Temperate Deciduous Forests

By Marli Milano

World Distribution

CLIMATE

The annual temperature ranges from -50 to 50˚C

± 50 cm of precipitation annually, up to 200 cm in colder areas

Summer and winter are distinct seasons

climate

Broadleaf trees› Oak, maple, beech,

hickory, chestnut, magnolia, birch, linden, sweet-gum, walnut, elm, sycamore, ash

Also spruce, fir, pine trees Perennial herbs Mosses, lichens, shrubs

wildflowers, ferns, mushrooms,

FLORA

flora

flora

FAUNA

Insects, spiders, slugs, frogs, snakes, turtles, salamanders

Birds: broad-winged hawks; snowy, screech, horned owls; various woodpeckers; hummingbirds; chickadees; wild turkeys; bald, eagles; etc.

Mammals: opossum, white-tailed deer, raccoons, red foxes, coyotes, porcupines, gray and red squirrel, chipmunk, skunk, black bear, mice, weasels, platypus

fauna

fauna

Food Chain

Food Chain

Instrumental Values to Humans

Temperate deciduous forests have many uses for humans including: wood for

building, land for agriculture and stone for mining (once trees are eliminated),

places to live, and animals to hunt.

Mining in Germany where there was once a deciduous forest

Threats to Deciduous Forest Biomes

Industrial air pollutants Acid rain Disease and pests Clear cut logging Clearing land for

agriculture Mining Global warming Introduction of invasive

species Human occupation

Clear Cut Logging & Deforestation

Clear cut logging and deforestation are a locus of concern for deciduous forests because these forests are habitat to a wide variety of animal

and plant species. Clear cut logging takes away the trees in which many animals make their

homes, making endangerment more likely, and it takes away the biodiversity in types of trees.

Deforestation, as well, takes away habitats from plants and animals to make room for houses and

industry.

Limiting Factors

Limiting factors of the temperate deciduous forest biome include:

rainfall, outward industrial expansion, deforestation etc.

References

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/deciduous_forest.htm http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/tempded.htm http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Experiments/Biome/graphs.php#temperate http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Experiments/Biome/biotemperate.php http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep8c.htm http://www.radford.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/tbdf/tbdf.html http://inchinapinch.com/hab_pgs/terres/d_forest/td_forest.htm