Temperate deciduous forest

2.2.2 Tropical rainforest

Temperate deciduous forest

  1. Distribution

    1. They are found across much of Europe, eastern North America and eastern Asia

  2. Climate

    1. Monthly mean temperature ranges between around -10 & 30 °C, with an mean temperature of around 10 °C
    2. Monthly precipitation ranges between 50 & 200 mm, with an annual precipitation of around 500 to 2000 mm
    3. Rainfall is distributed evenly throughout the year
    4. Summers are warm but not too dry; winters are cool but not too cold

  3. Soil

    1. The soil is brown soil, since it is rich & fertile
    2. Active weathering provides plenty of nutrients, and the annual leaf fall provides organic matter to enrich the soil further

  4. Vegetation

    1. The trees are broad-leaved, like oak, beech, birch, and ash
    2. Their broad leaves causes them to lose a lot of water via stomata, so they shed their leaves in autumn to conserve water in reduced heat & light conditions
    3. There is a wide range of habitats and a rich diversity of life, resulting in a stratification of the vegetation:
      1. A canopy of the tops of trees, mainly oak & ash
      2. A sub-canopy of smaller trees and saplings, such as hazel
      3. A herb layer of brambles, bracken, bluebells, wild garlic and ivy
      4. A ground layer close to the soil that is damp & dark so ideal for moss
    4. For much of the year, it is dark, so flowering plants, like bluebells, normally flower early in the spring before the canopy fully develops