NORTHERN FOREST CANOPY MUG

Bird's eye view of the northern forest canopy filled with fragrant evergreens. A beautiful view of nature in the north. Evergreen coniferous trees developed millions of years ago, before plants had flowers. They were the food of dinosaurs. The northern edges of the world’s evergreen coniferous forests, or taiga, abut the southern edges of the northern hemisphere’s arctic tundra, in North America, Europe and Asia. They range southward into warmer regions and eventually merge with boreal forests. Temperatures in the coniferous forests range into the +80 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer down to -60 or more degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. The temperature variance is related to latitude and prevailing weather patterns. Precipitation can range from a few inches to several feet per year and fall in the form of rain or snow. This also depends on latitude and weather patterns. Evergreen coniferous forests are also found in the higher altitudes of mountainous terrain. Climate conditions in those areas are related to altitude as well as latitude and prevailing climate patterns. Evergreen forests in the Southern Hemisphere are comprised of eucalyptus trees. Ruth J JAMIESON 2008