Coniferous Forest

Density ● densely packed with cone bearing trees

● smaller shrubs and plants at the forest
floor are less dense
Dispersion ● largest terrestrial biome on earth
● Seeds are mainly dispersed when forest
fires occur and the cone-bearing trees’
cones are spread and the seeds fall off
their cones
Growth ● seeds are dispersed by fires which
spark and allow the seeds explode from
their cones and spread over the forest
area
● birds migrate for the winter and return
with young
Reproductive Rates ● brown bears are commonly found in the
coniferous forest- they’re reproductive
rates are centered around their
hibernation behavior
● in Alaska, the caribou pop. declined
from 490,000 in 2003 to 325,000 in
2011
Carrying Capacity ● Moderate carrying capacity, higher in
areas with more trees

Density Dependence ● density of forest is largely impacted by

seasonal fires which spark, both
eliminating trees of the current
generation, and allowing for the
dispersal of seeds to create new trees
Natural Selection ● trees that are able to absorb the most
sunlight are able to survive while the
others die
Human Impact ● severely impacted by logging, not so
much by human settlement
Competition Examples ● trees compete for sunlight, water, and
nutrients
Diversity ● Moderate amount of diversity in terms
of the types of plants found,
particularly trees
Species with Largest Impact ● cone bearing trees are the most
prevalent in the plant kingdom (pine,
spruce, fir, hemlock)
● migratory bird species
● mammals: moose, brown bears,
Siberian tigers
● insect outbreaks eliminate many trees
periodically
Succession ● When trees are burned down by
natural or man made fires, young
sproutlings are the first to return

Pathogens ● ine decline is a disease complex

resulting from the interactions of both
biotic and abiotic stressors. More
common than previously thought, this
disease is often misdiagnosed as either
littleleaf disease or annosus root rot.
Because of the emphasis in planting
loblolly pines for timber production,
this disease complex is most prevalent
in loblolly pine plantations. Shortleaf
pine, however, is also quite
susceptible to this disease, while
longleaf pine and other conifer species
are less susceptible. Thus far, evidence
shows that slash pine is not susceptible
to the factors that result in pine
decline. Affected pines expressing
declining symptoms can succumb
within two to three years. Pine decline
usually exists with trees that are over
35 years of age, but can exist in trees
as young as 12 years old.
● This is due to bark beetles