Well, Taiga biomes occur in Canada, and in parts of Europe and Asia. (MBGnet)  Taiga covers about 11% of the earth.  The "main lowland" of the taiga is between longitudes of 70 degrees north and 45 degrees north, mostly between 60 and 50 degrees north. (Day, pgs 2-3)

Basically, cold and wet.

The average winter temperature in the Taiga is between a chilly -60 degrees (F) and 30 degrees F. The winters are very long, lasting up to six months a year. (Day, pg. 1)

The average summer temperature is between 20 degrees and 70 degrees. (MBGnet)

The Taiga receives between 12 and 33 inches of percipitation yearly.

Most of the Taiga's percipitation occurs in the summer months. (MBGnet)

The growing season in the Taiga lasts about 3 months or less. (Day, pg 1)

Conifers, mostly. In the dark taiga, which is the name used to specify whether the lighter leaves or darker leaves grow there, spruces are most common, with some firs as well. Some examples of spruces are the Norway spruce, and the yeddo spruce. Some firs are balsam fir and the Siberian fir.

In the light taiga, pines and larches are more commonly found. Some pines are the jack pine and the ponderosa pine. An example of a larch is the tamarack, the most widespread larch in North America.

Also, some broad leaved trees thrive in the taiga.  The most common broad leaved trees in that taiga are birches, aspens, and poplars.  But because these trees lose their leaves in the winter, they are at a disadvantage in taiga.  They require more light and nutrient rich soil than conifers because they must grow their leaves back annually. 

There are also many epiphytes such as algae, lichens, and moss that grow upon the shrubs that grow under the canopy of trees in tha taiga. These shrubs grow in patchy sections on the forest floor. (Day, pgs. 59-67)

Insects: Mosquitos and gnats both populate taiga.  Siberian moths swarm during the summer months to lay their eggs among the conifers. (Day 73-4)

Reptiles and amphibians: The Siberian salamandercan survive in freezing temperatures. Interesting fact- The lacertid lizard and European viper do not lay eggs because of the threat of cold spells during the summer. They give birth to mini versions of their adult selves. (Day, 75-6)

Birds: There are tons of birds that migrate from the south to the taiga.  This includes the North American black-capped chickadee, the Eurasian willow tit, and warblers to name a few. (Day 76-80)

Small mammals: The number of animals in the taiga is pretty small because of the temperatures during the winter.  So some small mammals are the ermine, beaver, and the weasel. (Taiga Animal Printouts)

Large mammals: Some examples of large mammals are Caribou, brown and black bears, and musk ox (Taiga Animal Printouts)

In Russia, there is the worlds oldest, deepest freshwater lake, Lake Baikal. (Baikal, bring us together) You will also find hills and swampy river valleys. (Physical features of the....) Akey feature of the Taiga is its abundant natural resources. (Russian far east...)