Temperate Deciduous Forest
Location
• Deciduous Forest can be found in the eastern half of
North America as well as parts of Asia and Europe
• Average rainfall is about 30 to 60 inches per year
• Average annual temperature is 50 Degrees
Fahrenheit
Five Zones of Temperate Forests:
1.) Ground Zone: Linchen,
club mosses, true mosses
2.) Herb Zone: Short plants-herbal plants
3.) Shrub Zone: Rhododendrons,
Azaleas, Huckleberries
4.) Small Tree/Sapling Zone: Young and short trees
5.) Tree Stratum Zone: Oak, Beech,
Maple (height ranges between 60-100 feet)
Four Distinct Seasons:
Spring:
• Days lengthen and get warmer
• Wildlife returns and new leaf and flower buds appear on deciduous trees
• Insects hatch and become food for returning birds, rodents and reptiles
Summer:
• Forest green, food is plentiful
• Animals reproduce
Autumn:
• Daylight shortens and temperatures decrease
• Deciduous trees reduce amount of green chlorophyll in leaves-turn orange,
yellow, red, brown
• Leaves fall and recycled into soil
• Animals store food for hibernating in winter
Winter:
• Forests look lifeless and bare
• Most wildlife hibernate or migrates
• Blanketed in snow for most of winter
Climatograph
Abiotic Components
1.) Wind:
• Fallen branches/ trees begin decomposition process (returns nutrients in
plants back to soil)
• Plants rely on wind to spread pollen to fertilize nearby plants
2.) Water:
• Animals rely on water to survive
• Standing/ slow moving water are habitats for microorganisms (algae)
3.) Temperature:
• Warm temperatures in spring encourage animals to reproduce and new
leaves and plants to develop
• Cooler temperatures cause laves on deciduous trees to change color and
eventually drop. Animals store food for winter or go into hibernation
Biotic Components
1.) Vegetation:
• Lady Fern
• American Beech
• White Birch
• White Oak
• Maple Tree
2.) Animals:
• Black Bear
• Fox
• Squirrel
• Deer
• Brown Bear
• Red Cardinal
• American Bald Eagle
Food Web
What would we lose?
• Keystone species (black/brown bears,
squirrels, fox…)
• Natural resources
• Abundant plant and animal life which are all
apart of the food web, with the natural cause
and effect system, if we lose types of plants
we lose types of animals, and the chain goes
on
What importance does it have to us?
• Fertile soil
• Abundance of trees and plant life
• Hunted animals
• Expensive hardwood trees
used to make furniture
Bibliography
•
T, Connie. "Deciduous Forest Biome ." Blue Planet Biomes. N.p., 2001. Web. 11 Oct
2012. <http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/deciduous_plant_page.htm>.
•
Fink, Martin . "Deciduous Biome." . N.p., 2012. Web. 11 Oct 2012.
<http://biomee.wikispaces.com/Deciduous Biome>.
•
"Nature Works:Temperate Deciduous Forest." nhptv.Org. N.p., 2012. Web. 11 Oct
2012. <http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep8c.htm>.
•
"Temperate Deciduous Forest." Marietta.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct 2012.
<http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/tempded.htm>.
•
Allaby, Michael. Temperate Forests. New York: Facts on File Inc, 1999. Print.