Temperate Rainforest

By: Brianna(:

Location

Abiotic Factors

Temperature- Remains 60 degrees throughout the yearSoil- very fertileRainfall- Up to 150 inches of rain falls in the temperate rain forest each year.Season- The spring is when the trees come to life and start to grow. Plants with fruit become ripe and the fruit are eaten or drop to the ground so seeds can be scattered. Other plants cast their seeds in the wind or have animals help spread the seeds. The humid, moist woods are a perfect climate for fungi to grow. In the fall things change. Animals breed and start getting ready for the winter and plants stop growing. The climate also starts to drop and trees begin to lose their leaves.

Biotic Factors

Vegetation- Tree species such as: coastal redwood, big-leaf maple, giant hemlock, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, and giant eucalyptus. Animals- Squirrels, deer, elk, chipmunks, Great-horned owls, etc.

Fungi- Lichens and moss

Plant adaptationsBark- In drier, temperate deciduous forests a thick bark helps to limit moisture evaporation from the tree's trunk. Since this is not a concern in the high humidity of tropical rainforests, most trees have a thin, smooth bark. The smoothness of the bark may also make it difficult for other plants to grow on their surface.

Lianas- Lianas are climbing woody vines that drape rainforest trees. They have adapted to life in the rainforest by having their roots in the ground and climbing high into the tree canopy to reach available sunlight. Many lianas start life in the rainforest canopy and send roots down to the ground.

Leaves- The leaves of forest trees have adapted to cope with exceptionally high rainfall. Many tropical rainforest leaves have a drip tip. It is thought that these drip tips enable rain drops to run off quickly. Plants need to shed water to avoid growth of fungus and bacteria in the warm, wet tropical rainforest.

Animal Adaptations

• Birds migrate for winter• Many animals have camouflage fur.• Deer and black bears, are drowsy during the

hot summer days and become more active during the cool nights.

• Some animals live in burrows, trees, or the forest floor.

Interactions

• Male deer grow large antlers for fall mating rituals. Males fight against each other by locking antlers in front of females.

• Animals mate in the spring.• Male songbirds sing songs to attract females.

Human interactions

-The biggest human interactions is logging.

Human activities threaten rainforests. It takes temperate rainforests several hundred years to mature, and so fires pose a lasting danger. Another threat is clearing of rainforests to use the land for farming, plantations, dams or mining. Rainforest timber is valued for its beauty and usefulness. However, rainforest trees grow slowly so it is not economical to grow them in plantations for timber.

Bibliography

http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/rforest/plants/adapt.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/biomes/biomes.tempforest.climate.html

http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/biomerainfor5.htm