Temperate Deciduous Temperate Deciduous ForestsForests

Created By:Created By:

Rey Mark John BautistaRey Mark John Bautista

andand

Lorenzo PepitoLorenzo Pepito

THE ROLE OF FORESTSTHE ROLE OF FORESTS Forests provide habitat for a Forests provide habitat for a

wide variety of plants and wide variety of plants and animals and perform many animals and perform many other important functions that other important functions that affect humans.affect humans.

Forests also prevent erosion, Forests also prevent erosion, the wearing away of soil by the wearing away of soil by wind and rain.wind and rain.

In bare landscapes with little In bare landscapes with little or no vegetation, heavy rains or no vegetation, heavy rains fall uniformly over large areas fall uniformly over large areas and can wash soil into rivers and can wash soil into rivers and streams and cause and streams and cause landslides and flooding.landslides and flooding.

This leads to ecosystems that This leads to ecosystems that are deprived of both water are deprived of both water and soil, which are quickly and soil, which are quickly carried away in rivers and carried away in rivers and streams.streams.

THE ROLE OF FORESTSTHE ROLE OF FORESTS In forested areas the forest In forested areas the forest

canopy (treetops) intercepts canopy (treetops) intercepts and gradually re-distributes and gradually re-distributes precipitation that would precipitation that would otherwise cause this flooding otherwise cause this flooding and erosion—some of the and erosion—some of the precipitation flows down the precipitation flows down the bark of the trunks as stemflow, bark of the trunks as stemflow, the rest percolates through the the rest percolates through the branches and foliage as branches and foliage as throughfall.throughfall.

This slower and nonuniform This slower and nonuniform distribution of the rain ensures distribution of the rain ensures that soil and water will not be that soil and water will not be immediately carried away.immediately carried away.

In addition, the roots of the In addition, the roots of the trees and other vegetation trees and other vegetation hold the soil in place and hold the soil in place and prevent flooding and clouding prevent flooding and clouding of streams and rivers. of streams and rivers.

THE ROLE OF FORESTSTHE ROLE OF FORESTS Forests also increase the ability Forests also increase the ability

of the land to capture and store of the land to capture and store valuable water. valuable water.

The canopy is especially The canopy is especially efficient at capturing water from efficient at capturing water from fog—condensed, cloudlike fog—condensed, cloudlike water vapor—which it water vapor—which it distributes, like precipitation, distributes, like precipitation, into the vegetation and soil. into the vegetation and soil.

Water stored in tree roots, Water stored in tree roots, trunks, stems, and foliage, as trunks, stems, and foliage, as well as the soil of the forest well as the soil of the forest floor, enables forests to floor, enables forests to maintain an even flow of water maintain an even flow of water in rivers and streams in times of in rivers and streams in times of heavy precipitation or drought.heavy precipitation or drought.

What is a Temperate Deciduous What is a Temperate Deciduous Forest?Forest?

A Temperate Deciduous Forest is…A Temperate Deciduous Forest is… forests composed of deciduous speciesforests composed of deciduous species Precipitation tends to throughout the year.Precipitation tends to throughout the year. Temperate deciduous fall forests are almost Temperate deciduous fall forests are almost

entirely confined to the entirely confined to the Northern Northern HemisphereHemisphere, where they occur in three , where they occur in three major tracts.major tracts.

it has four seasons:it has four seasons:1.1. SpringSpring2.2. SummerSummer3.3. Fall/AutumnFall/Autumn4.4. WinterWinter

WHAT DOES DECIDUOUS MEAN?WHAT DOES DECIDUOUS MEAN?

The word "deciduous" means exactly The word "deciduous" means exactly what the leaves on these trees do: what the leaves on these trees do: change color in autumn, fall off in the change color in autumn, fall off in the winter, and grow back again in the winter, and grow back again in the spring. This adaptation helps trees in spring. This adaptation helps trees in the forest survive winter. the forest survive winter.

AMOUNT OF RAINFALL PER YEAR

• If you look at the graph to the right, you'll see that next to the rainforest, the temperate deciduous gets the second-most amount of rainfall per year.

• In the winter, precipitation (rainfall) is in the form of sleet, snow, and hail.

• The average rainfall is 30 to 60 inches per year. 

• The average temperature of the forest is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

HOW DO DECIDUOUS TREES & PLANTS HOW DO DECIDUOUS TREES & PLANTS SURVIVE THE CHANGING SEASONS?SURVIVE THE CHANGING SEASONS?

• Deciduous trees and plants have special adaptations to stay alive. • Summer is a busy time for deciduous trees. • Their broad leaves capture energy from the sun and convert it to food by

photosynthesis. • Some of the food is used for growth and some is stored in the roots for next

spring.   • During the shorter days and cooler weather of autumn, green chlorophyll in

the leaves begins to decompose, revealing brilliant oranges, yellows, and reds. 

• These colors were present in the leaves all year long, but had been hidden by the green pigment of the chlorophyll.  

• To prepare for winter, deciduous trees and plants become dormant. • They loose their leaves and seal the places where leaves were attached

with a protective covering called a leaf scar. • If they kept their leaves, the water in the leaves would freeze into ice,

damaging the leaves and leaving the plant vulnerable to bacteria or fungi. • Plants also make a concentrated sugar solution to stop water from freezing

in their stems.   • The longer days and warmer weather of spring signal to the trees to grow

new leaves and begin photosynthesis again. 

WHERE ARE THE PLACES THAT YOU CAN WHERE ARE THE PLACES THAT YOU CAN FIND TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTS?FIND TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTS?

Temperate deciduous forests are Temperate deciduous forests are the type of forest found in the the type of forest found in the eastern United States.eastern United States.

In In EuropeEurope, the zone of deciduous , the zone of deciduous and mixed forests stretches from and mixed forests stretches from the the British IslesBritish Isles and and FranceFrance through central and through central and eastern eastern EuropeEurope as far as the as far as the Ural Ural MountainsMountains. .

In In East AsiaEast Asia, these forests clothe , these forests clothe the the Russian Far EastRussian Far East, , KoreaKorea, , and and JapanJapan..

Their counterparts in North Their counterparts in North America occupy most of the area America occupy most of the area from the Great Lakes to the from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean and south to the Atlantic Ocean and south to the Gulf of Mexico.Gulf of Mexico.

WHERE ARE THEY LOCATED?

• Temperate deciduous forests are located primarily in the eastern half of the:

1. United States 2. Canada 3. Europe 4. parts of

Russia5. China 6. Japan

Black walnut and butternut Drop leaves before they turn 

Locust Stays green until leaves drop

Ash Plum purple

Red maple, dogwood, sassafras, and scarlet oak

Dark red

Sugar maple and sumac Flame red and orange

Oak, beech, larch, elm, hickory, and sycamore

Tan or brown

Poplar, birch, tulip tree, willow Yellow

ANIMALS LIVING IN TEMPERATE ANIMALS LIVING IN TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTSDECIDUOUS FORESTS

► During the winter months it is usually frozen and less is During the winter months it is usually frozen and less is available for animals to drink.available for animals to drink.

► Animals living within this biome must adjust to cold winters Animals living within this biome must adjust to cold winters and hot summers by: and hot summers by:

► hibernatinghibernating► migratingmigrating► keeping active all winterkeeping active all winter► Leaves fall off trees here in the fall, leaving animals with Leaves fall off trees here in the fall, leaving animals with

less cover to hide themselves from predators. less cover to hide themselves from predators.

GROUPS OF PLANTS THAT LIVE IN GROUPS OF PLANTS THAT LIVE IN TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTSTEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTS

Although widely separated, these deciduous forests are much Although widely separated, these deciduous forests are much alike, not only in appearance but also in the groups of plants alike, not only in appearance but also in the groups of plants that compose them: that compose them:

1.1. birches birches 2.2. hornbeams hornbeams 3.3. alders alders 4.4. beeches beeches 5.5. oaks oaks 6.6. chestnuts chestnuts 7.7. lindens lindens 8.8. elms elms 9.9. walnuts walnuts 10.10. maples maples 11.11. ashesashes