Download The Temperate Rain Forests

The Temperate Rain Forests
Description Of The Land Forms Of The Area
The temperate rain forest has lots of trees and rivers. Sometimes
the temperate rain forest even has a few mountains. The
temperate rain forest is mostly green due to all the trees and
plants.
Climate / Weather Conditions & How It Affects Plants
& Animals
Rainfall is heavy in all months. The total annual rainfall is
often more than 250 cm. There are seasonal differences in
monthly rainfall but temperatures of 27°C mostly stay the
same. Humidity is between 77 and 88%.
High surface heat and humidity cause cumulus clouds to
form early in the afternoons almost every day
Plants receive lots of water and are able to grow tall. Many
plants are able to survive in this climate leading to many
species of plants. Many species of plants lead to many
ecological niches allowing for many species of animals to live
there without necessarily competing for the same resources
Four Plants That Live In The Rain Forest
Coastal Giant Redwood: The trees grow naturally only along a norrow
belt on the Northern California coastline. They live in moist, humid
climates. The fog proiveds them with the kind of conditions they need to
grow in.
Douglas Fir: The leaves are flat, soft, linear and completely encircle the
branches. These generally resemble those of the firs.
Sitka Spruce: The needles are light green to bluish-green, stiff, and sharp.
They are four-sided but slightly flattened with two white bands running
along the upper surface and two narrower bands along the lower surface.
Western Red Cedar: The Western Red Ceder has drooping branches that
turn up at the tip. The trunk spreads out at the base. Western Red Cedar
has large number of cones bent backward along the branches.
Coastal Giant Redwood
Douglas Fir
Sitka Spruce
Western Red Cedar
Four Animals That Live In The Rain Forest
Songbirds: These birds are often altogether more mechanicalsounding. This group contains over 4000 specieces found all over the
world.
Flying Squirrels: Flying squirrels are not capable of powered flight like
birds or bats. However, they glide between trees. They are capable of
obtaining lift within the course of these flights, with flights recorded to
90 meters.
Black Bears: It is the continent's smallest and most common bear
species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly
depending on season and location.
Raccoons: It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length
of 40 to 70 cm and a body weight of 8 to 20 pounds. The raccoon is
usually nocturnal and is omnivorous. It also has a greyish coat.
Songbird
Black Bears
Flying Squirrels
Raccoons
10 Interesting Facts About the Ecosystem
1. The temperate rain forest exists right in the US along the coastline of the Pacific
Northwest and in Canada, and Alaska.
2. Temperate rain forests are formed in the Pacific Northwest because the coastal
mountain ranges trap the air masses full of moisture that rise from the Pacific
Ocean.
3. As this moisture condenses into rain it creates lush rain forests with trees like the
Coastal Redwood in California that grow to enormous sizes.
4. Two-thirds of all temperate rain forests are in the Pacific Northwest.
5. The trees grow to enormous sizes since the winters are mild and the rain is
abundant.
6. Many epiphytes are found in the temperate rainforests. Epiphytes are plants that
grow on other plants.
7. Like the tropical rain forest, the temperate rain forest is divided into three layers.
8. Some of the trees may be up to 500 to 1000 years old and the trunk can be more
than 100 feet around.
9. Most of the animals in the temperate rain forest live on or near the forest floor.
10. Standing in the rain forest, it's usually warm, but most of the time wet.
Human Impacts / Pollution
Some of the environmental threats against the ecosystem is that they cut
down trees for timber and other places in the forest are used to drill for
oils and metals, animals also die because they're habitats get
destroyed or they are poisoned by pollution.
The Importance Of The Ecosystem & How It Can Be
Preserved
Only 0.1% of the earth’s entire land surface is covered by
temperate rainforest. Although small, they play many critical
roles.
They are a source of potential medicinal cures for everything
from cancer to the common cold.
They provide critical habitat for thousands of species of plants
and animals, including endangered species such as the Northern
goshawk and the grizzly bear.
They perform an important role as lungs of the earth, helping to
absorb carbon dioxide and slowing global warming.
Biblography
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperate_rainforest
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/biomes/biomes.tempforest.animals.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/biomes/biomes.tempforest.plants.html
http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/temprain.htm
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/temprain/temprain.html
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/projects/jason/xv/docs/TempRain.pdf