In the sticks

Natural History, June, 2005 by Mark Crispin, J. David Henry

J. David Henry's article on the boreal forest ["Northern Exposure," 2/05] perpetrates the misconception that taiga and boreal forest are one and the same. In fact, however, not all boreal forest is taiga, and not all taiga occurs in the boreal forest. Taiga (Russian for "forest of little sticks") specifically refers to a forested area dominated by stunted coniferous trees such as black spruce or lodgepole pine (as in the photograph on page 29 of Mr. Henry's article). Taiga often lies between forest and treeless tundra. In the boreal forest, taiga generally occurs in wet areas in which permafrost is close to the surface, and thus inhibits drainage and root development.

The boreal forest also includes dry northern forest, as pictured on pages 28 and 30. There you will find aspen, white spruce, and other commercially valuable trees. But that forest is not taiga, and unlike the taiga, dry northern forest faces substantial threat from overexploitation.

Confusing the terms "taiga" and "boreal forest" may worsen the threat. Protecting vast areas of taiga as a "feel good" measure will not help preserve the exploitable dry northern forest.

Mark Crispin

Bainbridge Island, Washington

J. David Henry replies: Among North American ecologists, the term "taiga" is used in several different ways. Mark Crispin describes one of them, but a consistent use of the word has not yet emerged. "Taiga" is an old and well-established Russian word for the predominantly coniferous forest that covers most of Siberia and western Russia. Russians and most Europeans use the word "taiga" to refer to the entire boreal forest. I follow this established usage.

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