Deciduous-Forest-6thperiod

=Temperate Deciduous Forest =

Get prepared to step into the beautiful, changing world of the temperate deciduous forest. Are you ready? Scroll down.

=Not-So-Quick Facts:=

This forest may look like any other green, life-plenty forest but in the change of a season, nothing stays the same. This odd forest is called **Deciduous**. __** Ready For a Change **__ The deciduous forest is the only **biome** whose plants, animals, and whole environment changes so dramatically in between seasons. From **summer** to **fall**, the trees change from evergreen and yellow-green to red, orange, and yellow. This change is triggered by **auxins**. **Auxins** are basically the plants’ hormones which, among many other actions they complete, one is **sensing the change of seasons**. **Auxins** sense the temperature change and begin preparing to **shut down for winter**. Because there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis in the winter, the plant stops producing the green pigment, **chlorophyll** that makes the leaves green and is essential for the process. The reason for the yellows, oranges, and reds appearing in replacement of the green is that these are all colors of pigments, which the green chlorophyll usually overpowers. Now that the chlorophyll is gone, the redder tones are visible. __** Dead? Or Just Hibernating **__ From **fall** to **winter**, the colorful canopy of leaves turns brown, and falls. By mid-winter, everything seems quiet and dead. Although the forest may look uninhabited, everything is just **hibernating**. First off, the trees’ leaves fall in order to prevent the water inside from freezing. Because the leaves are the thinnest, most exposed parts of the plant, they are the most likely to be penetrated and frozen by the frigid temperature. All in all, the leaves are **dropped in order to conserve water**. __** Good for One, Good for All **__ Although the leaves’ dropping helps the plants, this process does not just benefit the greens, it helps the whole biome. After the dead leaves have fallen, **decomposers** such as bacteria get to work. After the leaves are decomposed, the nutrients help **provide food** for the other plants and, as the **food chain** goes, for the consumers that eat the plants. When the weather heats up and the season shifts to spring, everything begins to grow back, thus beginning the cycle again. __** Temperature **__ With all this change, most of the year in the deciduous forest, the climate is average temperature and fairly damp. The average temperature for summer is around 82° F. The average temperature for winter is 43° F. The yearly precipitation levels range from 75-125 cm, usually in rain. These amazing qualities definitely make the deciduous forest unique.
 * __ Completing the Cycle __**



Biome Map:


 =Organism Profile: =

Tawny Owls: They have to live in woodlands because their nests are inside trees so that might be bad if they were in the dessert or tundra, where trees can be scarce. ||  Racoon: Proven to be able to be able to live practically anywhere. As their native country in North America, they have moved all over. Now they live all over the world! The only biome, though they probably can't handle is the desert, because of the lack of water. ||  European Hedgehog: These little babies have a diverse range of homes, however they don't usually go over 60 degrees north so the cold might effect them. They are hibernators in the winter. ||  Chipmunk: They dig burrows in sand and have homes in logs but they can't survive on polar ice, so that rules out arctic tundra. ||  Northern Cardinal: Lives mostly in warmer areas, with a decent amount of plants. They will fly away if the food is scarce. || White Tailed Deer: favor the more DECIDUOUS vegetation and grow larger there. They are much smaller in warmer places. ||  Northern Copperhead: Lives in hilly areas and can be found inside rotting wood. Deserts are bad places for this snake! Hmmm, you always think snakes and deserts go together. ||  Salamander: Normally live in wetlands because they need to keep their body moist. Therefor, they cannot live in dry areas. ||  Bobwhite Quail: Needs to live in a forest where has ideal camoflage and when it stays still, can disappear from sight. ||  Eastern Cottontail Rabbit: It has a decent variety of temperatures that it can live in but for places with little vegetaion, like the dessert. || Common Lime: Lives in many urban areas and dense forest so it might not survive in places with less fertile soil such as mountains. ||  Guelder Rose: Gets pollinated by birds and insects so a place with few birds and insects like the desert or tundra might not be the best place for it. ||  Lady Fern: Normally scarceand vulnerable and does well in mountains. A place like temperate grasslands might not be to good for it. || <span style="background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"> Northern Arrowhead: lives in marshes and other wet areas. A dry place might not be too good for this plant, like the desert. || <span style="background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"> Pecan Tree: It is pollinated by the wind so you might not want an enclosed place such as tropical rainforests. || Tawny Milkcap Mushroom: This edible plant is very interesting, it has white liquid that pours out when torn, it couldn't survive in any other place because it needs certain plants around it. || <span style="background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"> Carpet Moss: Needing constant moisture, the worst place is any hot spot. Chaparral might not be too good for it because of all the fires in the area. || <span style="background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"> Shagbark Hickory: It has wind- pollinated catkins, so wind is good, enclosed is bad. Tropical rainforests would be a bad choice. || <span style="background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"> American Beech: Favors shade, so in mountains it might not grow not grow as well. || <span style="background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"> White Oak: This plant needs what I say "room to breathe", once it's up, it spreads out. Not good for densely populated areas, such as tropical rainforests. || Key: <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">Carnivore, <span style="color: rgb(239, 37, 124); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Omnivore, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Herbivore, <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">Producer
 * [[image:tawny-owl-2528.jpg width="117" height="156"]]<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">
 * <span style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">[[image:white_tailed_deer_buck2.jpg width="114" height="113"]]
 * [[image:com_lime1.jpg width="90" height="109"]]<span style="background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">
 * <span style="background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">[[image:tawnymilkcapmushroom.jpg width="99" height="71"]]

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