Biomes Chart: Temperate Forests Lesson

Complete the chart for each Biome in this module.

These notes are useful for studying and can be a valuable resource for upcoming Biome assignments.

Temperate Forests Biome

Temperate Forest Biome Image

Deciduous forests can be found all over the world. They are located in the eastern half of North America and the middle of Europe. There are also many deciduous forests in Asia. Some of the major areas that they are in are southwest Russia, Japan, and eastern China. South America has two big areas of deciduous forests, in southern Chile and Middle East coast of Paraguay. There are deciduous forests located in New Zealand and southeastern Australia also.

Temperate deciduous forests are a biome. They experience precipitation all year round. They are classified according to their dominant species of trees. The following video program defines other characteristics of temperate deciduous forests, including dominant vegetation and location. It also addresses seasonal changes, animal and plant life, and adaptations that aid in their survival. The human impact, such as farming and lumbering, is described along with the efforts to protect and preserve. The video is approximately 24 minutes long. Pause the video when necessary to make notes. While watching the video, listen for more information or details about the answers to the following questions:

How does a temperate deciduous forest change from season to season?
How does energy flow through a temperate deciduous forest?
How have the forests of eastern North America changed over the last 20,000 years?
How can people help preserve and protect forests?

The average annual temperature in a deciduous forest is 50° F. The average rainfall is 30 to 60 inches a year. The deciduous forest has four distinct seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In the autumn the leaves change color. During the winter months the trees lose their leaves.

The animals adapt to the climate by hibernating in the winter and living off the land in the other three seasons. The animals have adapted to the land by trying the plants in the forest to see if they are good to eat for a good supply of food. Also the trees provide shelter for them. Animals use the trees for food and for a water source. Most of the animals are camouflaged to look like the ground.

The plants have adapted to the forests by leaning toward the sun. Soaking up the nutrients in the ground is also a way of adaptation.

A lot of deciduous forests have lost land to farms and towns. Although people are trying to protect the forests some poachers are trying to kill the animals in the forests. The animals are losing their homes because of people building their homes.

Complete the following activity:

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