Taiga or Boreal Forest

Introduction.The taiga or boreal forest exists as a nearly continuous belt of coniferous trees across North America and Eurasia. Overlying formerly glaciated areas and areas of patchy permafrost on both continents, the forest is mosaic of successional and subclimax plant communities sensitive to varying environmental conditions. Taiga is the Russian name for this forest which covers so much of that country. However, the term is used in North America as well.

Climate: The taiga corresponds with regions of subarctic and cold continental climate (Koeppen’s Dfc, Dfd, and Dwd climate types). Long, severe winters (up to six months with mean temperatures below freezing) and short summers (50 to 100 frost-free days) are characteristic, as is a wide range of temperatures between the lows of winter and highs of summer. For example, Verkhoyansk, Russia, has recorded extremes of minus 90 ° Fand plus 90 ° F. Mean annual precipitation is 15 to 20 inches, but low evaporation rates make this a humid climate.

Vegetation: Needleleaf, coniferous (gymnosperm) trees are the dominant plants of the taiga biome. A very few species in four main genera are found: the evergreen spruce (Picea), fir (Abies), and pine (Pinus), and the deciduous larch or tamarack (Larix). In North America, one or two species of fir and one or two species of spruce are dominant. Across Scandanavia and western Russia the Scots pine is a common component of the taiga.

Broadleaf deciduous trees and shrubs are members of early successional stages of both primary and secondary succession. Most common are alder (Alnus), birch (Betula), and aspen (Populus).

Growthforms: The conical or spire-shaped needleleaf trees common to the taiga are adapted to the cold and the physiological drought of winter and to the short-growing season:

• Conical shape - promotes shedding of snow and prevents loss of branches.
• Needleleaf - narrowness reduces surface area through which water may be lost (transpired), especially during winter when the frozen ground prevents plants from replenishing their water supply. The needles of boreal conifers also have thick waxy coatings–a waterproof cuticle–in which stomata are sunken and protected from drying winds.
• Evergreen habit - retention of foliage allows plants to photosynthesize as soon as temperatures permit in spring, rather than having to waste time in the short growing season merely growing leaves. [Note: Deciduous larch are dominant in areas underlain by nearly continuous permafrost and having a climate even too dry and cold for the waxy needles of spruce and fir.]
• Dark color - the dark green of spruce and fir needles helps the foliage absorb maximum heat from the sun and begin photosynthesis as early as possible.

Soil: Podzolization occurs as a result of the acid soil solution produced under needleleaf trees. The main soil order associated with the taiga is spodosol.

Subclimaxes: Edaphic conditions result in sometimes extensive, persistent patches of vegetation other than spruce and fir:

1. bogs (muskeg) occur in poorly drained, glacial depressions. Sphagnum moss forms a spongy mat over ponded water. Growing on this mat are species of the tundra such as cottongrass and shrubs of the heath family. Black spruce and larch ring the edge.
2. Pine forests, in North America dominated by the jack pine (Pinus banksiana), occur on sandy outwash plains and former dune areas. These are low nutrient, droughty substrates not tolerated by spruce and fir.
3. Larch forests claim the thin, waterlogged substrate in level areas underlain with permafrost. These forests are open with understories of shrubs, mosses and lichens. In Alaska stands of Larix larichina are localized phenomena, but in Siberia east of the Yenesei River the extreme continentality and nearly continuous permafrost give rise to vast areas dominated by Larix dihurica.Fauna: Fur-bearing predators like the lynx (Felis lynx) and various members of the weasel family (e.g., wolverine, fisher, pine martin, mink, ermine, and sable) are perhaps most characteristic of the boreal forest proper. The mammalian herbivores on which they feed include the snowshoe or varying hare, red squirrel, lemmings, and voles.Large herbivores are more closely associated with successional stages where there is more nutritious browse available and include elk or wapiti (Cervus elaphus, known as red deer in Europe) and moose (Alces alces, known as elk in Europe). The beaver (Castor canadensis), on which the early North American fur trade was based, is also a creature of early successional communities, indeed its dams along streams create such habitats.Among birds, insect-eaters like the wood warblers are migratory and leave after the breeding season. Seed-eaters (e.g., finches and sparrows) and omnivores (e.g., ravens) tend to be year-round residents. During poor cone years, normal residents like the evening grosbeak, pine siskin, and red crossbill leave the taiga in winter and may be seen at bird feeders here in Virginia.Distribution patterns within the boreal forest: The boreal forest is restricted to the northern hemisphere. It is circumpolar in distribution, as are many of the species which comprise it and even more of the genera. In general, plants have different species represented on North America and Eurasia; the mammals of both continents tend to be conspecific.

   There are latitudinal zones within the forest . Running north to south, one finds

   • the tundra/taiga ecotone
   • an open coniferous forest (the section most properly called taiga)
   • the characteristic closed-canopy needleleaf evergreen boreal forest; and
   • a mixed needleleaf evergreen-broadleaf deciduous forest, the ecotone with the Temperate Broadleaf Deciduous Forest. In the US, this southern ecotone is dominated by white pine (Pinus strobus), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), and American beech (Fagus americanus).

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   Alpine expressions of the biome: In Merriam’s Life Zones, the Hudsonian and the Canadian zones correspond with the Boreal Forest

   In North America, several variants of the boreal forest occur in the mountains of the West.

   • In the Pacific Northwest, what amounts to a temperate rainforest is dominated by needleleaf species such as Douglas fir, western hemlock, and other giants. This forest type is the center of a major controversy regarding timber operations in old growth forests.
   • On the windward (western) slopes of the Sierra Nevada at elevations between 4,000 and 8,000 feet, the tall western conifers are joined by the magnificent giant sequoia (Sequoia gigantea). The specimen named General Sherman is some 3,800 years old, 272 feet tall, and has a diameter of 37 feet. The congener of this sequoia, the redwood (S. sempervirens) grows along the northern California coast. Their closest relative is the Dawn Redwood, a deciduous conifer of the genus Metasequoia from China.
   • In the Rocky Mountains, where fire is an important part of the environment, lodgepole pines (Pinus contorta) form nearly pure, single-aged stands. The great fire of Yellowstone National Park demonstrated once again the association of this species and its ecosystem with repeated burns.
   • Along the Appalachian Mountains in eastern North America the boreal forest of eastern Canada, dominated by red spruce (Picea rubens) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea), extends southward with little change in species composition until Virginia. The southern limit of balsam fir occurs in Shenandoah National Park; southward to the Great Smokies, on isolated mountain tops, is found Fraser fir (A. fraseri)

   • Dr. Susan L. Woodward

     Professor Emerita of Geography

     Radford University

   |Biomes|Biogeography|Geography Department|

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Permission: W.W. Norton

Ethne Clarke, Editor-In-Chief of Rodale’s “Organic Gardening”, horticulturist and garden historian, shares her insights as the author of 15 books, including the revised edition “Hidcote The Making of a Garden”.  Originally published in 1989, ”Hidcote  The Making of a Garden” is a new and enlarged edition of the standard reference on an internationally revered English garden and its designer.

Known internationally as the epitome of the classic English country garden, it is perhaps less well known that Hidcote’s creator who was an enigmatic American. Lawrence Johnston, an expatriate and one of the so-called “Henry James Americans,” a pedigreed member of old New York, left no diaries or significant correspondence. What he did leave, however, is a garden that continues to inspire horticulturists, gardening enthusiasts, and everyone who appreciates the beauty of nature.

First published in 1989, the book was the first biography of Johnston; for this revised and enlarged edition Clarke, the author of 15 books on landscape history and gardening, has collected much new, original material that illuminates the creation of the garden and presents Johnston’s life in the context of the period that set the seal on England’s preeminence in garden design and plantsmanship.

Melinda Myers, Credit Mark Avery

Melinda Myers will present “Planning & Plants for A Small Space Garden” sponsored by Birds & Blooms magazine at the Chicago Flower Show that runs this weekend, March 4-7, Navy Pier, Chicago.

Presentation description –Planning & Plants for A Small Space Garden - Simple ideas for packing a lot of garden into a small space or creating an intimate garden within a large lot.   The planning process as well as tips and techniques for designing and maintaining gardens with year round interest in every layer from the ground to the roofline will be covered.   General concepts and specific plants suited to the region, including climbers, ground covers and assorted plants for small spaces will be discussed.

Nationally known gardening expert Melinda Myers has 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening. She hosts the nationally syndicated “Melinda’s Garden Moment” TV segments which air on 50 network TV stations in the U.S. and “Great Lakes Gardener” seen onPBS stations throughout the country. She is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and hosted “The Plant Doctor” radio program for over 20 years. Melinda has a master’s degree in horticulture, is a certified arborist and was a horticulture instructor with tenure.  Myer’s web site is www.melindamyers.com

Upcoming appearances: http://www.melindamyers.com/Appearances/learn-from-melinda/appearances.html#phil

Link to her videos: Also, here’s a link to Melinda’s videos – http://www.melindamyers.com/garden-tips/melindas-videos.html

Small Space Gardening Credit Mark Avery

Link to her book, “Small Space Gardening”  http://coolspringspress.com/products/product.php?catid=554&scid=565&ean=9781591861850&title=Small-Space-Gardening

Philip C. Curtis Stagecoach 1957 oil on board Collection of Phoenix Art Museum, Gift of the Estate of Kathleen I. Leavitt, Flower Arrangement by Anne Louise Howard

Phoenix Art Museum’s sixth annual Arts & Flowers® celebration of spring will once again fill the galleries with the scent and color of flowers March 4-7, 2010.  Over sixty floral designers and garden club members will interpret their chosen artwork from the Museum’s collection in spectacular floral arrangements—“flowers interpreting art”.

This event, organized by the Phoenix Art Museum League, raises funds for the Museum through its Opening Luncheon and events throughout the weekend.  Arts & Flowers also includes a beautiful floral-themed Boutique.

The Opening Luncheon features Tucson author, Scott Calhoun. He will speak on “Envisioning Your Garden Through Photography”. Scott Calhoun has written five critically acclaimed books of gardens, writes and lectures across the United States.

On Saturday, March 6, Arts & Flowers continues with an Encanto-Palmcroft Garden Tour. Five fabulous gardens from this historic city neighborhood will open to the public.

The Arts & Flowers weekend features other fund-raising events including a floral design workshop with designer Karin Crawford, owner of Gods Garden Treasures flower shop, First Friday at the Museum, children’s art programs and a photography workshop by floral designer and photographer, Heather Dent, of La Vie En Rose.

The floral designs will be judged by a team of professional floral judges, Museum Curators and members of the League. Arts & Flowers ends Sunday with an “It’s A Wrap” awards ceremony, at which the winners of the design competition and People’s Choice voting are recognized.

All events are open to the public by ticket. For ticket information, please see www.phxartmuseumleague.org. The Phoenix Art Museum League has been raising funds for Phoenix Art Museum since 1951.

Phoenix Art Museum: phxart.org

Metal shipping containers  piled two high burst with creative energy by Moda Botanica, a first prize winner for their flower installation at the Philadelphia Flower Show.  Graffiti sprayed on one crate, a welcoming walk-in container with plant material brushing your head,  a white freezer filled with white chilled flowers, and then the coup d’etat, a mirrored pod set for dinner for eight.  Can you imagine renting a pod and decorating it for dinner for eight parked in your drive-way just to add an extra room for your dinner party? Stage props could be stored like the mirrored ceilings and walls so that the next dinner party would display yet a completely different effect with the flowers of your choice.  Pallets included in co.

Enter The Botanical World of Moda Botanica, Courtesy CarlisleFlowers.net

Dinner for Eight by Moda Botanica, Courtesy CarlisleFlowers.net

Courtesy Chicago Flower Show

2010 Chicago Flower & Garden Show raises curtain March 6-14 on ‘theatrical’ gardens, a ‘streetscape’ and a horticultural competition. The Chicago Flower & Garden Show—the Midwest’s premier gardening exhibition for professionals and consumers alike—returns to Navy Pier on Chicago’s lakefront Saturday, March 6, through Sunday, March 14, 2010. The show’s theme, “Cultivating Great Performances,” underscores Chicago’s reputation as a great theater town by celebrating the Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Members of each theater’s creative team have inspired engaging garden environments created by leading garden professionals, who fuse the drama of the stage with the artistry of horticulture.

The new show floor layout is designed by Terry Guen Design Associates, the acclaimed Chicago-based landscape architecture and urban design firm. And iconic stage plays including “Wicked,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Miss Saigon” will provide themes for gardens created by top landscape designers. In addition, Chicago’s lauded theaters—Goodman, Lookingglass and Chicago Shakespeare—are the inspiration for the gardens.

Courtesy Chicago Flower Show

Now in its 16th year, the Midwest’s annual horticulture and landscape showcase is designed to inspire, educate and motivate visitors. It is sponsored by Belgard Hardscapes, a nationwide network of paving stone and garden wall products manufacturers, and produced by Special Events Management with the support of the Mayor’s Office of Special Events and of Navy Pier. Inspirational highlights The 2010 Chicago Flower & Garden Show features 25 gardens designed by top gardening and landscaping companies. It also features a vendor Marketplace displaying garden and green products and services of more than 125 exhibitors. The inviting, new 2010 floor layout is guaranteed to provide visitors with a decidedly unique show experience: a ‘streetscape.’ Terry Guen Design Associates, whose projects include Millennium Park and the Chicago Riverwalk, has added a meandering boulevard punctuated by cul de sacs.

chicagoflower.com

Trees of Capitol Hill, Courtesy CarlisleFlowers.net

Saturday, February 20th and the record 70 plus inches of snow that hit Washington and Baltimore, just below the Mason Dixon line, as some may say the “South”, was melting under balmy “40 degree” weather.  So out we came to walk the Capitol Hill grounds guided by Melanie Choukas-Bradley, author of “City of Trees, The Complete Field Guide to the Trees of Washington, D.C.”

Melanie Choukas-Bradley, Picture courtesy CarlisleFlowers.net

Here you see her pointing to an European elm tree.  Discussion ensued about the blight of the elm and how careful attention saved the American elms that line the Mall stretching below, the elms’ buds one of the first to burst.

Dogwood for Lady Bird Johnson, Courtesy CarlisleFlowers.net

Frederick Law Olmstead, father of modern landscape design, mapped wide expanses of walkways with round, deciduous trees placed to let the white of our Capitol shine.  Here is the mottled bark dogwood tree named for Lady Bird Johnson.  The First Lady during Lyndon Baines Johnson’s tenure was the first presidential wife to propose legislation and with her husband’s efforts, a bill was enacted to beautify highways and parks.

Melanie identified trees by their bark, their fruit, where they commonly grow, which were state trees and their history.  She said,  ”If you really want to learn about trees find a park you really like and come back time and again.”  Thanks to Olmstead, the trees of Capitol Hill are identified with markers so it’s to the Capitol grounds where we will return.

www.melaniechoukas-bradley.com/

www.usbg.gov/ United States Botanic Garden