Temperate Deciduous Forest
Gracie, Aaron, Dylan
Geography
Most temperate deciduous forests are located in the eastern United States, Canada, Europe, China, Japan, and parts of Russia. Deciduous forests are broken up into five zones: the tree stratum zone, small tree and sapling zone, the shrub zone, the herb zone, and the ground zone. Deciduous forests are in grassy, rugged areas such as the Appalachian mountains.
Meteorology
Temperate deciduous forests have four changing seasons including winter, spring, summer, and fall. Precipitation in deciduous forests fall throughout the year but in winter it falls as snow. Average yearly precipitation is 30-60 inches. Summers are mild and average about 70 degrees Fahrenheit while winter temperatures are often well below freezing. The average temperature in deciduous forests is 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Plants
How much do you know about the plants in the Temperate Deciduous Forest? There are many different types of plants in the forest. There is carpet mosses, its apart of the 5th zone it covers the forest floor like a thick carpet, that’s why it is called the carpet moss. Huckleberries are apart of the 4th zone, these berries grow in the wild, many animals eat these berries for food. Magnolia trees are apart of the 1st zone, this tree feels the forest with colorful bright pink flowers. The trees in this forest have to adapt from the seasons changing from warm to cold. The leaves go through a colorful cycle for all the different seasons when the weather is changing. Many more plants are in the forest but way too many to talk about.
Animals
How many animals do you think live in the Temperate Deciduous Forest? Quite a few actually. The animals that live in this forest have to adapt to the changes in weather. The summers are hot and the winters are cold. Some of the animals hibernate or migrate to get away from the cold. An animal that is good a adapting to the cold weather is a black bear, it is also one of the biggest animals in the forest . It has thick fur and had claws to get there food. They are omnivores so they eat both plants and animals. The bear hibernates during the winter months and stores food during the other months. The cardinal is a animals that also lives in this forest also. They make their nest in shrubs that grow on the forest floor and some in trees. These birds fill the forest with their red color and make the forest colorful and full of their wonderful trill. One of the smaller animals that live in the forest are frogs. They hang around the wetter places and stay on leaves. They are creatures that feel the forest with the trill of their croaks. There are a lot more animals in the forest but way to many to talk about.
How people harm the forest.
Temperate forests are important to society, as they provide many resources such as oxygen, food, and wood. However we harm this biome in several ways. One of the ways is acid raid, acid rain can damage leaves, harm seeds, and leave the trees vulnerable. Another way is land clearing, this can make animals lose homes, and reduce the oxygen in this biome. The final way is introducing non-native plants and animals to this environment, which can decrease food and possibly kill out a species.
How people can help the forest.
On the other hand, are many ways to help this biome from ourselves. The first way is by recycling. You can recycle by using cloth and not paper, using less paper and using both sides, and by buying recycled paper. By recycling you can prevent precious trees being cut down which provides homes and oxygen to the animals. The next way to help this biome is to ride in vehicles less. You can ride a bike to school on clear mornings or carpool. By using vehicles less you are cutting down the amount of acid rain. Another way to help this biome is to look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label when shopping for furniture or wooden products. The label indicates that the trees that where cut down didn't harm the biome, and grew in a proper forest.