THE COOL TEMPERATE CONTINENTAL (SIBERIAN) CLIMATE

1. Geographical Distribution

• Broad east-west spread, merging with Arctic tundra in the north and steppes in the south.
• Also known as Sub-Arctic, characterized by evergreen coniferous vegetation forming a continuous belt in the north.
• Referred to as Taiga, similar to climates in Northern Europe, including Sweden and Finland.
• Absent in the Southern Hemisphere due to the narrowness of southern continents in high latitudes and strong oceanic influence.
• Coniferous vegetation in the Southern Hemisphere is limited to mountain uplands of South Chile, New Zealand, Tasmania, and Southeast Australia.

2. Climate

• Cold long winters and cool, brief summers, with spring and autumn serving as transitional seasons.
• Isotherm of 50°F for the warmest month forms the poleward boundary of the Siberian climate, and winter months are below freezing.
• Annual temperature range varies, with extremes observed (e.g., 54°F in Moscow and 73°F in Churchill, which is more northerly).
• Known as the "cold pole of the earth" due to extreme temperatures.
• Siberia experiences heavy snowfall, with frost occurring in August and September.
• Rivers like the Volga, Ob, Lena, and Yenisey are ice-covered for an extended period during winter.
• Winds, such as the blizzards of Canada and the Buran of Europe, can reach speeds of 50 mph, reducing visibility with snowflakes in the lower atmosphere.
• Siberia is sparsely populated due to the harsh and unbearable conditions.

3. Precipitation

• Annual precipitation ranges from 15 to 25 inches, with rainfall well distributed throughout the year.
• Summer experiences a maximum in conventional rainfall as the interior regions are heated.
• Winters are characterized by snowfall, as the mean temperature remains below freezing.
• Coniferous vegetation, requiring less moisture and transpiring less, is well-suited to these conditions.
• Factors affecting precipitation include altitude, latitude, proximity to poles, exposure to westerlies, temperate monsoons, and penetration of cyclones.
• European USSR receives more than 20 inches of precipitation due to westerlies and cyclones, while precipitation decreases poleward and southward.

4. Benefits and Challenges

• Permanent snowfields are absent due to melting in spring and summer, causing rivers to thaw, rise in water levels, and floods.
• Snow is a poor conductor of heat, protecting the ground from severe cold and providing moisture when it melts in spring.
• Ploughing improves acidic podzolic soil, enabling some agriculture.

5. Vegetation

• The region is the richest source of softwood, primarily conifers.
• Coniferous trees are used in building construction, furniture, paper, pulp, rayon, and matches.
• Major softwood producers include the USSR, USA, Canada, and Fenoscandian countries (Finland, Norway, Sweden).
• The Taiga in Siberia is the richest source of temperate softwood, with conifers occurring in pure strands.
• Four main species dominate Pine (White, Red, Scots, Jack & Lodge Pole), Fir (Douglas & Balsam), Spruce, and Larch.
• Coniferous trees have a uniform, straight, tall structure, reaching up to 100 feet. Toward the poles, they are spaced and transform into tundra vegetation.
• Conifers have a two-year fructification cycle, with seeds pollinated in one year and dispersed in the next.
• Unlike deciduous trees, conifers do not annually replace leaves. Leaves can remain for up to 5 years, with food stored in trunks, and thick bark protects trunks from the cold.
• Conifers have a conical shape to prevent snow accumulation and offer little grip to winds.
• The leaves are small, thick, leathery, and needle-shaped. Due to acidic podzolic soil and limited sunlight, little undergrowth is present.
• Conifers are also found in mountainous areas in temperate and tropical countries.

6. Economic Development

• Many areas are untouched in Canada, Eastern Europe, and Asiatic Russia.
• Lumbering is a significant economic activity, with logs transported to sawmills.
• Limited agriculture exists in bordering steppes, involving crops like barley, oats, rye, and root crops such as potatoes.
• Indigenous populations like the Samoyeds and Yakuts in Siberia, as well as Canadians, engage in hunting, fishing, and trapping.
• Trapping focuses on fur-bearing animals such as muskrats, ermine, mink, silver foxes, squirrels, otters, bears, sables, lynx, and martens.
• Quality and thickness of fur increase during the keenest cold of winter.
• In Canada, trappers and hunters use automatic rifles, live in log cabins, and may have fur farms to ensure a regular supply of furs, replacing the hunting of wild animals in Siberia.
• Lumbering involves sawmilling, with logs processed into timber and plywood. Wood pulp production for paper making and newsprint is a significant industry.
• About 1/4th of the world's softwood is used as fuel. Timber is also used as an industrial raw material, with by-products processed into articles like rayon, paints, dyes, resins, etc.
• Logging is facilitated during winter when sap ceases to flow, and snow-covered ground simplifies logging and haulage. Logs are dragged to rivers and floated downstream, utilizing cheap hydropower for sawmills.
• The Northern Sea route links Murmansk and Vladivostok via the Arctic Ocean.