U.S. Temperate Deciduous Forest By: Maryssa Rae Walley

What is the U.S. Temperate Deciduous Forest? Temperate Deciduous Forests are broad-leaf forests with trees that shed leaves seasonally. Deciduous means the shedding of leaves annually. In the fall, trees change colors and lose their leaves in order to prepare for winter. The trees have a thick bark and go into a period of sleep to adapt to the winter. The trees grow back and flower when the spring and summer seasons come back around.

Soil type and Precipitation The soil type is what allows the forest trees to do what it is that they do. The type of soil for temperature deciduous forests are mull soils. These soils have a high level of organic matter close to the surface that is well mixed with mineral matter. Temperate means not subject to prolonged extremes of hot or cold weather. Because the temperate deciduous forest has hot, wet summers and cold winters, the temperature varies widely. The average yearly temperature is about 10˚C or 50˚F. The deciduous forest areas get about 750-1500 mm of precipitation spread throughout the year.

Location of this Biome: This type of Biome is located in the mid-latitude areas; this means they have both warm and cold seasons. A biome is where a biotic community of plant and animal species are maintained under climatic conditions of the region. They are found between the polar regions and the tropics where there are warm, moist summers, and mild winters. The regions of the forests are exposed to warm and cold air masses. Because of that, the area has 4 seasons.

Climatogram

Plants and their Adaptations American Beech: It is tall and wide with pale, gray bark. This type of tree grows best in deep, rich, moist, well- drained soils and has a shallow root system to adapt well with temperate deciduous forests. Carpet Moss: This is a simple rootless evergreen plant that carpets the ground. It is widely adaptable to a variety of habitats but especially adaptable to deciduous forests because of the base of trees in deciduous woodlands. Common Lime: Also known as the Linden Tree, is a tall stately tree typically seen grown in old growth forests. This tree adapts to deciduous forest because it is Broad-leaved, meaning it has relatively broad leaves rather than needles.

Plants and their Adaptations Lady Fern: This plant adapts especially to deciduous forest because it is a deciduous perennial fern. They grow on meadows, open thickets, moist woods, and along stream beds. Northern Arrowwood: This plant has oval deciduous leaves. It adapts well to deciduous forests because it prefers wetland areas along rivers, streams, and lakes. Shagbark Hickory: This tree has ashy, dry, and rusty gray bark. They typically grew among oak trees. It adapts especially to temperate deciduous forests because it grows in well-drained soils.

Animals and their Adaptations American Bald Eagle: Known as one of the largest flying birds and called “a bird of bad moral character”. Being an amazing predator and an environmental helper allows them to adapt to deciduous forests. American Black Bear: Its coat for cold winters and claws for climbing trees allow them to adapt to this environment. Coyote: These animals can live almost anywhere but adapt to deciduous forests because they have lots of prey to feed off of and are used to open grasslands.

Animals and their Adaptations European Red Squirrel: They prefer to live in forests such as this. Their large ear tufts in the winter that disappear in the summer help them to adapt to deciduous forests. Their claws allow them to climb quickly to keep safe in the environment. White-tailed Deer: These deer are highly active. Their protective coloring or camouflage is what allows them to hide in the undergrowth and adapt. Symbiosis, where two organisms live together in close relationship, is shown between the White-tailed Deer and carpet moss. The deer feeds on green plants such as this. This relationship would be considered commensalism, where one organism benefits while the other is neither benefited or harmed.

Endangered/Invasive Species An endangered species for the Temperate Deciduous Forest is the Gray Wolf. The reason for this is because humans continue to move in on the animals territory and kill off wolves that kill their animals. A ban on hunting for gray wolves is trying to be enforced to prevent people from killing the species. An invasive species for the Temperate Deciduous Forest are Wineberries. They are dense thickets of prickly red canes that cover large areas of the eastern part of the United States. The problem is that they are displacing the native plants and are growing vigorously. Wineberries can be prevented by simple cultural control. Scientists recommend searching new treefall gap areas and pulling up any seedlings.

Human Impact There are many threats that humans cause that affect the forests. One is that the air pollutants are killing the wildlife and poisoning the soil. Another threat is acid rain, which damages leaves and decreases production of fruit from trees. Humans need to take precautions for what they do to the environment. We also should limit the amount of resources we use. It is essential for us to keep our ecosystem clean and safe for a sustainable future for other species.

Citations Ouarkziz Impact Crater, Algeria : Image of the Day. (n.d.). Ouarkziz Impact Crater, Algeria : Image of the Day. Retrieved October 9, 2014, from http://www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=77851 Temparate Deciduous Forest. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Retrieved October 8, 2014, from http://www.britannica.com/ Deciduous Forest. (n.d.). Blue Planet Biomes. Retrieved October 8, 2014, from http://blueplanetbiomes.org/ Organisms. (n.d.).                              Temperate Deciduous Forest. Retrieved October 9, 2014, from http://taylorstemperateforest.weebly.com/organisms.html History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian. (n.d.). History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian. Retrieved October 9, 2014, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science- nature/