By:
Maryssa Rae Walley
 Temperate Deciduous Forests are broad-leaf forests
with trees that shed leaves seasonally. Deciduous
means the shedding of leaves annually. In the fall,
trees change colors and lose their leaves in order to
prepare for winter. The trees have a thick bark and go
into a period of sleep to adapt to the winter. The trees
grow back and flower when the spring and summer
seasons come back around.
 The soil type is what allows the forest trees to do what
it is that they do. The type of soil for temperature
deciduous forests are mull soils. These soils have a
high level of organic matter close to the surface that is
well mixed with mineral matter.
 Temperate means not subject to prolonged extremes
of hot or cold weather. Because the temperate
deciduous forest has hot, wet summers and cold
winters, the temperature varies widely. The average
yearly temperature is about 10˚C or 50˚F. The
deciduous forest areas get about 750-1500 mm of
precipitation spread throughout the year.
 This type of Biome is located in the mid-latitude
areas; this means they have both warm and cold
seasons. A biome is where a biotic community of plant
and animal species are maintained under climatic
conditions of the region. They are found between the
polar regions and the tropics where there are warm,
moist summers, and mild winters. The regions of the
forests are exposed to warm and cold air masses.
Because of that, the area has 4 seasons.
 American Beech: It is tall and wide with pale, gray bark.
This type of tree grows best in deep, rich, moist, welldrained soils and has a shallow root system to adapt well
with temperate deciduous forests.
 Carpet Moss: This is a simple rootless evergreen plant that
carpets the ground. It is widely adaptable to a variety of
habitats but especially adaptable to deciduous forests
because of the base of trees in deciduous woodlands.
 Common Lime: Also known as the Linden Tree, is a tall
stately tree typically seen grown in old growth forests. This
tree adapts to deciduous forest because it is Broad-leaved,
meaning it has relatively broad leaves rather than needles.
 Lady Fern: This plant adapts especially to deciduous
forest because it is a deciduous perennial fern. They
grow on meadows, open thickets, moist woods, and
along stream beds.
 Northern Arrowwood: This plant has oval deciduous
leaves. It adapts well to deciduous forests because it
prefers wetland areas along rivers, streams, and lakes.
 Shagbark Hickory: This tree has ashy, dry, and rusty
gray bark. They typically grew among oak trees. It
adapts especially to temperate deciduous forests
because it grows in well-drained soils.
 American Bald Eagle: Known as one of the largest
flying birds and called “a bird of bad moral character”.
Being an amazing predator and an environmental
helper allows them to adapt to deciduous forests.
 American Black Bear: Its coat for cold winters and
claws for climbing trees allow them to adapt to this
environment.
 Coyote: These animals can live almost anywhere but
adapt to deciduous forests because they have lots of
prey to feed off of and are used to open grasslands.
 European Red Squirrel: They prefer to live in forests such as
this. Their large ear tufts in the winter that disappear in
the summer help them to adapt to deciduous forests. Their
claws allow them to climb quickly to keep safe in the
environment.
 White-tailed Deer: These deer are highly active. Their
protective coloring or camouflage is what allows them to
hide in the undergrowth and adapt.
 Symbiosis, where two organisms live together in close
relationship, is shown between the White-tailed Deer and
carpet moss. The deer feeds on green plants such as this.
This relationship would be considered commensalism,
where one organism benefits while the other is neither
benefited or harmed.
 An endangered species for the Temperate Deciduous Forest
is the Gray Wolf. The reason for this is because humans
continue to move in on the animals territory and kill off
wolves that kill their animals. A ban on hunting for gray
wolves is trying to be enforced to prevent people from
killing the species.
 An invasive species for the Temperate Deciduous Forest are
Wineberries. They are dense thickets of prickly red canes
that cover large areas of the eastern part of the United
States. The problem is that they are displacing the native
plants and are growing vigorously. Wineberries can be
prevented by simple cultural control. Scientists
recommend searching new treefall gap areas and pulling
up any seedlings.
 There are many threats that humans cause that affect
the forests. One is that the air pollutants are killing
the wildlife and poisoning the soil. Another threat is
acid rain, which damages leaves and decreases
production of fruit from trees.
 Humans need to take precautions for what they do to
the environment. We also should limit the amount of
resources we use. It is essential for us to keep our
ecosystem clean and safe for a sustainable future for
other species.
 Ouarkziz Impact Crater, Algeria : Image of the Day. (n.d.). Ouarkziz
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Temparate Deciduous Forest. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Temperate Deciduous Forest.
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