Features of Temperate Forests

The temperate forest is an area of the world that has high levels of precipitation and humidity. They contain a wide variety of deciduous trees, which are trees that lose their leaves in the winter. The temperatures of the temperate forests vary based on the four seasons. It is typically hot in the summer with high temperatures of 86 degrees and cold in the winter. These areas receive large amounts of precipitation in the form of rain and snow. Eastern Asia, Central and Western Europe, and the Eastern United States are some areas of the world that are made up of this type of biome. Since there are large amounts of rainfall in the temperate forest regions there is a wide variety of plant life in the temperate forests. There plants can be considered the producers for this biome and include maple trees, walnut trees, birch trees, dogwoods, redbuds, azaleas, mountain laurel, huckleberries, blue bead lily, indian cucumber, linchens, and mosses. These different plants are divided into several layers including the forest canopy, small tree, shrubs, herbs, and floor tier. There are also a wide variety of animals that live in the temperate forest region including insects and spiders, wolves, foxes, bears, coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, eagles, rabbits, deer, skunks, squirrels, raccoons, squirrels, moose, and hummingbirds. Many of these animals hibernate during the winter in order to survive in the cold temperatures and wake up in the spring when there is more food. available. Some store food and burrow underground and some migrate to warmer regions to escape the cold in the winter time. These animals can be considered the consumers of this specific environment. In the winter the leaves fall off of the trees. In the spring time the sunlight quickly warms the plants that grow on the ground since there is a lack of shade. These plants take advantage of the abundance of sunlight because once the leaves grow back on the trees photosynthesis does not occur as quickly