Because it gets so cold, the trees have adapted to the winter by going into a period of dormancy or sleep. They also have thick bark to protect them from the cold weather. Trees flower and grow during the spring and summer growing season.
Many different kinds of trees, shrubs, and herbs grow in deciduous forests. Most of the trees are broadleaf trees such as oak, maple, beech, hickory and chestnut. There are also several different kinds of plants like mountain laurel, azaleas and mosses that live on the shady forest floor where only small amounts of sunlight get through. The forest floor is usually inhabited by lichen, moss, ferns, wildflowers , and other small plants.
Animals in temperate deciduous forests have to adapt to changing seasons. They must be able to cope with cold winters and hot summers. Some animals hibernate or migrate during the winter to escape the cold. Animals who do not hibernate or migrate must have special adaptations to deal with higher exposure to predators in the winter. When leaves autumn, there is less cover for animals in this biome to hide from predators. Snails , slugs , insects , and spiders are common inhabitants of the deciduous forest, and many cold-blooded vertebrates, such as snakes , frogs , salamanders , and turtles , are also present.
Birds are represented by warblers , flycatchers , vireos , thrushes , woodpeckers , hawks , and owls. Prominent mammals include mice , moles , chipmunks , rabbits , weasels , foxes , bears , and deer. Humans have often colonized areas in the temperate deciduous forest. They have harvested wood for timber and charcoal. During the settlement of North America , potash made from tree ashes was exported back to Europe as fertilizer.
This left less than one-quarter of original forests to remain. One of the more interesting deciduous forest facts is that the majority of animals in this biome use camouflage to blend in with their environment. In particular, these animals tend to blend into the ground.
Depending on the animal in question, this adaptation enables them to escape predators more readily, or to hunt more effectively. With regards to insects, they tend to camouflage into the environment by resembling twigs, leaves, or other aspects of their surroundings. So, if you see the foliage moving, it might not be the breeze — the leaves might just have little legs! Insects in a deciduous forest lay their eggs when the seasons start changing and the weather becomes cooler.
Deciduous forest facts reveal that most insects cannot survive the harsh winter climate in this biome. Therefore, they lay their eggs before perishing in the cold weather. Their eggs survive through the winter, only hatching in the warmer spring weather, ensuring the continuation of these species.
So, if you thought that winter would provide permanent relief from all those creepy crawlies, think again…. Animals living in deciduous forests have to adapt to the changes in seasons if they are to survive. Deciduous forest facts teach us that the winters in this biome are particularly cold.
There are several ways in which various animals cope with these extremely low temperatures. Most birds, and many other animals, migrate to warmer climates during winter. Animals that neither migrate nor hibernate prepare for the winter beforehand , ensuring that they have insulated shelters and stores of food that will last them through the cold weather. One of the more intriguing deciduous forest facts is that there are five layers of vegetation in any deciduous forest.
This vegetation includes hardwood trees, such as oak, maple, beech, birch, hickory, and sweet gum trees. The plants in these forests include a wide variety of shrubs, ferns, moss, and lichens. All of these grow in one of five layers or zones : the ground zone, herb zone, shrub zone, small tree and sapling zone, and the tree stratum zone 60 to feet.
This list of deciduous forest facts would not be complete without mentioning the high yield of fruits and vegetables in this biome. This is largely due to the fact that these forests enjoy the perfect climate for growing : consistent wetness thanks to lots of rain; a long growing season that lasts half the year; and warm months until the end of summer. Some of these deciduous forest facts should be familiar to you because most people tend to live in this biome.
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