The Boreal Forest Biome
The Boreal Forest (otherwise known as the Taiga, northern forest, or the snowforest), is a biome located in a band of area across northern North America and Eurasia, as well as a few areas scattered throughout the northern hemisphere. As its various names show, the Boreal Forest is a snowy forest—a more temperate version of the tundra. There are many variations of the Boreal Forest throughout the world, from swampy forests to almost tundra-like areas with sparse trees. There are Boreal Forests from Siberia to Canada, from the Rocky Mountains to the Scottish Highlands, although the majority is located in the aforementioned band across North America and Russia.
Boreal forests cover a massive percentage of Earth's land—about 49.8 million square kilometers, or approximately 33% of Earth's land area. It contains over 1.5 million lakes, and within its borders are over 80% of the world's unfrozen fresh water. Boreal Forests contain thousands of animal and plant species, over 300 species of birds use the Boreal Forest as their summer feeding/breeding ground. The boreal forest produces more oxygen and absorbs more carbon dioxide than the Amazon Rainforest.