Taiga (Biomes Atlases)

Here is an excellent book in the Biomes Atlas series. As stated on the back cover: "Biologists divide the living world into major zones called biomes, including deserts, oceans, tropical forests and tundra. Looking at biomes helps us understand the connections between our planet's climate and the plants and animals that live there. Biomes also have a huge impact on people. Each book reveals the fascinating web of relationships between climate, plants, animals, and people that makes every biome unique." Author Trevor Day defines the Taiga biome as "a magical world of conifer forests where moose, caribou and wolves live;" it is comprised of "dark, mostly coniferous forests [that] grow in a band of extreme weather circling the northern hemisphere from Alaska to Japan." These forests are often called "boreal" forests, although the term is not all-inclusive. In a nutshell, "taiga" is Russian for "marshy pine forest," and "Boreus, [is] the god of the north wind."After defining his terms, author Day next explores the regions, climates, plants, animals, peoples, and most importantly, the possible future of the Taiga. The text conveys a great deal of information in a manner that is enjoyable and easy to understand. Included are colorful maps, fact panels, and an array of exciting photographs. There is also a glossary, an index and a list of sources for further study. In addition, this book meets curriculum standards for its subject. I recommend TAIGA for the casual reader as well as for the serious student, who will find it useful as a springboard to future research. Every library and school would do well to acquire the Biomes Atlas series.

I just bought this book for a study of the taiga, and it is really helpful!It describes the main parts of the ecosystem, e.g. its climate, plants, and animals.Furthermore it briefly compares the taiga in different parts of the worlds with each other.I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in the taiga and/or the earth's biomes.It is a great book for a not too in-depth study, for in-depth study I would probably recommend a more scientific book.