The taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome and is dominated by coniferous forests.
Also called the boreal forest, the taiga forms a broad belt across the northern parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. Its major tree groups include spruce, pine, fir, and larch. Winters are long and cold, while summers are short.
The taiga differs from tundra because trees can grow across much of the boreal zone. Farther north, low temperatures and frozen soils create treeless tundra. The southern edge gradually transitions into temperate forests or grasslands.
Boreal forests store large amounts of carbon in both vegetation and soils. Wildfire, insect outbreaks, logging, and climate change all influence the taiga, but fire is also a natural ecological process in many regions.