![minnesota template forest minnesota template forest](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FG00sYQ0wJg/XAZI4NYdCnI/AAAAAAAARGo/zTGQj1h9YWwvX0lQYCxwBN5AIvCikWa0gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/keerthy-suresh-cute-stills-in-white-sudithar%2B%284%29.jpg)
The humus feeds the trees and supports a biodiverse community of lichens, mosses, grasses and wildflowers on the forest floor. Fungus, bacteria and insects underground decompose fallen leaves and organic matter quickly, producing a thick layer of nutrient rich soil, which scientists call humus (Not to be confused with hummus, Yum!). If you dig into the ground, you pull through layer upon layer of wet, decaying leaf litter, and white threads of fungus stand out against the dark soil. Leaves from last season crunch noisily underfoot as you scrape through a thick, woody understory. As you walk, tall trees form a leafy canopy above your head, blocking the sun and casting dappled shadows over ground. Take a walk through the northern hardwood forests of Wisconsin, or taste the sap from a Sugar Maple stand in Vermont, and you will know exactly what I mean. Temperate deciduous forests are among the oldest and most beautiful forests in the world. Temperatures can range from -1☌ to -30° C in the winter and 27° to 32° in the summer. Remember, though, precipitation can fall in the form of rain or snow because temperate climates experience all four seasons. If you watch carefully, you can spot another low-pressure zone in the temperate latitudes.ĭue to their global position, temperate forests generally receive about 75-150 cm of precipitation every year (That’s a lot, second only to the Tropics). This is what scientists call a low-pressure zone. (Clouds just can’t handle high pressure situations.) Low-pressure zones are regions of high precipitation. Watch this animation of global air circulation and try to locate regions of the world where the clouds accumulate:Īs you can see, most of the clouds accumulate along the equator. Temperate climates (and all other climates for that matter) are influenced in large part by circulating air currents in the atmosphere. Abiotic Factors: Temperature and Precipitation In the northern hemisphere, they can be found in northeast Asia (China, Korea and Japan), Western Europe, and the eastern third of the United States. In the southern hemisphere, temperate forests can be found on the southern tip of South America and in Eastern Australia. Temperate deciduous forests are found within the temperate latitudes, just like Tropical Rainforests are found within the Tropics (makes sense, right?). Regions that lie between 0° and 23° north and south latitude are called the Tropics, regions between 23° and 66° are called the Temperate latitudes, and regions between 66° and 90° are called the Polar latitudes. These lines of latitude can be grouped into three different categories as you move away from the equator. When you look at a map of of the world, lines of latitude run east and west, forming invisible belts that circle the globe. Where Can You Find the Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome? If it looks funny, its because the system you’re on doesn’t support this viewing experience. If you are on a mobile device you may have to open the youtube video in the mobile youtube app to see it in virtual reality. The following video is a short we shot for you to see this deciduous forest biome in 360 degrees. Temperate Deciduous Forest in Virtual Reality – 360 Degrees But few people realize that this predictable pattern is what has allowed temperate deciduous forests to evolve and flourish all over the world. It drums along at a steady, predictable rhythm. Autumn is a time for harvesting and a time for goodbyes mammals fatten themselves up to prepare for a winter food shortage, and birds of a feather flock together to follow their food south.įor many of us, seasonal change is old news. Summer is a bustle of energy and life insects are busy pollinating the next generation of wildflowers, and birds sing from every corner of the forest. Spring is a welcome awakening as the snow melts away and leaves begin to bud on the trees, life reappears and prepares for a new year. Winter is peaceful and quiet critters that don’t migrate stay hunkered down in warm dens, waiting for the spring (Humans included!). When you grow up experiencing four seasons every year, you begin to notice and appreciate the seasonal ebb and flow of life around you. There is no season such delight can bring, as summer, autumn, winter, and the spring. You could be darting across a lake on water skis in July, and, 6 months later, you could be racing across that same lake on ice skates! For those of us who live in temperate regions, seasonal changes happen every few months. Some are always blanketed in ice, while others have warm sunshine year round. Not every region of the world experiences a change in seasons like the temperate deciduous forests.