Coniferous forests: characteristics, flora and fauna

The coniferous forests are a type of forest mass comprised primarily pine, spruce and other trees known as conifers. Conifers are needle- or scale- shaped evergreen trees of the woody type and, as their name suggests, their reproductive structures are arranged in the form of cones.

These forests are usually adapted to great climatic variations . They are also usually in areas where, at least part of the year, there is not a large amount of water available. That is why they have leaves with a very small surface, which reduces perspiration. Many of these species are pyrophilic, which means that they are little affected by forest fires, and even their reproductive cycle can be benefited by them.

After seeing what coniferous forests are, we are going to detail their main characteristics, such as the flora and fauna of coniferous forests :

Coniferous forest flora

The flora of these forests is usually organized in two well differentiated layers: canopy and understory . The canopy is made up of the mass of the treetops, while the understory is made up of small conifers, bushes and ferns closer to the ground. The trees that form the canopy have better access to sunlight, while the understory is more protected from inclement weather. As already mentioned, conifers have very small leaves and a tough bark. But it is not the only thing that differentiates them from other plants: these trees belong to the group of gymnosperms .

Gymnosperms are plants that do not have “true flowers.” The main characteristic of gymnosperms is that they alternate haploid (with a single copy of the genetic material) and diploid (with two copies, that is, a repeated set of chromosomes) cycles in alternate generations. The diploid individual is known as “sporophyte”, and the haploid, which sits on top of the sporophyte, “gametophyte”. Pineapples and other woody structures host the gametophyte as a whole, which will be responsible for generating a new sporophyte (a new tree) if conditions are right. Some pineapples open with the heat of the fire. Here we tell you more about Gymnosperm Plants, what they are, characteristics and examples .

It is important to note the great proliferation of coniferous forests used for forestry, since they are fast-growing trees that produce good quality wood. These plantations can be easily distinguished from native forests because the trees are arranged in rows and the understory is practically absent.

Coniferous forests: fauna

Many coniferous forests sit in mountainous or cold-climate areas that are covered with snow and ice for at least part of the year. The leaves, in addition to preventing perspiration, also facilitate the fall of snow to the ground. These climatic conditions largely determine the fauna that can inhabit this type of forest. For example, when the weather is cold, the presence of mammals with thick layers of fur is common. It is common to find species of beavers, porcupines, elk, rabbits, bats , shrews … All these animals live in the understory.

The most numerous animals, however, are birds, which can occupy both the understory and the canopy. These birds have different types of adaptations, since their food source can be varied: they can feed on the seeds of conifers (for example sparrows), insects (robins) or small mammals (birds of prey such as tawny owls, owls, etc).

The coniferous forests are found mostly in the northern hemisphere of the planet. They cover large areas in the United States, Canada and Asia, mainly in forested areas such as the taiga. Discover in this other AgroCorrn article what is taiga, its definition and characteristics .

However, they can also be found in countries closer to the tropics, such as Mexico and Spain, although these areas are more temperate, the characteristic that defines their slopes is their dryness.

Coniferous forests in Spain

In Spain, coniferous forests are relegated mainly to low mountainous areas, such as the Pyrenees, Picos de Europa or the Central System . Different species of pine are very frequent, such as Pinus pinaster or Pinus silvestris . In the Canary Islands there is also the Pinus canariensis , which is easily distinguished from the rest because its needles are grouped three by three, instead of in pairs.

In recent years, important efforts have been made to restore the populations of large mammals, such as the Iberian wolves ( Canis lupus signatus ) in the Central System or the brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) in the Pyrenees.

Coniferous forests in Mexico

Mexico has pine forests located in temperate zones. They grow from sea level to above 4000 meters, covering a wide range of altitudes and subclimates. The greatest diversity is found in the mountainous forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre Oriental . They are home to more than 90 different species of conifers, of which about half are endemic to the country.

In Mexico, the conservation strategies of these forests stand out so that they can support the migration of the monarch butterfly ( Danaus plexippus ).