What is taiga?

South of the treeless tundra in northern North America and Eurasia are huge tracts of coniferous forests, called the taiga. Most trees are evergreens, including fir, pine and spruce. These trees begin growth as soon as it becomes warm enough in spring, and they take full advantage of the short growing season. They are adapted to survive bitterly cold winters. Most of the trees have thick barks, and their conical shapes prevent overloading by snow.