 Zoos, parks, aquariums
 Another way to preserve
many species is to have
zoos or any other
establishment that will
help sustain animal life.
These buildings are
literally the “living
museums of the world’s
biodiversity”. Sadly this is
not enough because these
facilities often don’t have
the resources to sustain
the different species.
 Different strategies
 Conservationists have  Another strategy is to
come up with strategies, preserve native habitats
for example; they focus on that can be restored and
entire ecosystems instead that make a huge
of one single endangered contribution to the world’s
species. This way they biodiversity. Another
also save most of the strategy is to grow
species in that products in places that are
environment, instead of being used, instead of
only the endangered or tearing down the trees and
threatened ones. building them there.
Habitat Conservation Plan
 When environmentalists
and developers debate
about endangered species
they reach a habitat
conservation plan. This
means that they attempt to
protect one or more
species across large areas
of land through trade-offs
or corporative agreements.
 Laws protecting biodiversity
 Endangered Species Act-
This act was passed in
1973, it is designed to
protect plant and animal
life in danger of becoming
extinct. This means that
any person who uses one of
the extinct species they
will get a fine. It means that
it is illegal for the
government to use the
listed endangered species if
they jeopardize their
existence.
Biodiversity Treaty
 The Biodiversity Treaty-
on the first Earth Summit
more than 100 world
leaders and to 30,00 other
participants met in 1992 in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to
agree to this treaty. This
treaty preserves
biodiversity and ensures
the sustainable and fair
use of genetic resources in
all countries.
 Debates

 Debates about conserving biodiversity have risen. Political

groups have objected to the Biodiversity Treaty because it
prevents economic and trade agreements that might hurt or
make a bad impact on biodiversity.
Cooperation
 But the greatest way to
protect biodiversity is
to make everyone
understands that every
species has a role in an
ecosystem, even
though at first it may
seem as if they are
useless.
Simple sustainable living

 Sustainability-the
condition in which
human needs are met
in such a way that a
human population can
survive without
running out of
resources.
 Is it important?
 Sustainability is
important to
biodiversity because
when we reach this
level we won’t have to
destroy or use up the
species resources, and
then there will be
more biodiversity.
 Resources
 http://www.dwlbc.sa.gov.au/landcaresa/galleries/biodiversity.html
 http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=354
• http://www.hewett.norfolk.sch.uk/curric/NewGeog/Habitats/life.htm
 http://www.borealforest.org/world/mammals/wolverine.htm
 http://www.borealforest.org/
 www.google.com
 www.yahoo.com
 www.endangeredspecie.com
 www.iucnredlist.org
 QUIZ! 

 What is a boreal forest?

 How are plants affected by a boreal
forest’s temperature?
 What is an example of a type of organism
in a boreal forest and what is it’s role in its
ecosystem? 