Lesson video

Hello and welcome.

<v ->My name is Ms. Harrison.

</v> I'm so excited to be learning with you today.

Today's lesson is called Plants and Animal Adaptations in the Taiga Biome.

Grab everything you might need for today's lesson and let's begin our learning.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll understand how plants and animals in the taiga are well adapted to the physical conditions.

Before we can begin this learning, we need to define the keywords that we'll be using throughout today's lesson.

The keywords are biodiversity, adaptations and habitats.

Biodiversity, this is the variety of species found in habitat.

Adaptations, this is a feature or behaviour that helps an animal or plants survive in its environment.

Habitats, this is the natural place where a plant or animal lives and grows.

Fantastic, now that we've defined these keywords, we can begin our learning.

The first question we are going to explore in today's lesson is why is adaptation important? The taiga, also known as the boreal forest, is a tough place to live with long cold winters and short, mild summers only a few species can survive here.

This is why the taiga has a low biodiversity, but the plants and animals that do live in the biome have special adaptations to handle the harsh conditions.

From thick fur and hibernation animals to needle-like leaves on trees, every species has found a way to thrive in its chilly environment.

In a taiga, survival is a challenge because resources like foods, sunlight, and shelter are limited.

This leads to intense competition among both plants and animals.

Plants struggle for nutrients and sunlight while animals compete for food and space.

To cope, many species have developed strategies to reduce competition.

Some animals hibernate through the harsh winter, others migrate to find food elsewhere, and some adapt their diets to eat whatever is available.

These survival tactics help species coexist in this tough environment.

Let's take a closer look at how adaptations occur.

Adaptations occur as a result of evolution.

Within a species, individuals always differ slightly due to genetic mutations.

Sometimes these differences give individuals a better chance of survival in their environment.

If so, those individuals are more likely to reproduce and pass their advantage onto the next generation.

And over generations, the advantages spread through the whole species and continue to be refined into adaptations.

The taiga has many challenges for survival for both plants and animals, and human activity adds further challenges, especially when changes mean the habitat is destroyed or altered.

Some of the challenges in the taiga are: extreme cold, short growing seasons, low food availability and human activity.

Plant and animal species have a wide range of adaptations that help them to survive in the taiga and in its very different habitats.

For example, they can camouflage to hide from predators.

They have evergreen to maximise photosynthesis.

They hibernate to conserve energy and they have wide pores or hooves to hunt in the snow.

Let's test our knowledge, which is the correct definition of an adaptation.

Is it A, a change in how a plant or animal usually behaves, which helps it survive in its environment? B, inherited characteristics that improve a plant or animal's ability to survive in its environment? Or C, a process where plants or animals migrate to a different environment to find food? Pause the video here whilst do you have a think and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Excellent, the correct definition of an adaptation is B, inherited characteristics that improve a plant or animal's ability to survive in its environment.

Well done on this tasks.

In the taiga, some species are so closely connected that the survival depends on each other, and this is called interdependence.

A great example of this is salmon.

There are keystone species that plays a crucial role in the food chain.

Salmon provides a major food source for predators like bears and wolves making up nearly 50% of a wolf's diet.

But if the salmon population declines due to disease, overfishing or human made barriers like dams, these predators struggle to find enough food.

This can have a ripple effect disrupting their entire food web and impacting other species in the ecosystem.

Interdependence isn't just in animals, humans are also part of this balance.

Indigenous communities, like the Sami people of the northern taiga, rely on particular plants and animals for survival.

They use reindeer for food, clothing, and transportation, and they've developed sustainable ways of living that respect that delicate balance of the ecosystem.

These deep connections between species show how everything the taiga is linked, making it a fragile but fascinating biome.

What does it mean if plants and animals are interdependent? Is it A, when animal species in different habitats have evolved similar adaptations? B, when plants and animals can survive independently without needing each other? Or C, when plants and animals rely on each other for survival such as for food or shelter? Pause the video here whilst do you have a think and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent, the answer is C, when plants and animals rely on each other for survival such as for food or shelter.

Excellent work on this task.

Which of the following are challenges that plants and animals face in the taiga? Is it A, extreme cold with temperatures dropping to minus 30 degrees? B, intense competition for sunlight due to dense canopy? C, limited growing time due to short, mild summers? Or D, heavy rainfall causing flooding? Pause the video here whilst do you have a go and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent, the answer is A, extreme cold temperatures dropping to minus 30 degrees and B, limited growing time due to short, mild summers.

Well done on this task.

I would now like you to fill in the blanks using the words below.

The text is describing the challenges that the taiga face and what adaptations are.

Pause the video here whilst you attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent, you've done really well on this task.

Let's check our answers.

Your answers should read like this: In the taiga biome, plants and animals face many challenges.

Through evolution, species have developed special features known as adaptations to help them survive.

These allow them to cope with threats like sources of food which are hard to access, short growing seasons, and being hunted by predators.

Human activity can change and destroy habitats, which is particularly challenging for plants and animals that are closely adapted to them.

Well done on this task.

We're now going to explore our second question of today's lesson.

How have animals adapted to the taiga biome? The taiga may have a low biodiversity compared to other biomes, but the species that live here are highly specialised for survival.

Harsh winters, limited food, and short summers mean only the toughest animals can thrive.

Predators like wolves and lynx have developed keen hunting skills, while herbivores like moose and snow hares have adapted with thick fur and seasonal camouflages.

Migratory birds also play an important role, arriving in the summer to take advantage of the brief abundance of food before heading south for winter.

Salmon, another key species, support many predators and help transfer nutrients through the ecosystem.

Even with fewer species, the taiga remains a complex and interconnected biome where every organism has a role to play.

Surviving in the taigas extreme cold as no easy task.

With freezing temperatures and scarce food, animals must find ways to stay warm and conserve energy.

One key adaptation is thick, oily fur.

Moose and bears, for example, have dense further traps heat and repels water, keeping them warm even in the harshest winter conditions.

This insulation helps them maintain body heat while reducing the energy they need to survive.

These kind of adaptations are essential in the taiga where every bit of warmth and energy can mean a difference between life and death.

Finding food in the taiga is a constant challenge, especially during the long freezing winters when resources are scarce.

To survive, some animals have developed an incredible adaptation, hibernation.

Brown bears and squirrels enter a state called torpor where their metabolism slows down and their body temperature drops and they use stored fat for energy.

This allows them to conserve energy and survive months without eating.

When spring arrives and food becomes more available, they wake up and return to their normal activity.

Hibernation is a crucial survival strategy in the taiga, helping animals endure their toughest time of the year.

Surviving the harsh winters of the taiga is no easy task.

With freezing temperatures and limited food, many animals must find ways to adapt and one of the most effective survival strategies is migration.

The Canada goose is a perfect example of this.

Instead of toughing out the winter, these birds fly to lower latitudes where the climate is warmer and is more plentiful.

Travelling in very large V-shaped flocks, they conserve energy and stay safe from predators along the way.

Migration also allows species like the Canada goose to escape the harsh conditions of the taiga and return in the spring when the food and nestling sites are available again.

Let's test our knowledge.

Which of these correctly describes an adaptation that helps animals survive the cold temperatures? Is it A, hibernate to conserve energy? B, thick, oily further keeps heat and repels water? C, longer legs than arms to help with walking? Or D, migrate to lower latitudes to access more food? Pause the video here whilst you attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent, the answers are A hibernate to conserve energy, B, thick, oily fat that helps keep the heat and repels water, and D migrate to lower latitudes to access more food.

Well done if you manage to identify those correctly.

Moving through the deep snow of the taiga can be a real challenge, especially for animals that need to walk and hunt in these harsh conditions.

Sinking into the snow wastes energy and makes survival even harder.

Caribou have developed a special adaptation to overcome this.

They have large, broad hooves that act like natural snow shoes.

These wide hooves help distribute their weight, allowing them to walk on top of the snow instead of sinking.

Their hooves are also strong and sharp, helping them dig through the ice and snow to find food like lichen during the tough winter months.

This unique adaptation gives caribou advantage in the taiga, allowing them to move efficiently and find food in one of the world's harshest environments.

The taiga experiences extreme seasonal changes with long cold winters and short warm summers.

For animals living here, adapting to both ends of the temperature spectrum is crucial for survival.

Take the arctic fox for example.

During the summer months, it's far as brownish colour that helps it blend in with the earthy rocky landscape.

But when the winter arrives, the fox moults to reveal white fur, perfectly camouflaging against the snow.

This colour change not only helps the fox stay hidden from predators, but also aids in hunting prey as it can sneak up on animals without being noticed.

This adaptation allows arctic foxes to thrive throughout the year in the taiga, expertly navigating both warmer and colder seasons with ease.

True or false, animals in the taiga do not rely on camouflage as predators and prey can easily spot each other in the snowy environment.

Pause the video here whilst you decided this statement is either true or false, and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent, the answer is false.

I would now like you to pause the video here and explain why this answer is false.

Press play to continue.

Well done.

The reason why this answer is false is because many animals in the taiga use camouflage to survive.

For example, the snowshoe hare and arctic fox have brown fur in the summer and white fur in the winter helping them blend in with their surroundings and avoid predators.

Well done if you manage to explain that correctly.

How do animals' feet help them move through deep snow in the taiga? Is it A, they develop long sharp claws for gripping icy surfaces? B, their feet shrink in the winter to avoid contact with the cold ground? C, they have large, wide feet or hooves that act like snow shoes? Or D, their feet become webbed to help them 'swim' through snow? Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent, the answer is C, they have large, wide feet or hooves that act like snow shoes.

Well done on this task.

Using examples, I would like you to describe two adaptations that allow animals to survive challenges of living in the taiga biome.

Make sure you say what the challenge is and how the adaptation helps with this.

Jacob has cleverly said that he knows that it is really cold in the taiga and it can drop to minus 30 degrees, so animals have adapted by having really thick fur to stay warm.

Pause the video here whilst you attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Your answer might have included some of the following points: Animals like moose and wolves have thick fur to insulate against the cold.

This fur traps heat and keeps them warm during the freezing winter months helping them to conserve energy.

Some animals, such as the brown bear, hibernate during the coldest months, they enter a state of torpor, lowering their metabolism to conserve energy when food is scarce, allowing them to survive until warmer temperatures and more food are available in the spring.

Well done on this task.

I hope you managed to include some of those points in your answer.

You've done brilliantly.

We're now going to explore our final question of today's lesson.

How have plants adapted to the taiga biome? The taiga biome has relatively low plant biodiversity, mainly because of its harsh climate.

With long cold winters and short growing seasons, only certain types of plants can survive here.

Coniferous trees like pine and spruce dominate the landscape.

These trees have needle-like leaves that help conserve water and withstand the freezing temperatures.

On the ground, you'll find mosses and low shrubs, all well situated to the cold, dry conditions.

While the variety of plant life in the taiga is much lower than in the tropical regions, these plants have adapted in unique ways to survive.

Their ability to thrive in this tough environment makes them an essential part of the taiga ecosystem.

The taiga is known for its extremely cold winters and limited water availability, which creates a tough environment for plants.

To survive, many coniferous trees have developed special adaptations.

For example, coniferous trees like pines and spruces have needle shaped leaves that reduce water loss.

The narrow shape helps to conserve moisture, and the waxy coating on the needles prevents water from evaporating too quickly.

This coating also helps protect the needles from frost damage during the brutally cold winters.

These unique adaptations allow coniferous trees to thrive in the taiga, even when resources like the water are scarce and temperatures dip well below freezing.

Why do coniferous trees in the taiga have needle shaped leaves? Is it A, to attract pollinators? B, to reduce water loss and prevent frost damage? Or C, to store food for the winter? Pause the video here whilst to attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent, the answer is B, to reduce water loss and prevent frost damage.

Well done.

Another challenge in the taiga is heavy snowfall, which can accumulate on tree branches and add enough weight to break them.

To survive these conditions, many coniferous trees have evolved special adaptations.

Their branches are flexible and face downwards, allowing them to bend under the weight of the snow instead of breaking.

Additionally, the cone-shaped structure of these trees help shed snow more easily.

When snow falls, it slides off the sloped branches preventing buildup and reducing the risk of damage.

These adaptations help coniferous trees to survive the harsh wind conditions of the taiga, ensuring they can continue growing and thriving despite the heavy snow.

One of the major challenges in the taiga is permafrost or frozen ground, which makes it difficult for plants to access water and nutrients in the soil.

However, many trees in the taiga have adapted to this harsh condition with wide shallow roots.

These roots spread out just below the surface, allowing the trees to access water from melting snow in the spring when liquid water is scarce.

The shallow roots also help anchor the trees during the strong winds preventing them from being uprooted.

This adaptation helps coniferous trees thrive in the taiga where the ground remains frozen for much of the year, and resources are limited.

In the taiga, intense cold and heavy snowfall poses a challenge to plant reproduction as seeds can be damaged or destroyed by the harsh winter conditions.

To overcome this, coniferous trees have developed a clever adaptation.

Their seeds are protected by tough, woody cones, which act as a shield against the extreme cold and snow.

These cones keep the seeds safe throughout the winter, allowing them to survive the freezing temperatures.

When spring arrives, the weather warms, the seeds inside the cones are ready to germinate and grow.

This adaptation ensures that coniferous trees can continue to reproduce and thrive in the taiga despite its harsh, unpredictable winter conditions.

True or false, the deep roots of taiga trees allow them to access water stored deep in the soil throughout the year.

Pause the video here whilst you decide if this statement is true or false, and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent, the answer is false.

I would now like you to explain why this answer is false.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent, the reason why the statement is false is because taiga trees have shallow, wide roots because deeper layers of the soil are often permanently frozen, permafrost, making it difficult to grow deep roots.

Well done if you manage to explain that correctly.

How does the cone shape of some coniferous trees help them to survive in the taiga? Is it A, it allows them to grow faster when conditions are windy? B, it helps them storm more water by reducing evaporation? C, it helps animals climb to the top easily? D, it prevents snow from accumulating and breaking branches? Pause the video here was to attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent, the answer is D, it prevents snow from accumulating and breaking branches.

Well done.

These two photos show two taiga plant adaptations.

I would like you to identify each adaptation and explain how they help plants to survive in the rainforest environment.

Pause the video here whilst you attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Let's check our answers.

Your answer might include some of the following points: Trees like pine and spruce have needle shaped leaves that reduce water loss and prevent frost damage.

The small surface area helps them to conserve moisture and protects the plants during freezing temperatures.

Many trees such as fur and pine have a cone-shaped structure, which helps them shed snow easily.

This prevents the branches from breaking under the weight of the snow, allowing the trees to survive heavy winter snowfall.

Well done if you managed to explain that correctly.

We've now come to the end of our learning on plant and animal adaptations in the taiga biome, and you've done brilliantly.

Before we end this lesson, let's summarise everything that we've learned today.

The taiga is one of the harshest environments on Earth with long bitterly cold winters and poor soil, which limits plant growth and biodiversity.

Despite these challenges, the plants and animals that live in the taiga are incredibly well adapted to survive in such extreme conditions.

Coniferous trees dominate the taiga landscape, with their needle shaped leaves designed to reduce water loss and withstand freezing temperatures.

These needles help the trees conserve moisture during the dry winter months.

Additionally, the trees have cone-shaped branches that allow snow to slide off, preventing heavy snow from accumulating and damaging the branches.

These unique adaptations enable coniferous trees to thrive in the cold, snowy conditions of the taiga.

The animals in the taiga face similar challenges.

To survive the cold, many species hibernate like the brown bear, which lowers its metabolism to conserve energy during the winter.

Others like migratory birds and the Canada geese leave for warmer climates avoiding the harsh winter altogether.

Many animals, such as moose and wolves grow thick fur to help insulate them from the cold.

While the arctic fox takes it a step further by changing the colour of its fur.

In summer, it's coat is brown to blend in with the earth, but in winter it turns white to camouflage against the snow, helping it avoid predators and sneak up on prey.

These survival strategies hibernating, migrating, growing thick fur and changing colours allow the plants and animals in the taiga to cope with the extreme conditions and thrive in an ecosystem where only the most resilient can survive.

Well done in today's lesson, you've done brilliantly.

I look forward to learning with you again very soon.