UWC Grade 5 (2009-2010)

Introduction. The boreal forest (also known as the taiga, a russian word meaning swampy moist forest) is found in a nearly continuous belt across North America and Eurasia. Most of Canada and Russia are covered by coniferous trees that make up this biome. This biome is defined mainly by the trees that compose it. The climax trees are furs, spruces and pines. Subclimax plant communities may have deciduous trees like larch, tamarack and birch. Much of the zone that this biome covers was formerly glaciated. Today large sections have permenent permafrost.

The tiger, largest of all cats

Less than 4,000 remain in the wild

In the past century, the world has lost three of the nine tiger subspecies. The Bali, Caspian, and Javan tigers have all become extinct ... and many scientists believe the South China tiger is “functionally extinct”.