1. Forest Biome
Forest Climate
Forest Plants
Forest Animals

2. Forest Climate Until . . . During the summer, it gets hot!
During the winter, it
gets cold.
Until . . .

3. . . . Elevation comes into effect !
The higher you go up into the mountain:
the colder the temperature gets,
the thinner the air gets (thus making it harder to breath),
and the less you see plants growing there.
As you go down the mountain:
you start to feel warmer,
your breathing becomes easier,
and you enjoy the sight of beautiful plants and animals!

4. Forest Biome
Forest Climate
Forest Plants
Forest Animals

5. In a forest biome, you will find three main layers!
Forest Plants
A deciduous forest generally has 3, 4, or even 5 layers of plants.
The forest floor (5th layer) is the soil, dead plants and animals waiting to rot away. It includes a ground layer of lichens, clubmosses, an true mosses. *Lichens and mosses also grow on the trunks of trees.
The 4th layer is an herb layer. This is where the grasses and wildflowers grow .
Other plants, bushes and small trees make up the understory (also known as the shrub layer-3rd layer).
The 2nd layer includes saplings and shorter kinds of trees.
The top layer (1st layer) is where the trees are and it is known as the canopy layer.
In a forest biome, you will find three main layers!
. . . Or maybe more!
5 Layer Forest

6. Effects on Plant Life
* The soil, water, sunshine, temperature, rainfall, and fire influence what plants and trees grow in an area.
* But, each plant is different. Thus, all the elements effect each plant in different ways.
For example:
Trees are classified into two types of trees.

7. Coniferous Trees
Coniferous trees are trees that grow needles instead of leaves, and cones instead of flowers. Conifers tend to be evergreen, that is, they bear needles and stay green all year long. These adaptations help conifers survive in areas that are very cold or dry. Some of the more common conifers are spruces, pines, and firs.
Temperature: -40°C to 20°C, average summer temperature is 10°C
Precipitation: 300 to 900 millimeters of rain per year. The amount of precipitation depends on the forest location. In the north, the winters are long, cold and dry, while the short summers are moderately warm and moist. In the south, precipitation is more evenly distributed throughout the year.

8. Deciduous Trees
Deciduous Trees are notable for going through four seasons. During the fall, their leaves change color, then they begin to lose them. This is in preparation for the winter season. Because it gets so cold, the trees have adapted to the winter by going into a period of dormancy or sleep. This is how the trees survive. They also have thick bark to protect them from the cold weather. Deciduous trees’ flowers begin to grow again during spring and continue throughout the summer.
Some common deciduous tress, also known as Broadleaf trees, are oaks, maples, beeches, hickory, and chestnut.   
Temperature: -30°C to 30°C, yearly average is 10°C. The temperature varies widely from season to season with cold winters and hot, wet summers.
Precipitation: 750 to 1,500 mm of rain per year
New Jersey has both characteristics of a deciduous and coniferous forest, meaning you can find both deciduous trees and coniferous trees there.

9. Forest Biome
Forest Climate
Forest Plants
Forest Animals

10. Here are various types of animals that live in a forest!
Forest Animals

11. In the End,
Every animal and plant is part of an ecosystem.
An ecosystem is a community of plants and animals interacting with their environment. Every living thing depends on each other to survive!

12. For example:
Trees and plants provide food, oxygen and shelter for animals.
The animals in return eventually die, rot and fertilize the soil so that trees and plants get their food. They also help with starting new tree and plant growth.
Both plants and animals help control the land’s climate.

13. Forest BiomeQuestions
Summers are typically hot and winters cold, but what impacts the “normal” weather or climate?
What happens to plant life as elevation increases?
How many layers are in a forest biome? Identify each layer.
What are 3 things that effect what type of plant life grows in a biome?
Describe a coniferous tree.
Describe a deciduous tree.
Create a graphic organizer that helps explain the example of how an ecosystem works.