Hemiboreal


Hemiboreal means halfway between the temperate and subarctic zones. The term is most frequently used in the context of ecosystems.

Botany

A hemiboreal forest has some characteristics of a boreal forest, and also shares features with temperate-zone forests to the south. Coniferous trees predominate in the hemiboreal zone, but a significant number of deciduous species, such as aspens, oaks, maples, ash trees, birches, beeches, hazels, and hornbeams, also occur.

Climate

The term sometimes denotes the form of climate characteristic of the zone of hemiboreal forests—specifically, the climates designated Dfb, Dwb and Dsb in the Köppen climate classification scheme. On occasion, it is applied to all areas that have long, cold winters and warm summers—including areas that are semiarid and arid based on average annual precipitation.

Examples

Examples of locations with hemiboreal climates or ecosystems include: