Temperate forests correspond to forest concentration formed in the northern and southern hemisphere, or in temperate regions. It is the same as a tropical forest except for the climate and some of the animal adaptations. Main characteristics include: wide leaves, large and tall trees, large wild canopy and non seasonal vegetation. Temperate forests can be further distinguished by weather patterns and geographical features that favor the predominance of certain kinds of trees. In temperate coniferous forests, evergreen conifers predominate, while in temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, a more even distribution exists between evergreen trees and deciduous trees. Temperate deciduous forests, a subgroup of temperate broadleaf forests, consist of trees that lose their leaves every year. Finally, temperate rainforests typically have heavy rainfall and dense humidity. But in some temperate forests there are just trees with needles and do not shed their leaves during the winter, so the climate is a little different and not as cold. They are also known as montane forests.
In the temperate region, winters are mild and rainfall is moderate.(The forests have trees, shrubs and bushes.)There is less undergrowth. Most of the trees are deciduous, which shed their leaves during the autumn. In some areas, the deciduous trees are replaced by coniferous forest .( The main trees found in these forests are the great redwood, oak, ash, maple, birch, beech, poplar, elm and pine.) In many areas, forests have been cleared to make way for cultivation. Hardwood evergreen trees which are widely spaced and are found in the Mediterranean region are olive, cork, oak, and stone pine. Temperate rain forests tend to get a high of 350Â cm of precipitation yearly, and a low of 200Â cm yearly on average.
Tannins of tropical woods tend to be of a catechin nature rather than of the gallic type present in temperate woods.
See also
- Forest
- Temperate deciduous forest
- Trees of the world
- Temperate coniferous forest
- Temperate rainforest
- Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
References
