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243836945 Siberian taiga
Siberian taiga
The taiga, which spreads across the whole of Siberia from the Urals to the Pacific Ocean and then creeps down into China, is the largest forest on earth, made up of larch, aspen, fir, silver birch and pine trees. For over half the year the taiga slumbers, immobilized by frost and snowdrifts. When the all too brief summer comes, those brave souls who inhabit this great forest hurry to stock up for the winter as plants take advantage of the warmth to blossom. Summer brings its own problems, however: clouds of thirsty mosquitoes, which drive even the usually stolid elks mad.
Autumn is a particularly beautiful time of year in the Siberian forest. When the first frost sends the mosquitoes diving for cover, there is an astonishing silence - and beauty suddenly spreads through the taiga. The birches, aspens and larches blaze up against the dark spruce trees and the silver-grey reindeer moss that forms a staple food for the four-legged forest inhabitants. The crystal air is full of the aroma of mushrooms and a hint of the first snow. This is the best time of year to enjoy a taste of life in the taiga - but hurry away before the bitter winter sets in.
