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Taiga climate

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Ilustracja prezentuje wykres – klimatogram, klimatu kontynentalnego w Irkucku w Azji. Na lewej osi wykresu wyskalowano średnie temperatury w OC, na prawej osi wykresu wyskalowano sumy opadów w mm. Na osi poziomej zaznaczono cyframi rzymskimi kolejne miesiące. Czerwona pozioma linia na wykresie, to średnie temperatury w poszczególnych miesiącach. Tutaj linia rozpoczyna się na wysokości -20 OC w styczniu i wznosi się w poszczególnych miesiącach do około 19 OC w lipcu, po czym opada do -20 OC w grudniu. Niebieskie słupki, to wysokości sum opadów w poszczególnych miesiącach. Najwyższe opady, powyżej 40 mm, w miesiącach czerwiec-wrzesień. Opady, poniżej 20 mm w miesiącach listopad -kwiecień Ilustracja zawiera anglojęzyczne słownictwo: temperate climate, Irkutsk, Asia average temperature, total rainfall, months.

TaigataigaTaiga occupies vast areas of the northern hemisphere and stretch from the northern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, through northern territories of the European part of the Russian Federation, Siberia, certain islands and peninsulas of the Far East and the greater part of Alaska and Canada.

The cool temperate climate zone on the northern hemisphere is characterised by severe climatic conditions. Winter lasts even up to 7 months there. In certain places, air temperature drops below –50°C. Spring and autumn are short, cold, cloudy and windy. Summer is short, sunny and warm, with an average air temperature of approximately 20°C, albeit quite dry. Rainfall per annum doesn’t exceed 600 mm, usually less. Such climate is called the dry continental climate.

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Mapa świata prezentuje występowanie tajgi na Ziemi. Obszary tajgi oznaczone kolorem turkusowym na mapie występują w: północnej części Rosji, północnej części Półwyspu Skandynawskiego oraz północnej części Alaski i Kanady.

The harsh climate means that only plants that are adapted to a very long and cold winter as well as animals with thick and warm fur can survive there. Taiga is the largest coniferous forest area in the world. Trees have a widespread and shallow root system, as at the depth of approx. 1–3 metres there is a layer of frozen rock called permafrostpermafrostpermafrost. It exists on extremely vast areas of our planet and its thickness is highly diverse, varying from 1 to 1600 m. In the summer, only the surface layer of soil thaws, its thickness varied. As water cannot be absorbed into the substrate due to it being frozen, a boggy marsh is formed on the surface. Widespread roots of the trees help them survive in soggy soil.

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Fotografia prezentuje krajobraz tajgi latem. Na fotografii wykonanej z wysokości widoczne wierzchołki świerków na tle jeziora oraz gęsty las świerkowy rozciągający się po horyzont.

Humans living in the taiga

Taiga is an area that is very unfriendly to humans. For many months in the year it’s extremely cold. In the summer, there are millions of mosquitoes and small but blood‑sucking flies. The surface is covered in mud due to the shallow permafrost layer. There aren’t many areas suitable to build houses.

Despite the adverse conditions, humans have continued to settle in the taiga for a long time. At the beginning, these were primarily hunters hunting for various animals due to the high price of their furs and pelts. Fishermen also arrived, as in the summer period it’s possible to catch fish in big rivers. The next to arrive we lumberjacks that felled large tracts of forests.

The territories covered by the taiga are rich in metal ore, coal, oil and natural gas deposits as well as other resources, such as precious stones. However, it was only in the 20th century when technological progress made it possible to build mines, smelting plants, power plants and manufacturing plants as well as houses for workers in the taiga that the mining of its natural resources began on a mass scale.

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Fotografia prezentuje głęboki i szeroki lej w ziemi, po kopalni diamentów we wschodniej Syberii w Mirny. Lej zwęża się schodkowo do dna dziury. Na dnie widać wodę. Kolor wyrobiska szary z brązowymi fragmentami.

Summary

• The coniferous forest known as taiga grows in the cold part of the temperate continental climate zone and covers the largest area.

• Winter in the taiga is long and cold, whereas summer is short and warm.

• Taiga can be found only in the northern hemisphere.

• People living in the taiga live off of hunting, felling trees, mining and other industrial operations.

Keywords

coniferous forest, taiga, permafrost, trans‑siberian railway

Glossary