- What is the temperate forest?
- Characteristics of the temperate forest
- Temperate forest fauna
- Temperate forest flora
- Temperate forest relief
- Location of temperate forests
We explain what the temperate forest is, its flora, fauna, relief and other characteristics. Also, where is it located.
What is the temperate forest?
Temperate forests are, as their name implies, the woods characteristic of regions temperate climate of the two hemispheres of the planet. His weather it is characterized by an average annual temperature of 18 ° C and average rainfall between 600 mm and 2000 mm per year.
However, their specific conditions vary enormously between seasons and geographical locations. In other words, they are very diverse in nature, although they are usually very humid (between 60 and 80% constant).
They are organized based on five layers of vegetation:
- An initial layer of mosses and lichens, at the level of the I usually.
- A secondary layer of grass and plants crawling.
- A third layer of shrubs, such as blueberries or blackberries.
- A fourth layer of young trees, already with a certain height.
- A last layer of trees around 60 feet tall.
The soil of this type of forest is usually fertile and rich in nutrients, given the abundant fall of leaves, branches and other organic material which then decomposes.
Characteristics of the temperate forest
These forests occupy large areas of abundant and uniform precipitation. Their temperatures they follow the seasonal pattern, since the seasons are clearly differentiated from each other.
It is common to find them before the appearance of taigas, with which they can get confused. They are distinguished from other, thicker forests in that they have a much less thick and dense canopy, so that the sky can be seen from the understory.
Temperate forest fauna
The fauna of the temperate forest is diverse, although not as diverse as in the tropical forests. Many of his native species hibernate during the period of frost, escaping the deadly cold to resurface in the spring. This means that they are not very visible animals, some of nocturnal habits, others hidden in the grass.
On the other hand, there are a significant number of birds, insects and rodents, as well as large herbivores (deer, elk, wild boar, deer), ferocious hunters and omnivores (bears, foxes, Wolves, wildcats). Squirrels, salamanders and woodpeckers are also frequent.
Temperate forest flora
In some forests species deciduous, adapted to the arrival of cold, with possible frosts and snowfalls, while in others conifers are the majority, thus giving rise to temperate forests deciduous or temperate forests of conifers.
Mixed, broadleaf deciduous and evergreen evergreen forests are also common. In these forests you can find the famous sequoias, giant trees capable of reaching 275 meters in height throughout their thousands of years of existence, generally in North American temperate forests.
Other typical temperate forest species are maple, fir, spruce, and other seed trees, such as walnut.
Temperate forest relief
The relief of these forests is very diverse. It can occur in plains, valleys or moutains indistinctly, depending on your geographic region. It is in the flatter regions where the greatest human concentration on the planet is found, probably to take advantage of the richness of the soil for agricultural work.
Location of temperate forests
The main locations of this type of forest are in the northern regions of North America (much of the United States, Alaska, Canada), Europe (Scandinavia, England, Finland) and Asia (Russia, especially Siberia, but also China).
In the southern hemisphere, however, they are found in the southern regions of Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina. These are the forests that prelude the different polar zones of each hemisphere, in which plant life is already much more difficult.