Temperate Deciduous Forest

The Temperate Deciduous Forest
There are four distinct seasons in the temperate deciduous forest: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The temperature varies from hot in the summer to below freezing in the winter. Rain is plentiful, about 30 to 50 inches per year. The temperate deciduous forest is made up of layers of plants; the number of layers depends upon factors such as climate, soil, and the age of the forest. The tallest trees make up the forest canopy which can be 100 feet or more above the ground. Beneath the canopy, the understory contains smaller trees and young trees. These understory trees are more shade tolerant than canopy trees. Below the understory is a shrub layer. Carpeting the forest floor is the herb layer made up of wildflowers, mosses,and ferns. Fallen leaves, twigs, and dried plants cover the ground, decompose, and help add nutrients to the topsoil.

Temperate Deciduous Forest Plant Adaptations

wildflowers grow on forest floor early in the spring before trees leaf-out and shade the forest floor
many trees are deciduous (they drop their leaves in the autumn, and grow new ones in spring). Most deciduous trees have thin, broad, light-weight leaves that can capture a lot of sunlight to make a lot of food for the tree in warm weather; when the weather gets cooler, the broad leaves cause too much water loss and can be weighed down by too much snow, so the tree drops its leaves. New ones will grow in the spring.
trees have thick bark to protect against cold winters


Broad leaves can capture a lot of sunlight for a tree.	Many trees have thick bark to protect against the cold winters in the temperate deciduous forest.	In the autumn, deciduous trees drop their leaves to minimize water loss.

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