Top: Fir Tree, Pine Tree Bottom: Spruce Tree, Lady's Slipper Orchid
Adaptations
Spruce Tree
Waxy Needles/Leaves-Structural
Spruce trees have adapted to have natural wax on their needles.They also have thick bark to prevent the trees from extreme cold, and bush fires. This also helps the leaves suck up water, and keep it in the tree.
Needles-Structural
A spruce tree has needles to retain heat, shed snow, and lose less water.
Phototropism-Behavioral/Structural
Spruce trees have adapted to use phototropism. This means they grow their leaves to face the sun, to get the maximum amount of energy. This helps because in winter their is not much sunlight, and this helps them get as much as possible.
Fir Trees
Coniferous Leaves-Physiological
Like most trees in the Taiga biome, fir trees don't loose their leaves in Autumn. Having needles help, because they need less energy to grow, and don't fall off.
Thick Needles-Structural
Having thick needles, thicker than normal trees in the taiga actually helps them survive in the extreme cold. This also takes away the evaporation of water from leaves.
Tall and Straight Structure-Structural
Fir trees have a tall and thin structure, instead of spreading out wide. This helps them consume more energy in the cold conditions of the taiga biome.
Pine Trees
Cone Shape-Structural
Pine trees in the taiga biome have adapted to have a cone shape. This helps them to shed snow, so it falls right off, allowing the tree to stay green all year a still producing photosynthesis.
Needles-Structural
In winter the frozen ground prevents plants from taking water. The small pine needles, with their small surface area, reduce water loss.
Evergreen-Physiological
Because they don't drop their leaves when temperatures cool, they don't have to regrow them in the spring. This saves a lot of energy.