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.