Temperate Deciduous forest:Definition:A forest Biome that occurs in temperate areas with a moderate amount of precepitation.

A Temperate Deciduous Forest is a Biome found in the eastern and western United States, Canada, central Mexico, southern South America, Europe, West Asia, China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea and parts of Russia. A temperate deciduous forest consists of trees that lose their leaves every year. Examples include oak, maple, beech, and elm.

Climate:The average annual temperature in a deciduous forest is 50 F. The average rainfall is 75 to 150 cm (30 to 60 inches) annualy.

Temperature:Temperature in temperate deciduous forest is -30C to 30C, yearly average is 10C, hot summers, cold winters.

Vegetation:Vegetation in temperate deciduous forest are: Broadleaf trees (oaks, maples, beeches), shrubs, perennial herbs, and mosses

Broadleaf tree (MAPLE)

Location:Temperate Deciduous Forests are Located in Eastern United States, Canada, Europe, China, and Japan.

Animals:Many well-known animals live in this kind of forest. Some examples are the Eastern Gray Squirrel, bears, beavers, foxes, deer, rats, snakes, mice, wolves, raccoons, and large birds of prey like red-tailed hawks. These animals have unique adaptations suited for seasonal life. For example, some rodents store up fat, then hibernate during cold winters. Birds include the bald eagle, nightingale, cardinals, hawks, and the snowy owl.

Plants:The plants are adapted to survive in these conditions. For example, mountain laurel, azaleas and mosses that live on the shady forest floor where only small amounts of sunlight get through trees and other the palm, white spruce and the elm have leaves that absorb water and sunlight. The soaring branches do more than just provide shade for other creatures of this biome; they also provide nutrients necessary for the tree to live. Another example of adaptation: these trees shed their leaves in the winter. By shedding their leaves, they cannot transpire. Consequently, they are able to retain water for the winter. Plants also soak up nutrients from the soil. These plants shed their leaves in autumn. Temperate deciduous forests are located in the mid-latitude areas which means that they are found between the polar regions and the tropics. The deciduous forest regions are exposed to warm and cold air masses, which cause this area to have four seasons. The temperature varies widely from season to season with cold winters and hot, wet summers. They are most notable because they go through all seasons. Leaves change color in autumn, fall off in the winter, and grow back in the spring; this adaptation allows plants to survive cold winters. The plants have adapted to the forests by leaning toward the sun. Soaking up the nutrients in the ground is also a way of adaptation.

Temperate Grasslands:Definition:Temperate grasslands are the grasslands with hot summers, cold winters, and less rainfall than the temperate deciduous forest. Temperate grasslands are composed of a rich mix of grasses and forbs and underlain by some of the world's most fertile soils.

Structure:Temperate grasslands can be divided into tall-grass areas and short-grass areas. Tall grasses that are taller than two metres are usually found in wetter regions while short grasses that are shorter than sixty centimetres can be found in drier regions. The typical species of grasses are Andropogon, Panicum and Stipa and some herbs can be found between them. Trees are rare in the temperate grasslands because there is not enough moisture for them to grow as they have longer life cycles and need longer growing season than grasses.

Climate:Semiarid, continental climates of the middle latitudes (Koeppen's BSk climate type) typically have between 10 and 20 inches of precipitation a year. Much of this falls as

snow, serving as reservoir of moisture for the beginning of the growing season. Warm to hot summers are experienced, depending on latitude.

Temperature:Temperatures in this biome vary greatly between summer and winter. The summers are hot and the winters are cold - much colder than Santa Barbara! With cold winters, its surprising how hot the grassland summers can get! Sometimes the temperature is more than 100F. Rain in the temperate grasslands usually occurs in the late spring and early summer. The yearly average is about 20-35 inches, but much of this falls as snow in the winter. Most of the rain falls as convection rain in the summer and sometimes frost and snow may occur in the winter.

Vegetation:Perennial grasses and perennial forbs [especially Compositae (or Asteraceae, depending on the taxonomic system used) and Leguminosae--the sunflower and pea families, respectively] are dominant growthforms. Two or more strata of grasses (erect grasses and recumbent species) are recognized in the more humid expressions of the biome.

Animals:The Animals which are found in Temperate Grssland are Tarpan or wild horse, and saiga antelope, mammals with hoofs, like horses and deer, bison, antelope, birds, gophers, prairie dogs, coyotes, and insects, lynx, antelopes, falcons, and fox.

MOLE RATs

SAIGA ANTELOPE

TAPAN

Plants:Grasses dominate temperate grasslands. Trees and large shrubs are rarely found in grassland areas. There are many species of grasses that live in this biome, including, purple needlegrass, wild oats, foxtail, ryegrass, and buffalo grass. Many animals munch on these grasses, but they survive because the growth point on the grasses is very close to the ground. Also, with underground stems and buds, grasses are not easily destroyed by fire. Shrubs and trees that live in temperate grasslands are not as good as grasses at coping with the flames, and often are destroyed by fire. Wildflowers also grow well in temperate grasslands. Popular flowers that you might find growing on grasslands are asters, blazing stars, goldenrods, sunflowers, clovers, and wild indigos.

BUFFALO GRASS

RYEGRASS

FOXTAIL