Geography Found between 30 degrees and 55 degrees latitude Majority is found between 40 degrees and 50
degrees latitude
Climate Four Seasons
Warm Summer, Cold and silent Winter, Noisy Spring, Colorful Fall
Summer mean temperature is 21°C
Yearly mean temperature is 10°C
Rainfall ranges from 650mm to over 3,000mm per year
Plants and trees shed their leaves in winter and grow them back in spring
Climate: Deciduous Temperate Forests
Dominate majority temperate forests
Moist growing season, up to 4 months long
Winters last 3 to 4 months
Although snow fall may be heavy, winters are relatively mild
Climate: Coniferous Temperate Forests
Summers are dry and unpleasant, subject to summer droughts
Winters are intense
Conifers are more abundant than deciduous trees
Any deciduous trees present are largely restricted to streamside environments
Coniferous forests of the Pacific Coast of North America receive most of their precipitation during fall, winter, and spring
Biology Can be as great or greater than tropical forests
Vertically stratified : Herb layer, Shrubs, Understory and Canopy ranging from 40m to 100m
Some of the highly important consumers are fungi, bacteria and a diversity of microscopic invertebrates
Small birds make nests in the shrubs, because the tall trees protect them from the intense weather.
Animals have to withstand various weather conditions, like wet, dry, and warm, climate. They also have to be used to rain and snow.
Animals in the Temperate Forest depend upon one another in a complex food chain.
Human Influence Forests are cut and burned
for buildings, expansion, agriculture and lumber
1-2% of old-growth forests remain in North America
Animals are killed in the process and hunted for fur, feathers, and other human desires