Conifers are also very important economically because they provide wood and wood products that are used to make buildings, furniture, and paper. Before petroleum was widely used, conifers were also the source of many important organic chemicals used to make paint and other finishes, solvents, and oils used by industry.

The coniferous forest biome is found in the northern parts of Asia, Europe, and North America. The coniferous forest biome makes up one-third of the world’s forests. Most of the trees in coniferous forests are conifers. Instead of growing leaves and flowers, conifers grow needles and cones.

Conifer stems from Latin and means “cone bearer”. There are seven different families of conifers, all of which bear cones. With a some exceptions, most conifer trees are evergreens that maintain their color and leaves throughout the year. They are easily identified by their needle-like or scaly leaves.

Conifers produce wood which is termed ‘softwood’. It is used for a huge range of products from pine furniture to paper. Coniferous woodlands in Britain are dominated by non-native species of conifers such as Douglas Fir (left), which have been imported to improve yields.

Softwood and hardwood are distinguished in nature in terms of their reproduction rather than their end appearance and attributes. In general, hardwood comes from deciduous tree’s which lose their leaves annually. Softwood comes from conifer, which usually remains evergreen.

2) The amount of precipitation depends on the forest location. 3) In the northern boreal forests, the winters are long, cold and dry, while the short summers are moderately warm and moist. 4) The leaves of coniferous trees resemble needles. 5)The needles normally stay on the tree year-round, producing evergreen colour.

Ans: Following are the main characteristics of coniferous forest: Limited species of trees are found. These trees are evergreen and grow apart from each other. Trees are conical shaped with needle shaped leaves and trees are found in large groups.