The taiga biome is found mainly in Canada, Russia, northern parts of the US, Japan, and parts of Europe. It has a short summer and experiences temperatures below freezing for half the year. The taiga is a coniferous forest dominated by spruce, hemlock, and fir trees and has a less diverse animal population than other forest biomes. The soil in the taiga is acidic due to decomposition of pine needles and leaching of nutrients, resulting in spodosol soils.