While tropical forests make headlines and environmental protection campaigns, their northern cousins, the boreal forests, continue to be overlooked in the global debate despite their crucial impact on the planet’s health. These vast green expanses surround the North Pole and extend across North America, Europe, and Asia. They represent 27% of all forests in the world and play essential roles in climate balance, biodiversity, and the economy.
According to a recent report presented by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) at the United Nations Forum on Forests, it is urgent to increase protection and awareness of this biome. The study, along with specific reports from countries like Canada, Russia, the United States, and Finland, reveals a concerning lack of attention towards this vital ecosystem.
The report’s authors emphasize that, despite their size and ecological importance, boreal forests are poorly understood by governments and the public. This invisibility has contributed to fragmented management and the absence of coordinated international policies for their conservation.
A Lack of Definition Complicating Management
One of the main barriers to the effective protection of boreal forests is the lack of a common definition that allows for clearly delineating their boundaries. This imprecision hinders monitoring their status and complicates the formulation of unified environmental policies.
The UNECE report proposes developing specific criteria and indicators to closely monitor the impact of forest management, fires, pests, and climate change in these regions. Only then can a coherent international strategy be designed for their preservation.
Environmental Keys of the Boreal Biome
Boreal forests, also known as taiga, cover about 1.21 billion hectares, equivalent to 9.3% of the world’s land surface. Their climate is characterized by short, mild summers, and long, cold, dry winters. The dominant vegetation includes conifers like spruces, firs, larches, and pines, along with deciduous species like birches and poplars.
These forests store approximately 32% of the planet’s terrestrial carbon, making them one of the main carbon sinks and fundamental allies against climate change. Additionally, they host 48% of the world’s primary forests, making them crucial for biodiversity conservation.
They also play an essential role in protecting freshwater sources and provide sustainable wood and energy for many countries. However, global warming is already beginning to disrupt their balance: forest fires increase in frequency and intensity, pests proliferate, and the permafrost—permanently frozen soil—starts to thaw, releasing greenhouse gases stored for millennia.
A Call for International Action
Boreal regions are also some of the least densely populated areas in the world, making them particularly vulnerable to decisions made thousands of kilometers away. If the world is serious about facing the climate crisis and protecting biodiversity, it must include boreal forests at the center of its environmental policies.
It is worth noting that this “second lung” of the planet needs attention, research, and coordinated action to ensure its survival and ours.
Boreal forest. Photo: Green Ecology.
What are the characteristics of boreal forests?
The boreal forest, also known as taiga or coniferous forest, is the largest terrestrial biome in the world. It is characterized by: long and cold winters, short and cool summers, dominance of conifers (spruces, pines, firs), and the presence of permafrost in some areas, as well as:
- Location: Found in high latitudes of the northern hemisphere, south of the Arctic tundra, covering most of Canada, Alaska, Russia, and northern Europe.
- Climate: Experiences long and very cold winters (temperatures can drop below -50°C), and short, cool summers, with temperatures rarely exceeding 20°C.
- Precipitation: Moderate, mostly in the form of snow during the cold months.
- Vegetation: Dominated by conifers like spruces, pines, and firs, which have needle-shaped leaves and are evergreen (do not lose their leaves in winter).
- Fauna: Adapted to cold temperatures, with species like caribou, wolf, black bear, and various bird species.
- Soils: Often contain permafrost, a layer of frozen soil that persists throughout the year.
- Importance: The boreal forest plays a vital role in moderating Earth’s climate, absorbing carbon dioxide and storing it in the soil.
Source: UN.
