Temperate Deciduous Forests Created By: Rey Mark John Bautista and Lorenzo Pepito
THE ROLE OF FORESTS Forests provide habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals and perform many other important functions that affect humans. Forests provide habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals and perform many other important functions that affect humans. Forests also prevent erosion, the wearing away of soil by wind and rain. Forests also prevent erosion, the wearing away of soil by wind and rain. In bare landscapes with little or no vegetation, heavy rains fall uniformly over large areas and can wash soil into rivers and streams and cause landslides and flooding. In bare landscapes with little or no vegetation, heavy rains fall uniformly over large areas and can wash soil into rivers and streams and cause landslides and flooding. This leads to ecosystems that are deprived of both water and soil, which are quickly carried away in rivers and streams. This leads to ecosystems that are deprived of both water and soil, which are quickly carried away in rivers and streams.
THE ROLE OF FORESTS In forested areas the forest canopy (treetops) intercepts and gradually re-distributes precipitation that would otherwise cause this flooding and erosion—some of the precipitation flows down the bark of the trunks as stemflow, the rest percolates through the branches and foliage as throughfall. In forested areas the forest canopy (treetops) intercepts and gradually re-distributes precipitation that would otherwise cause this flooding and erosion—some of the precipitation flows down the bark of the trunks as stemflow, the rest percolates through the branches and foliage as throughfall. This slower and nonuniform distribution of the rain ensures that soil and water will not be immediately carried away. This slower and nonuniform distribution of the rain ensures that soil and water will not be immediately carried away. In addition, the roots of the trees and other vegetation hold the soil in place and prevent flooding and clouding of streams and rivers. In addition, the roots of the trees and other vegetation hold the soil in place and prevent flooding and clouding of streams and rivers.
THE ROLE OF FORESTS Forests also increase the ability of the land to capture and store valuable water. Forests also increase the ability of the land to capture and store valuable water. The canopy is especially efficient at capturing water from fog—condensed, cloudlike water vapor—which it distributes, like precipitation, into the vegetation and soil. The canopy is especially efficient at capturing water from fog—condensed, cloudlike water vapor—which it distributes, like precipitation, into the vegetation and soil. Water stored in tree roots, trunks, stems, and foliage, as well as the soil of the forest floor, enables forests to maintain an even flow of water in rivers and streams in times of heavy precipitation or drought. Water stored in tree roots, trunks, stems, and foliage, as well as the soil of the forest floor, enables forests to maintain an even flow of water in rivers and streams in times of heavy precipitation or drought.
What is a Temperate Deciduous Forest? A Temperate Deciduous Forest is… forests composed of deciduous species forests composed of deciduous species Precipitation tends to throughout the year. Precipitation tends to throughout the year. Temperate deciduous fall forests are almost entirely confined to the Northern Hemisphere, where they occur in three major tracts. Temperate deciduous fall forests are almost entirely confined to the Northern Hemisphere, where they occur in three major tracts. it has four seasons: it has four seasons: 1. Spring 2. Summer 3. Fall/Autumn 4. Winter
WHAT DOES DECIDUOUS MEAN? The word "deciduous" means exactly what the leaves on these trees do: change color in autumn, fall off in the winter, and grow back again in the spring. This adaptation helps trees in the forest survive winter.
AMOUNT OF RAINFALL PER YEAR If you look at the graph to the right, you'll see that next to the rainforest, the temperate deciduous gets the second-most amount of rainfall per year. In the winter, precipitation (rainfall) is in the form of sleet, snow, and hail. The average rainfall is 30 to 60 inches per year. The average temperature of the forest is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
HOW DO DECIDUOUS TREES & PLANTS SURVIVE THE CHANGING SEASONS? Deciduous trees and plants have special adaptations to stay alive. Summer is a busy time for deciduous trees. Their broad leaves capture energy from the sun and convert it to food by photosynthesis. Some of the food is used for growth and some is stored in the roots for next spring. During the shorter days and cooler weather of autumn, green chlorophyll in the leaves begins to decompose, revealing brilliant oranges, yellows, and reds. These colors were present in the leaves all year long, but had been hidden by the green pigment of the chlorophyll. To prepare for winter, deciduous trees and plants become dormant. They loose their leaves and seal the places where leaves were attached with a protective covering called a leaf scar. If they kept their leaves, the water in the leaves would freeze into ice, damaging the leaves and leaving the plant vulnerable to bacteria or fungi. Plants also make a concentrated sugar solution to stop water from freezing in their stems. The longer days and warmer weather of spring signal to the trees to grow new leaves and begin photosynthesis again.
WHERE ARE THE PLACES THAT YOU CAN FIND TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTS? Temperate deciduous forests are the type of forest found in the eastern United States. In Europe, the zone of deciduous and mixed forests stretches from the British Isles and France through central and eastern Europe as far as the Ural Mountains. In East Asia, these forests clothe the Russian Far East, Korea, and Japan. Their counterparts in North America occupy most of the area from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean and south to the Gulf of Mexico.
WHERE ARE THEY LOCATED? Temperate deciduous forests are located primarily in the eastern half of the: 1.United States 2.Canada 3.Europe 4.parts of Russia 5.China 6.Japan
Black walnut and butternut Drop leaves before they turn Locust Stays green until leaves drop Ash Plum purple Red maple, dogwood, sassafras, and scarlet oak Dark red Sugar maple and sumac Flame red and orange Oak, beech, larch, elm, hickory, and sycamore Tan or brown Poplar, birch, tulip tree, willow Yellow
ANIMALS LIVING IN TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTS ►D►D►D►During the winter months it is usually frozen and less is available for animals to drink. ►A►A►A►Animals living within this biome must adjust to cold winters and hot summers by: ►h►h►h►hibernating ►m►m►m►migrating ►k►k►k►keeping active all winter ►L►L►L►Leaves fall off trees here in the fall, leaving animals with less cover to hide themselves from predators.
GROUPS OF PLANTS THAT LIVE IN TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTS AAAAlthough widely separated, these deciduous forests are much alike, not only in appearance but also in the groups of plants that compose them: 1.b irches 2.h ornbeams 3.a lders 4.b eeches 5.o aks 6.c hestnuts 7.l indens 8.e lms 9.w alnuts 10.m aples 11.a shes