Temperate Rainforest Period 2 Ann Guinee, Meredith Wootton, and Gabriela Venditti

Characteristics  Coniferous/broadleaf trees  High rainfall  Mosses, ferns and epiphytes are common  Fungi acts as decomposers  More nutrients than in the tropical rainforest  Huge amount of biomass concentration  Old-growth forests: some trees growing over two thousand years!  Impressive redwood species  Covers very small percentage of the earth

Map

Climate  cm of annual precipitation  Mean annual temperature 39-54º F  4 distinct seasons  Winters rarely below freezing  Wet and dry seasons  Coastal fog adds moisture to the environment during dry seasons

Tourism/Seasonal  Forestry and Fisheries-See the connection between the surrounding forests and the fisheries!  Visit during summer. You will find the eighty degrees F pleasantly warm while the natives complain about the sweltering heat. Also have a chance to see the wide variety of wildlife day and night.

Animal Adaptation: Slug  Never get desiccated, due to the high humidity and lack of sun  High variety of all slugs

Plant Adaptation: Evergreen Conifers  Evergreen broadleaf trees are replaced by evergreen conifers, which are better adapted to shed snow and photosynthesize in cold temperatures.

Keystone Species: Elk  Elk prevent overgrowth  Pack the ground  Tear off branches  Non- migratory only in this biome

Environmental Threats: Logging  Most temperate rainforests are old-growth  Old growth trees provide different niches for animal species  Most trees here are high ecological succession: not good for plantations  Taking out the forest highly increases risk of flooding

Works Cited  mprain.htm mprain.htm  _forests_ctrf.html _forests_ctrf.html  st-zy st-zy  xv/docs/TempRain.pdf xv/docs/TempRain.pdf