Characteristics of the taiga Typeit

The taiga is a large global ecosystem also known as a .  It is full of  trees, which do not lose all their  in winter.  Large areas of the continent of  are covered, including parts of Canada, and Alaska in the USA.  It also covers part of northern Europe and .  The temperatures in winter remain below  degrees Celsius.  This means that the ground is frozen for part of the year, known as the , so the roots of plants cannot access water and this limits their .  Plant adaptations to the cold include  which remain near the surface of the soil to access what water is available, and waxy leaves which are designed not to  in the subzero temperatures.  These waxy coatings also reduce water loss from the trees, known as .  Animals have adapted to the lack of food by migrating or by slowing their heart rates and bodily functions in a process known as .  Many animals like bears and beavers have also developed thick and oily  to increase insulation as protection from the cold.  This large global ecosystem has slow movement of nutrients around the nutrient , with most nutrients being stored in the  store.