temperate forest

Examples of temperate forest in the following topics:

• Temperate Forests

  • Temperate forests are characterized by fluctuating seasonal temperatures and constant-but-moderate rainfall.
  • Because of the dormant period, the net primary productivity of temperate forests is less than that of tropical wet forests.
  • In addition, temperate forests show less diversity of tree species than do tropical wet forest biomes.
  • The trees of the temperate forests leaf out and shade much of the ground; however, this biome is more open than tropical wet forests because trees in the temperate forests do not grow as tall as the trees in tropical wet forests.
  • The soils of the temperate forests are rich in inorganic and organic nutrients due to the thick layer of leaf litter on forest floors.

• Boreal Forests and Arctic Tundra

  • The boreal forest, also known as taiga or coniferous forest, the world's largest terrestrial biome, is found south of the Arctic Circle and across most of Canada, Alaska, Russia, and northern Europe.
  • The net primary productivity of boreal forests is lower than that of temperate forests and tropical wet forests.
  • Plant species diversity is less than that seen in temperate forests and tropical wet forests.
  • Boreal forests lack the pronounced elements of the layered forest structure seen in tropical wet forests.
  • The structure of a boreal forest is often only a tree layer and a ground layer .

• Ecological Pyramids

  • However, during the summer in a temperate forest, the base of the pyramid consists of few trees compared with the number of primary consumers, mostly insects.
  • Even in smaller numbers, primary producers in forests are still capable of supporting other trophic levels.

• Biogeography

  • At about 30 degrees north, these forests would give way to deserts, which are characterized by low precipitation.
  • Eventually, grasslands are replaced by deciduous temperate forests.
  • These deciduous forests give way to the boreal forests found in the subarctic, the area south of the Arctic Circle.
  • The forest gardenia (Gardenia brighamii), for instance, is endemic to Hawaii; only an estimated 15–20 trees are thought to exist .
  • Listed as federally endangered, the forest gardenia is a small tree with distinctive flowers.

• Ferns and Other Seedless Vascular Plants

  • They dominated the landscape of the Carboniferous, growing into tall trees and forming large swamp forests.
  • The single genus Equisetum is the survivor of a large group of plants known as Arthrophyta, which produced large trees and entire swamp forests in the Carboniferous.
  • More than 20,000 species of ferns live in environments ranging from tropics to temperate forests.

• Energy Sources

  • For instance, plants in the understory of a temperate forest are shaded when the trees above them in the canopy completely leaf out in the late spring.
  • The spring beauty is an ephemeral spring plant that flowers early in the spring to avoid competing with larger forest trees for sunlight.

• Plant Adaptations to Life on Land

  • Ferns, which are considered an early lineage of plants, thrive in damp and cool places such as the understory of temperate forests.

• Temperate Grasslands

  • Temperate grasslands are areas with low annual precipitation, fluctuating seasonal temperatures, and few trees.
  • Temperate grasslands are found throughout central North America, where they are also known as prairies, and within Eurasia, where they are known as steppes .
  • Temperate grasslands have pronounced annual fluctuations in temperature, with hot summers and cold winters.
  • Fires, mainly caused by lightning, are a natural disturbance in temperate grasslands.
  • When fire is suppressed, the vegetation eventually converts to scrub and dense forests.

• Habitat Loss and Sustainability

  • The neighboring island of Borneo, home to the other sub-species of orangutan, has lost a similar area of forest, and forest loss continues in protected areas.
  • A five-year estimate of global forest cover loss for the years 2000–2005 was 3.1 percent.
  • In temperate and boreal regions, forest area is gradually increasing (with the exception of Siberia), but deforestation in the tropics is of major concern.
  • Long-lived and healthy wetlands and forests are examples of sustainable biological systems.
  • (a) One sub-species of orangutan is found only in the rain forests of Borneo, while the other sub-species of orangutan is found only in the rain forests of Sumatra.

• Tropical Wet Forest and Savannas

  • Compared to other forest biomes, tropical wet forests have little variation in seasonal temperatures.
  • Tropical wet forests have more species of trees than any other biome.
  • Epiphytes are found throughout tropical wet forest biomes.
  • For this reason, forest trees do not grow as well as they do in the tropical wet forest or other forest biomes.
  • Tropical wet forests, such as the forests of Madre de Dios near the Amazon River in Peru, have high species diversity.