power. The climate in the boreal forest is characterized by long, very cold, dry winters and short, cool, moist summers. The boreal forest is teeming with life. To describe it, let's begin with the trees that make up the forest canopy. There are about 20 species of them, and most are coniferous, which means that they produce their seeds in cones. Spruce, fir, pine, and tamarack are the main species found in the Canadian boreal forest. Except for tamarack, which drops its needles every fall, they remain green all year. Broad-leaf deciduous trees, such as trembling aspen, balsam poplar, and birch, are also widely distributed across the boreal forest. Coniferous trees are particularly well suited to the harsh boreal climate. Their conical shapes reduce snow buildup on branches in winter, so that they do not break under the snow load. Their narrow needles have thick waxy coatings which protect the trees from drying winds. These needles have tiny pores which allow gases to move in and out of the trees: this is how they "breathe." These pores are sunken into the waxy layer, to help reduce water loss. In order to grow, plants need to photosynthesize -- a process that converts energy in sunlight into food for the plant. To thrive in the short boreal summers, conifers have adaptations to help maximize photosynthesis. For example, because their foliage remains green year-round, conifer trees can photosynthesize in the spring without having to grow leaves first. In fact, they can even photosynthesize