Taiga is a vast forest biome found in cold northern regions, mainly made up of evergreen trees like pines and spruces. It has long, cold winters and short, cool summers.
The word comes from Russian 'tajgá', which was borrowed from a Turkic or Mongolic language, meaning 'coniferous forest' or 'mountain forest'. It entered English in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through geography and ecology.
The taiga is one of the planet’s biggest land ecosystems, wrapping around the top of the globe like a dark green belt. Even though it looks quiet and empty, it stores massive amounts of carbon in its trees and soil, quietly helping to regulate Earth’s climate.
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