Bitterly cold winters characterize the coniferous forest, which spreads across formerly glaciated surfaces between 50 and 60 degrees north latitudes. The winter lasts up to six months with average temperatures hovering below the freezing mark. The city of Verkhoyansk, Russia, which falls within this area, once recorded a temperature of minus 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
The length and harshness of the winter season in the coniferous forests create a distinct environment. Ponds, lakes and bogs abound, the result of melting snow that the weak sunlight filtering through the tree canopy cannot evaporate. Frost and snow covers the ground for the duration of the winter months, and few plant species, with the exception of spruces, pines, and firs, can survive the extreme cold of the coniferous forest winter.
Conifers, cone-bearing trees and shrubs, are tall and cone shaped, allowing snow to slide off their branches so the trees don't fracture under the heavy load during the long winter months. These narrow trees grow close together for protection from harsh winds and their pine needles contain a minimal amount of sap, so freezing sap is not a concern. The dark color of the needles helps absorb the sunlight that filters into the forest through the closely grouped trees.
A milder climate typifies temperate coniferous forests, which are located in coastal regions or mountainous areas. The weather is temperate, with little fluctuation through the seasons, but yielding a high annual precipitation. In the subset of moist conifer and evergreen broad-eeaved forests the rainfall is heaviest in the winter months.
