Taiga+Facts

One of the trees located in the Taiga is 4,600 years old. This type of tree is called a Bristlecone tree. The taiga is almost immune to wildfires because the taiga trees are basically immune to wildfires. Many trees have adapted to this by growing thick bark, which can protect a tree from a bad fire. During the few summer months, many insects come to the taiga.
 * __Interesting Facts:__** There is one very big problem in the taiga. The problem is that the deforestation may soon cause most the taiga to completely disappear. People do not really care if the taiga disappears. But if the Taiga disappears, many animals and plants will be gone forever and lose their home, the Taiga.

**__Scientific Names of Most Common Fauna in the Taiga:__**
Animals- Vertebrates- Mammals: Bears: Ursus arctos horribilis Caribou: Rangifer tarandus Wolverine: Canis lupus Fox: Vulpes vulpes Weasel: Mustela nivalis Lynx: Lynx lynx Raccoon: Procyon lotor Moose: Alces alces Bobcat: Felis rufus

Animals- Vertebrates- Birds:
Owl: Tyto alba Eagle: Haliaeetus leucocephalus Grouse: Dendragapus obscurus

Animals- Invertebrates:
Earthworm: Pheretima Australis Spider: Theraphosa Lebondii __**Mutualism Examples:**__ One example of mutualism in the taiga is moss growing on a tree. This protects the tree, and makes a house for the moss. Another is the tachnid fly and the hemlock looper. The tachnid fly parasitizes the pupae of the hemlock looper, an example of mutualism. One more is black spruce and lichen. Lichen gets food from the dead matter of the tree and gives the tree nutrients. **__Parasitism Examples:__** One example of parasitism is brainworms and caribou. The brainworm eats the brain of the caribou, and the caribou dies. Another is that grape vines are turning into hosts for the parasite aphid, and, as a result, dies because the aphid infected them.
 * __Commensalism Examples:__** One example of commensalism is parasitic fungi and trees. The fungi gets food from the decomposing tree, but the tree is not helped nor hurt. Because it's dead.[[image:http://farm1.static.flickr.com/201/494793254_133d37708f_m.jpg width="142" height="70" caption="Parasitic Fungus" link="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wentloog/494793254/"]]
 * __Predator-Prey Examples:__** Some examples of predator-prey relations are the lynx and the snowhare, and the falcon and the other birds that they eat. [[image:hareandlynx.jpg width="210" height="108" caption="A lynx catching a snowhare"]]