Taiga (a Russian word) is the name often used to refer to the band of forest that exists on Earth, forming a rough circle just S. of the Arctic Circle. <Russian font>
The northern edge of the taiga is the
"tree line," N. of which the climate will not support large plant
life. The conifers get their name from their distinctive shape -- a
tall, thin cone that enables them to shed snow easily. Their
branches are tightly packed w/ twigs, and the twigs are covered
with needles -- leaves that are very narrow and have a very small
surface AREA, so that the tree loses very little water through evaportion.
(Conifers don't need as much water as other trees, but
they have to be careful to conserve what they do receive.) Conifer
branches are a good source of material for an impromptu shelter
because their "leaves" are so densely packed. Where is water is
relatively more abundant (near rivers and lakes, and on the
souther edge of the taiga), some broadleaf trees may be located.
They blossom only briefly during the short subarctic summer,
but are able to prosper year after year because of the availability
of water.