Effects of Humans

Temperate deciduous forests are very important to humans.  They are a major producer of food, oxygen and lumber.  However, humans have many negative effects on these forests.  An example is acid rain.  Acid rain is rain infused with chemicals from industrial emissions and vehicle emissions.  The rain damages the seed production of trees and the leaves of trees.  Mass logging of these forests is also a major threat.  Loggers cut down large areas of these forests at a time without letting others grow back.  Humans have also been introducing invasive plant and animal species to temperate deciduous forests.  These species override the native species, competing for food and limited resources, like shelter.

Animals

A white-tailed deer

A bear

A temperate deciduous forest may contain bears, rodents, such as mice and squirrels, coyotes, deer and birds.  They have had to adapt to  the cold, harsh winters or the searing hot summers.  Some animals, like birds, migrate in  the winter seasons to more tropical areas until spring comes again.  Others, such as rodents or mammals typically hibernate in the winter months.  If an animal doesn't migrate or hibernate, it has to have special adaptation to hide from predators in the lack of foliage that comes with the winter season.  Deer have adapted this way in a temperate deciduous forest.  They adopt a grayish pelt color in winter and a reddish pelt in the summer.  Deer are typically solitary, but have adapted to congregate in  huddles for warmth in cold winter months.  Bears have also adapted well to the temperate deciduous forest.  They have developed long claws for climbing trees.  This is a vital adaptation for bears, as they typically make their homes in hollowed trees.  They also have large, thick pelts to keep them warm in winter.  Bears are also omnivores and feed off of plant material, like berries and also feed off of animals, such as small mammals or rodents.  

Plant Life

A sweet gum tree

A temperate deciduous forest is separated into five zones of plant life.  The first zone is the Tree Stratum zone.  It contains tall trees, such as maple, walnut and sweet gum.  This zone typically ranges in heights from 60 to 100 feet.  The second zone is the small tree and sapling zone.  This zone contains young and short trees.  The third is the shrub zone.  It contains shrubs such as mountain laurel and rhododendrons, and many more.  The fourth zone is the herb zone.  It contains  short, herbal plants such as ferns. The final zone is the ground zone, which contains mosses and lichens.

Mosses

Climate and Location

Fall in a temperate deciduous forest

Winter in a temperate deciduous forest

A temperate deciduous forest is a forest that is characterized by hardwood trees that get colored leaves in the fall and whose leaves fall off in winter .  The plants do this because the winter months are very brutal and cold, so it is a bit like hibernation for plants.  The average annual temperature in a temperate deciduous forest is 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit and the average amount of precipitation is 30-60 inches.  They are found in the eastern part of the USA, the middle of Europe and in southwest Russia.  They are also found the on southernmost tip of South America, and eastern China and Japan.