Key learning points

1. The boreal forest is the world's largest land-based biome.
2. The boreal forest is also known as the taiga; they are found at high latitudes.
3. There is little rainfall in the boreal biome due to the high latitudes and temperature.
4. Boreal forests contain many coniferous trees which are normally evergreen and so don’t drop their leaves.

Keywords

• Biome - A large region of the world with places that have similar climates, vegetation and animals that have adapted to living there.

• Latitude - Imaginary lines on Earth showing position north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees.

• Hemisphere - Half of Earth, usually divided into the Northern or Southern hemisphere by the Equator, or Eastern and Western hemispheres by the prime meridian.

• Solar radiation - Energy radiated from the sun via electromagnetic waves.

• Photosynthesis - The process by which green plants and certain bacteria create glucose from sunlight, water and CO2.

Common misconception