temperate forest is created when high amounts of precipitation fall in a temperate area (i.e. - one with winters).
temperate forest is created when high amounts of precipitation fall in a temperate area (i.e. - one with winters).
Within the forest, many trees dominate the view, and there are often shrubs and undergrowth making passage difficult. The ground is typically covered in mosses and lichens. The light is typically green, being filtered through the leaves in the upper canopy.
Winters and summers are obvious in a temperate forest. The trees are largely deciduous, and so when the snow and ice cover the ground, the trees are barren, and the sky is clearly visible. During the summer, the leaves come out, the snow melts, and lush vegetation and life is there for all to see.
The growing season in a forest is typically around 6 months.
| average yearly high: | 30C |
|---|---|
| average yearly low: | -30C |
| average yearly precipitation: | 75-150 cm |
| average daily high: | |
|---|---|
| average nightly low: | |
| average daily precipitation: |
| average daily high: | |
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| average nightly low: | |
| average daily precipitation: |
The most notable feature of the vegetation of a temperate forest is that most of the trees are deciduous: they lose their leaves in the winter. This results in a thick layer of rotting leaves and moss covering the ground when the snow is absent.
Ecological diversity is moderate: typically 3-4 tree species can be found per square kilometer.
The trees are typically 60-100 feet high, and similar species of trees tend to grow in any particular region.
mosses and lichens (on tree trunks and on the ground)
Trees: oak, hickory, beech, hemlock, maple, basswood, cottonwood, elm, willow, sourwood, dogwood, redbud
wild herbs
Shrubs: rhododendron, azaleas, mountain laurel, huckleberries
Creepers: wild grape, poison ivy, Virginia creeper
Some species of animals hibernate during the winter months when the food is scarse.
Small mammals: gray squirrel, chipmunk, rabbit
Birds (resident): woodpeckers, chickadees, blue jay
Birds (migratory): warblers, wrens, thrushes, tanagers, hummingbirds
white-tail deer
skunk
racoon
opossum
beaver
mountain lion
bobcat
timberwolf
coyote
fox
bears (of various species: black, brown, grizzly)
