Temperate Deciduous Forest

What kind of Biome is this?

The temperate deciduous forest is a biome that is always changing.
It has four distinct seasons: winter, spring, summer and fall.
Temperate deciduous forests get between 30 and 60 inches of
precipitation a year.
Precipitation in this biome happens year round. Because the soil
is very fertile and hardwood trees are good for building, this
biome has some of the world's largest population centers in it.
Abiotic Factors:
1. Wind
Strong winds make branches and trees fall, beginning the
decomposition process that returns nutrients captured in plants
back to the soil. However, less noticeable winds are no less
important. White trilliums, a small plant, rely on winds to spread
pollen, fertilizing nearby plants.
But winds also pick up particles from exposed soil, spreading not
only dirt, but any bacteria or fungal microorganisms that may be
present in the soil. Long periods of strong winds can even be
responsible for spreading disease through a forest.
2. Water
Water is nonliving, and plants and animals rely on it for
survival. Whether falling on the forest plants as rain or
drank by animals from a pond or slow-moving stream, life
in the forest would not be able to survive without it.
Rainfall is also a critical factor in the deciduous forest; the
constant precipitation keeps soil moist without being wet,
making it one of the most fertile biomes.
3. Temperature
Warm spring months ease the plants and animals back to life,
encouraging animal reproduction with the development of new
leaves and plants.
The warmer summer months allow these animals long enough to
raise their young, often allowing them to set off on their own
prepared to fend for themselves by the fall.
As the temperature starts to drop, the trees of the deciduous
forest lose their leaves and go into a state of hibernation. This
temperature cue is critical for the animals as well, some of whom
begin storing food for the winter months while others gorge
themselves in preparation for hibernation.
The long winter months mean a struggle for survival during the
long period when the deciduous forest is snow-covered. Plants

and animals alike structure their habits and life cycles around
this time.
4. Sunlight
All plants need sunlight to survive, and it is this basic building
block of life that has formed much of the structure of the
deciduous forest.
Trees are encouraged to grow tall; the taller the trees, the more
sunlight is available to the leaves of the canopy. Beneath these
tall, established trees are a shorter layer, often close to the
ground.
These ferns and shrub-like bushes tend to be varieties that
thrive in shady conditions, as they have to survive on what
sunlight makes it through the trees. In turn, many of the
herbivores in the forest are species that have adapted to live on
these smaller plants.
Types of Producers:
Producers are any kind of green plant. Green plants make their food by
taking sunlight and using the energy to make sugar. The plant uses this
sugar, also called glucose to make many things, such as wood, leaves, roots,
and bark. Examples such as:
1. CARPET MOSS
Genus: Mnium
Species: hornum
2. WHITE OAK
Genus: Quercus
Species: alba
3. LADY FERN
Genus: Athyrium
Species: felix-femina
Types of Consumers:
There is great diversity of life in this biome. Insects, spiders, slugs, frogs,
turtles and salamanders are common. Birds like broad-winged hawks,
cardinals, snowy owls, and pileated woodpeckers are also found in this
biome. Mammals include white-tailed deer, raccoons, opossums,
porcupines and red foxes.
1. Broad Winged Hawks
2. Red Fox
3. Salamander