Blake's Honors Biology Blog: Temperate Forest Travel Blog

Temperate Forest

Have you ever spent a day walking through a forest, observing its beauty? If you answered no, then I am inclined to inform you that you have been missing out on something truly spectacular. Truthfully, I would feel no insult if you packed your bags right now and set out to experience this phenomena without even reading what I have to say next. However, it may be in your best interest to learn a little bit about forests before you embark on your journey. Particularly, I will be introducing you to a specific type of forest known as a temperate forest. But before I go to the what, I must first mention the where.

So where in the world are temperate forests? Well, they can be found in Eastern and Western United States, Eastern Asia, Eastern Australia, Central and Western Europe, and in the very bottom region of South America (particularly Chile). To better visualize the regions where they exist, the map below marks the world's temperate forests in black.

http://apestemperateforest.weebly.com

Abiotic Features:

The Temperate Forest is know to receive high levels of precipitation. It has a annual precipitation between 20 and 60 inches, with rainfall occurring in every month of the year. In addition to rainfall, temperate forests also receive precipitation in the form of snow. As for its temperature, its average temperature for a year is 50 degrees F. However, during the winter the temperature can drop to lows of -22 degrees F, and during the summer the temperature can reach highs of 86 degrees F. Day to day, to weather is known to change frequently. The best time to travel to one of these forests would be during the spring, because temperatures shouldn't drop below freezing, and there shouldn't be any snow. As far as clothing goes, it would be best to bring a rain jacket, in addition to layers of clothing to avoid getting cold. Most of the time, you should be able to remove the most layers. Another essential is to have a good pair of sneakers.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Experiments/Biome/graphs.php

http://pulitzercenter.org/slideshows/sichuan-province-jiuzhaigou-national-park-ecosystem-biodiversity-logging

The soil type of the temperate forest is very rocky and sandy. However, the top layer of the soil is covered by an organic layer made up of decomposed plants and animals. Overall, the soil is very poor in mineral nutrients.

http://www.ri.net/schools/West_Warwick/manateeproject/Temperateforest/land.htm

The sunlight on the forest floor is quite poor. This is because the tall trees block nearly all of the sunlight from passing through.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricketts_Glen_State_Park

The tall trees help provide shelter to animals on the floor below. Squirrels, raccoons, and insects can all take shelter in hollow trees. Dead trees provide maybe the best shelter. They are perfect places for small animals like rabbits and squirrels. Additionally, shelter can be found underground, as some animals can dig burrows, as well as in caves, which can hold any animal, even bears.

Biotic Features:

Primary Producers: Trees, shrubs, grasses, ferns, and flowers. Some specific examples include Pine Fur, Hemlock, Sequoias, Sweet Gum, and Spruce. These plants use their chlorophyll to create food. Coniferous trees, which create a large canvas that covers 70% or more of the sky, produce an abundant amount of edible seeds.

http://www.morganarboretum.org/ENGLISH/nature/flowers.html

Primary Consumers: Herbivores such as deer, rodents, birds, and insects. These animals depend on plants for their source of food.

Secondary Consumers: Include amphibians, raccoons, insects, and bigger birds. They eat plants, small animals, and insects.

Tertiary Consumers: These include wolves, bears, cougars, and any big animal at the top of the food chain. These animals depend on both plants and other animals.

http://truthbehindthetriangle.edublogs.org/2011/08/07/bermuda-forest/

Decomposers: Fungi, Bacteria, Worms. Fungi are the most important decomposers. Fungi and Bacteria break down cellulose, which allows tree trunks and leaves to decompose and return their nutrients to the soil.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/fungi/fungi.html

Food Web:

http://pulpbits.com/7-diagrams-of-rainforest-animals-food-chain/temperate-rainforest-food-chain-2/

Human Influence: The human population is impacting the forests by deforestation, hunting, and pollution. In the areas where deforestation occurs, due to either logging or farming, the soil loses nutrients and the potential for plant growth. This can further lead to soil erosion. Next up, hunting can cause the interruption of biodiversity and the balance of the food chain. Invasive species can arise which can threaten many inhabitants of the temperate forest. Lastly, acid rain is a very destructive pollution from the mixture of car and power plant exhaust with rain causing the death of trees and plants, as well as animals in lakes or ponds.

http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/en/campaigns/ancient-forests/threats/

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/features/ancient-forest-summit-ends/

http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/atmospheric/acid-rain.htm

Many evolutionary adaptations have allowed plants and animals to survive within the temperate forest biome. The trees have broad green leaves and have an apical dominance which helps capture sunlight. Also trees have developed into deciduous trees, which lose their leaves as the temperature becomes cold during the winters. The trees are not able to protect their leaves as the temperature drops, so they cut off the supply of water to the leaves and then shed the leaves. As spring arrives and the temperature becomes wrier, the trees grow new leaves. Animals have also adapted to the cold temperatures by either migrating to warmer climates or hibernating. Some animals have a symbiotic relationship by sharing a den for warmth. Some animals grow a heavy winter coat which they lose in the summer. Lichens are very important in temperate forests by producing nitrogen which helps with fertilization of the forest. Lichens exists as a symbiotic relationship between fungi and cyanobacteria or alga. Lichens, as well as mosses have adapted by becoming epiphytic. They grow on trees in a symbiotic relationship and continue to move higher on the trees where they receive more sunlight and can stay away from herbivores.

http://design-newyork.com/blog/page/46/

Symbiotic Relationships also occur in any case where a seed is eaten by a consumer. The consumer benefits in this situation by obtaining food to eat, and the plant benefits in this situation by spreading its seeds to a new location (wherever the consumer releases its feces).

Sources: