Download - Deciduous Forest
Deciduous Forest
What is a deciduous forest?
• Deciduous means “falling off or at a certain season”
• Leaves fall off of trees in the winter
The Five Zones
1. The Tree Stratum
2. Small Tree and Sapling
3. Shrub
4. Herb
5. Ground
Where Are They?
Eastern North America
Middle EuropeSome parts of Asia
ChileEastern Coast of Paraguay
New ZealandSoutheastern Australia
Climate
• The Deciduous Forest has a Moist Continental Climate
• 4 seasons
• Generally mild (summer: 70 degrees, winter: 32 degrees)
• Rainfall - 14 inches during winter and 18 inches during summer
• Oceans cause climate
Soil
• Fertile
• Great agriculture regions are found here
• Most deciduous forests found in North America are second growth forests
Threats
• Air pollutants from burning fuels kill wildlife and poison the soil
• Humans interfere with the cycles of natural forest fires
Threats Continued
• Acid rain damages leaves and causes production of smaller fruit and less seeds used in reproduction.
• Global Warming is steadily increasing temperatures which causes less precipitation. This leads to less growth in the forests.
More Threats
• Clearing land for agriculture and logging
• Human occupation
• Introduction of non-native plants and animal species cause competition for food and habitats which results in the endangerment of native species
• Mining causes forest not to re-grow on damaged and depleted soils
Animal Adaptations
• The Downy Woodpecker has adapted to live in the deciduous forest.
• Reinforced head and sharp beak • Barbed tongue• Ability to eat insects and berries outside of tree
Plant Adaptations
• Flowering plants have adapted to living in the deciduous forest
• Pollen for insufficient water supply
• Showy flowers aid in capturing of pollen
Links of Interest
• http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/tempded.htm
• http://inchinapinch.com/hab_pgs/terres/d_forest/td_forest.htm
• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/deciduous_forest.htm