Features of Temperate Forests

The temperate forest is an area of the world that has high levels of precipitation and humidity. They contain a wide variety of deciduous trees, which are trees that lose their leaves in the winter. The temperatures of the temperate forests vary based on the four seasons. It is typically hot in the summer with high temperatures of 86 degrees and cold in the winter. These areas receive large amounts of precipitation in the form of rain and snow. Eastern Asia, Central and Western Europe, and the Eastern United States are some areas of the world that are made up of this type of biome. Since there are large amounts of rainfall in the temperate forest regions there is a wide variety of plant life in the temperate forests. There plants can be considered the producers for this biome and include maple trees, walnut trees, birch trees, dogwoods, redbuds, azaleas, mountain laurel, huckleberries, blue bead lily, indian cucumber, linchens, and mosses. These different plants are divided into several layers including the forest canopy, small tree, shrubs, herbs, and floor tier. There are also a wide variety of animals that live in the temperate forest region including insects and spiders, wolves, foxes, bears, coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, eagles, rabbits, deer, skunks, squirrels, raccoons, squirrels, moose, and hummingbirds. Many of these animals hibernate during the winter in order to survive in the cold temperatures and wake up in the spring when there is more food. available. Some store food and burrow underground and some migrate to warmer regions to escape the cold in the winter time. These animals can be considered the consumers of this specific environment. In the winter the leaves fall off of the trees. In the spring time the sunlight quickly warms the plants that grow on the ground since there is a lack of shade. These plants take advantage of the abundance of sunlight because once the leaves grow back on the trees photosynthesis does not occur as quickly and their food supply goes down. In the spring the animals that have been hibernating for the entire winter wake up and begin to search for food again. The vegetation of the temperate forest is a major food source for many of these animals. One major threat to the temperate forests of the world is development and agriculture. Since this region receives plenty of rainfall and has soil that is ideal for planting it is the main environment for humans to occupy. Forests are chopped down to create housing and roadways and the plants and animals that live there are affected. Another threat to this type or environment is logging. The large amount of hardwood trees are cut down in order to make lumber. These trees are denser than other types of trees and therefore they grow much more slowly. Another threat for this region is acid rain that is caused by burning coal. This creates global warming which changes the rainfall patterns and affects the vegetation of the area. All of these threats affect the biodiversity of the entire system. The changing rainfall patterns, logging, and construction affect the vegetation, which is a major food source for the animals that live in these regions. Some abiotic factors of the temperate forest include temperature, water, cloud cover, soil, and light. These abiotic factors play a major role in the forest and affect all of the living creatures that live there. The temperature in the temperate forest are typically mild and comfortable. This is because of the moist air from the Pacific Ocean. The summers are normally hot and the winters are cold. There is plenty of rainfall in this area. Other forms of precipitation include ice and snow. This is a very foggy region due to all of the moisture even in the dry season. This area contains large amount of nutrient rich soil since there are large amounts of decaying organic matter from the leaves that fall from the trees and dead vegetation. The large amount of rainfall and nutrient rich soil allows trees to grow very tall and plants to be plentiful. Even though much of the sunlight in these areas is blocked by clouds and fog the vegetation still thrives.