| Term: | Boreal forest |
| Definition: | The forested region that adjoins the tundra along the arctic tree line. It has two main divisions: its northern portion is a belt of taiga or boreal woodland; its southern portion is a belt of true forest, mainly conifers but with some hardwoods. On its southern boundary the boreal forest passes into "mixed forest" or "parkland," prairie, or steppe, depending on the rainfall. |