The temperate forest biome covers latitudes ranging approximately from the southern United States to southern Canada, while the taiga biome, also known as boreal forest, extends from the latitude of southern Canada to about 60 degrees north latitude. (see References 1, References 3) Thus, these two biomes are adjacent, which explains the many similarities between taiga and northern temperate forests. Both biomes have four distinct seasons, but the temperate forest climates cover a much wider range of temperatures and precipitation patterns. Taiga, in contrast, is reliably cold: most of the precipitation falls as snow, winters are severe and the growing season is short -- about 130 days compared to 140 to 200 days for temperate forests.
