Download TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST

TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS
FOREST
What is a deciduous forest?
A DECIDUOUS FOREST is used to describe a type of forest
trees shed their leaves during the cold months of the year
and re-grow new leaves the next Spring.
The major characteristic is that it has 4 DISTINCT SEASONS!
LOCATION
• Eastern third of the
North America
• western Europe
• China, Korea, Japan
and Australia
• southern tip of South
America
• The only part of
Texas that has
this type of forest
is far East Texas
General Characteristics
• Temperature changes drastically from season to
season.
• Annual rainfall ranges from around 50 cm -200 cm
• Soil is nutrient rich
• Trees are spread further apart which allows some
sunlight to reach the forest floor
One more Characteristic
•Has 5 layers
 Tree stratum, the tallest layer, 60 -100 feet high, with
large oak, maple, beech, chestnut, hickory, elm,
basswood, linden, walnut, or sweet gum trees.
 Small tree or sapling layer - short tree species and
young trees.
 Shrub layer - shrubs like rhododendrons, azaleas,
mountain laurels, and huckleberries.
 Herb layer - short plants.
 Ground layer - lichens, club mosses, and true mosses.
Discuss with your
neighbor:
• What would make the soil in a temperate deciduous forest
nutrient rich?
– The leaves that fall off the trees every year decay and
return the nutrients to the soil
• What is a characteristic that temperate deciduous forests
and rainforests have in common?
– They both have layers
• What are two differences between temperate deciduous
forests and rainforests?
– Soils – temperate is nutrient rich, rainforest is poor
– Floor – temperate receives some sunlight, rainforest
receives none
Plant Adaptations seen in the Deciduous
Forest
Leaves are broad to
collect as much
sunlight as possible.
Trees drop their leaves in the
winter to prevent water loss
during the colder months.
Also, there is less direct
sunlight in the winter, which
means less photosynthesis! So
Look at the above features of the deciduous forest. deciduous
With the trees
person
dropseated
their next
to you take a few minutes to consider how the characteristics
pictured
help the
leaves to conserve
energy.
Trees have thick
bark to protect
against harsh
winters
plant to survive. When the teacher calls time be ready to share your answers with
the class-remember to raise your hand!
How are water and nutrients transported
in trees?
The plants vascular system
(Xylem and Phloem)
• Xylem – carries the •
water from the roots
to the rest of the
plant.
Phloem – carries the glucose
made during photosynthesis
from the leaves to the rest of
the plants cells – to provide
energy.
Remember – Up the xylem, down the phloem,
that’s the way the stuff is flowin’
Xylem and phloem are adaptations found in most plants. Mosses
and some water plants are exceptions.
Photosynthesis – How producers (plants), or
autotrophs, make food
• Plants get water through the roots, carbon
dioxide from the air, and energy from the sun
(radiant energy) to make food (energy) in the
form of sugar and they also produce Oxygen.
Spring
• bulbs use the free light before trees grow
leaves and block the light from reaching the
forest floor.
SUMMER
• Leaves from the trees block out light to forest
floor (flowers die) main season for
photosynthesis in trees.
AUTUMN
• Temperatures decrease, the tree cuts off the supply of water
to the leaves and they fall off.
• Leaf litter increases during autumn and decomposes over
the year.
• The leaves cannot produce chlorophyll (which makes the
leaves green) without water and sunlight causing them to
change into beautiful red, yellow and orange colors.
The lack of
chlorophyll is the
reason for the color
changes in the
leaves!
WINTER
• It’s too cold for the trees to protect their leaves from
freezing.
• Losing their leaves helps trees to prevent
water loss through transpiration.
• Before the leaves die, the food and energy in the
leaves are pulled back into the tree so it is not lost.
Turn to your neighbor:
• Describe what happens in the deciduous
forests’ vegetation during the:
Spring
Summer
Fall
Why is it important
that the leaves fall off
in the winter?
Winter
Animal Adaptations seen in the Deciduous
Forest
Physical
Migration- Behavioral
Many animals from birds and geese to small
mammals move to
warmer
climates in the winter months. •Thick fur
•Migration
Hibernationseveral types of animals including
bears will hibernate in the
•Hibernation
•Camouflage
winter months to survive the harsh climate when food is scarce.
•Food Storage
Food Storage- In preparation for the winter, squirrels and other animals
will store food to last them through the harsh winter months.
With a partner
Thick fur and layers of adipose
tissueyou
(fat)help animals to survive
Imagine
arealso
an animal
dropping temperatures. in the Deciduous Forest Biome.
What types of Adaptations would be
Camouflage
Helpful for your survival?
*Consider both Physical and Behavioral
Adaptations.
Deciduous
Food
Web
2. What
would
the source
fox Forest
andof
owl
all
of the birds
and rodents were
3. What
is happen
the
onlyto
food
theif insects?
Answer:from
Producers
removed
the food(plants)
web? and Deer
Study
theThey
food
web
and
answer the questions
Answer:
would
not above
be able to
survive.
Answer: producers
1. What Two organisms provide food for the Grizzly Bear?
that come up with your partner.
Human Impact on the Deciduous
Forest Biome
•Human settlements are often found near these forests because of
their rich soils
•Turn to your partner and discuss how this would hurt the forest?
•Biggest threat is agriculture (farming, ranching, logging)• cutting down the forest in any way called DEFORESTATION
-This is a problem because it decreases the populations of native
species, and trees take a long time to grow back, habitats are
destroyed.
- The rate of weathering and erosion will increase with less
vegetation.
-When people move into the area, so does pollution.
-Burning coal can cause acid rain and global warming (may
change rainfall patterns.)
How the forest recovers….
Watch the succession
Clip by clicking
on the link
Forests can recover loss of ecosystems by a process called:
SUCCESSION
Succession is the natural, and gradual changes
in the types of plant species that live in an area; 2
types can be primary or secondary.
Primary Succession
• Begins in a place without any
soil
– Sides of volcanoes
– Landslides (when new rock is
exposed)
− Glaciers in other biomes
(because nothing lived under
the glacier)
• Starts with the arrival of living
things such as lichens that do
not need soil to survive (lives on
rock and helps break them
down- first species to arrive is
called the PIONEER
SPECIES
Secondary Succession
• Begins in a place that already has soil and was once
the home of living organisms
• Occurs faster and has different pioneer species than
primary succession (because soil is already there)
• Example:
after forest fires
The plants and animals
have to come back
gradually
Climax Community
• A Stable, end stage of ecological succession
in which plants and animals of a
community use resources efficiently and
equilibrium (a balance) is maintained.
• Does not always mean big trees
• –Grasses in prairies
• –Cacti in deserts
Summary of Characteristics
•Drastic seasonal changes
•Rich soils good for agriculture
•Animals have to adapt to the
changing seasons
•Less dense than rainforests
•Leaf litter increased during
autumn and decomposes over the
year.
SUMMARY QUESTIONS
• List and explain at least 2 adaptations that increase the
survival of organisms in a deciduous forest.
• What kind of events can occur to slow or restart ecological
succession?
• What impact does succession have on an ecosystem?
• A construction crew has cleared a local forest of all its trees.
What type of succession would occur? If this clearing is left
untouched for 100 years describe the steps of succession that
would occur