Taiga - Insects, Biodiversity, Ecosystems

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The taiga lacks the elaborate complexes of invertebrate predators and parasites that serve as stabilizers of the insect populations in warmer regions. As a result, boreal insect populations occasionally increase rapidly and cause outbreaks. Some outbreaks can injure or kill trees across widespread areas of the taiga. 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The taiga lacks the elaborate complexes of invertebrate predators and parasites that serve as stabilizers of the insect populations in warmer regions. As a result, boreal insect populations occasionally increase rapidly and cause outbreaks. Some outbreaks can injure or kill trees across widespread areas of the taiga. Once an outbreak reaches a certain size, it can become self-sustaining, much like a forest fire; the effects of the spruce budworm and spruce"/> <meta property="og:type" content="ARTICLE"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Taiga - Insects, Biodiversity, Ecosystems | Britannica"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Taiga - Insects, Biodiversity, Ecosystems: The taiga is the home of relatively few species of insects, but extensive and usually uniform areas of habitat periodically support high populations of species that do live there. The taiga lacks the elaborate complexes of invertebrate predators and parasites that serve as stabilizers of the insect populations in warmer regions. As a result, boreal insect populations occasionally increase rapidly and cause outbreaks. Some outbreaks can injure or kill trees across widespread areas of the taiga. 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The taiga lacks the elaborate complexes of invertebrate predators and parasites that serve as stabilizers of the insect populations in warmer regions. As a result, boreal insect populations occasionally increase rapidly and cause outbreaks. Some outbreaks can injure or kill trees across widespread areas of the taiga. 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p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/science/taiga">Introduction</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref70830"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga#ref70830">Origin</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref70831"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga#ref70831">Distribution</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref70832"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Environmental-conditions">Environmental conditions</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref70833"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Environmental-conditions#ref70833">Climate</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref70834"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Environmental-conditions#ref70834">Soils</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref70835"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Environmental-conditions#ref70835">The biota and its adaptations</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref70836"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Trees">Trees</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref70837"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Trees#ref70837">Other plants</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref70838"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Mammals">Mammals</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref70839"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Mammals#ref70839">Birds</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref70840"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Insects">Insects</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref70841"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Insects#ref70841">Soil organisms</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref70842"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Community-structure">Community structure</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref70843"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Community-structure#ref70843">Natural disturbances</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref70844"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Community-structure#ref70844">Effects of human use and management of the taiga</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref70845"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/taiga/Biological-productivity">Biological productivity</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/taiga/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/taiga">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/taiga/images-videos">Images & Videos</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/6650-050-E268AC16/coniferous-forest-spruce-trees-forests-boreal-Northern.jpg" data-href="/media/1/74016/8933" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/6650-004-4F5211B6/coniferous-forest-spruce-trees-forests-boreal-Northern.jpg" alt="boreal forest in Alaska" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/96/6596-004-568D82AD/Distribution-forests-Eastern-Hemisphere.jpg" data-href="/media/1/74016/213943" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/96/6596-004-568D82AD/Distribution-forests-Eastern-Hemisphere.jpg" alt="boreal forests: Eastern Hemisphere" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/92/6592-004-944FFF63/Distribution-forests-Western-Hemisphere.jpg" data-href="/media/1/74016/213945" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/92/6592-004-944FFF63/Distribution-forests-Western-Hemisphere.jpg" alt="boreal forest: Western Hemisphere" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/6593-050-05A48C02/Vegetation-profile-forest-tree-layer-conifers-ground.jpg" data-href="/media/1/74016/57" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/6593-004-BF80BD5E/Vegetation-profile-forest-tree-layer-conifers-ground.jpg" alt="boreal forest vegetation profile" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/43/6543-050-F6E851A9/population-density-fluctuations-snowshoe-hare-predator-effect.jpg" data-href="/media/1/74016/12" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/43/6543-004-3B47CC28/population-density-fluctuations-snowshoe-hare-predator-effect.jpg" alt="population cycles" height="50" /> </a> <a 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.hww.ca/en/wild-spaces/boreal-forest.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Canadian Wildlife Federation - Hinterland Who's Who - Boreal Forest</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/boreal-forest" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">The Canadian Encyclopedia - Boreal Zone</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://untamedscience.com/biology/biomes/taiga/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Untamed Science - The Taiga</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/communities/description/10690/boreal-forest" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Michigan State University - Michigan Natural Features Inventory - Boreal Forest</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/taiga/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">National Geographic - Taiga</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-title">Britannica Websites</div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-subtitle">Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.</div> <ul class="list-unstyled bps-topic-web-sites lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/taiga/403917" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taiga - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/taiga/599518" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taiga - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: boreal forest</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/Glenn-Patrick-Juday/4185" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Glenn Patrick Juday</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Associate Professor of Forest Ecology; Alaska Ecological Reserves Coordinator, University of Alaska, Fairbanks.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Glenn Patrick Juday</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-10-28T00:00:00CDT" >Oct 28, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/taiga/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also called: </dt> <dd>boreal forest</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Topics: </dt> <dd><a href="/place/Arctic" topicid="33100">Arctic</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/coniferous-forest" topicid="132754">coniferous forest</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/closed-canopy-forest" topicid="122123">closed canopy forest</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/forest-tundra" topicid="213540">forest-tundra</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/lichen-woodland" topicid="339690">lichen woodland</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/taiga"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1"><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="2" id="ref70840"> <span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The taiga is the home of relatively few <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/species-taxon" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">species</a> of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/insect" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">insects</a>, but extensive and usually uniform areas of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/habitat-biology" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">habitat</a> periodically support high populations of species that do live there. The taiga lacks the elaborate complexes of invertebrate predators and parasites that serve as stabilizers of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/insect" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">insect</a> populations in warmer regions. As a result, boreal insect populations occasionally increase rapidly and cause outbreaks. Some outbreaks can injure or kill trees across widespread areas of the taiga. Once an outbreak reaches a certain size, it can become self-sustaining, much like a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/forest" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">forest</a> fire; the effects of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/spruce-budworm" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">spruce budworm</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/spruce" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">spruce</a> beetle in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/North-America" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">North America</a> are well-documented examples. Outbreaks can be triggered by unusual weather or physical injuries that stress trees and make them <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="vulnerable" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vulnerable" data-type="MW">vulnerable</a> to the insects; they can end for a variety of reasons, including production of defensive chemicals by the host plants or depletion of susceptible host plants.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Perhaps the insects most noticeable to humans in the taiga are <span id="ref589304"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/mosquito-insect" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">mosquitoes</a>, which belong to several species. Mosquitoes feed on and are fed upon by many of the birds of the taiga. Wetland areas of the boreal region, such as sites having poor drainage because of permafrost, provide extensive mosquito breeding sites. Where well-oxygenated flowing water is found, biting flies are abundant. Almost all food webs that support fish in the streams of the taiga are dependent on insects.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/conifer" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Conifers</a> serve as hosts for a variety of wood-boring beetles, spruce beetles, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/bark-beetle" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">bark beetles</a>, and ips beetles (<em>Ips</em> species). These insects aid in wood <span id="ref589305"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/decomposition-biology" class="md-crosslink ">decomposition</a> and nutrient release. Some beetles have outer shells with specialized indentations specifically matched to the shape and size of the spores of wood-decomposing <span id="ref589306"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/fungus" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">fungi</a>. Fungal spores become securely lodged in these cuplike structures. As the beetles burrow into wood, they <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="inoculate" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/inoculate" data-type="EB">inoculate</a> it with fungi.</p><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">A variety of lepidopterans (<a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/moth-insect" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">moths</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/butterfly-insect" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">butterflies</a>) are adapted to feeding on the leaves of boreal trees. These include defoliators and leaf rollers.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span></section> <section data-level="2" id="ref70841"><h2 class="h2"><span id="ref589307"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/soil-organism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Soil organisms</a></h2> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/species-richness" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">species richness</a> and total biomass of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/soil" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">soil</a> organisms are significantly lower in the taiga than they are at lower latitudes. Dominant soil organisms are <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/protozoan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">protozoans</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/nematode" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">nematodes</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/rotifer" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">rotifers</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/tardigrade" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">tardigrades</a>. These organisms live primarily in soil water film and soil pore water. The soil fauna of the taiga is distinctive because it generally lacks large invertebrates such as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/millipede" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">millipedes</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/isopod" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">isopods</a> (springtails), and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/earthworm" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">earthworms</a>, especially in the middle and northern taiga. Larger soil invertebrate animals perform the function of biting off (shredding) pieces of leaf <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="litter" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/litter" data-type="EB">litter</a> in forest soils and passing them through their guts. As a result of this activity, a thick layer of several years’ accumulation of only partially decomposed plant material is characteristic of soils in the taiga <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/biome" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">biome</a>.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Fungi are the dominant organisms in the task of decomposition of litter in the taiga, but flushes of bacterial growth occur in response to triggering factors. The soil animals generally do not attack the forest litter directly but instead exert their influence by grazing on the fungi and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/bacteria" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">bacteria</a>. The rate of decomposition in taiga soils does not keep pace with the rate of production, causing the progressive accumulation of organic matter. At middle depths of the forest floor, small invertebrates, especially <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/dipteran" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">dipteran</a> larvae, partially <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="consume" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/consume" data-type="EB">consume</a> or skeletonize leaf litter before emerging as adults.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span></section></section> <span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":5,"pagesTotal":7,"pageId":74016,"pageLength":569,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":5,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Taiga - Insects, Biodiversity, Ecosystems | Britannica