Location
The Deciduous forests are mainly located in Eastern US, Central Europe, and East Asia
Climate
The climate for a deciduous forest is very unstable and always changing. The seasonal changes are extremely dramatic, and there is a lot of precipitation throughout the year. Daily temperatures change often.
Biotic Factors
Native Species
Species Name: Fagus grandifolia
Common Name: American Beech
Description: "The American Beech tree grows in the southern and eastern parts of the United States. It grows in deciduous forests all over Maine and northern Massachusetts. It grows best in deep, rich, moist, well-drained soils. The American beech is a tall and wide tree. The mature tree size is anywhere from 90 to 100 feet tall, and spreads 50 to 70 feet. The bark that grows on the tree is very smooth, pale and gray. The growth buds have a yellow tinge, looking a little like a bullet. The leaves are bright green and are about three inches in length. They start wide, and then get smaller and smaller, until they come to a point. The leaves have distinct, strong veins and toothed edges." [29]
Common Name: American Beech
Description: "The American Beech tree grows in the southern and eastern parts of the United States. It grows in deciduous forests all over Maine and northern Massachusetts. It grows best in deep, rich, moist, well-drained soils. The American beech is a tall and wide tree. The mature tree size is anywhere from 90 to 100 feet tall, and spreads 50 to 70 feet. The bark that grows on the tree is very smooth, pale and gray. The growth buds have a yellow tinge, looking a little like a bullet. The leaves are bright green and are about three inches in length. They start wide, and then get smaller and smaller, until they come to a point. The leaves have distinct, strong veins and toothed edges." [29]
Species Name: Tilia x europaea
Common Name: Lime Tree
Description: "The common lime is a tall, stately tree, which grows in the deciduous forests of Europe, the British Isles, and the USA. In the USA it is known as a linden tree. It is the tallest broad-leaved tree in Britain. In the past it was found growing throughout the old growth forests of Europe. Today there are no original forests left there, but the common lime is still widespread because it is frequently planted along avenues and in gardens. The common lime can live up to 500 years. The tree can grow to a height of 120-130 ft (25 m). Bushy side shoots grow along the trunk from near the ground. The lower branches arch out, giving the tree an upside-down pyramid look." [30]
Common Name: Lime Tree
Description: "The common lime is a tall, stately tree, which grows in the deciduous forests of Europe, the British Isles, and the USA. In the USA it is known as a linden tree. It is the tallest broad-leaved tree in Britain. In the past it was found growing throughout the old growth forests of Europe. Today there are no original forests left there, but the common lime is still widespread because it is frequently planted along avenues and in gardens. The common lime can live up to 500 years. The tree can grow to a height of 120-130 ft (25 m). Bushy side shoots grow along the trunk from near the ground. The lower branches arch out, giving the tree an upside-down pyramid look." [30]
Species Name: Ursus americanus
Common Name: American Black Bear
Description: "The American Black Bear, like most bears, lack the distinctive shoulder hump that the Grizzly Bear has. This bear can run up to 25 miles per hour, which is very quick for its 220-594 pound body. Their feet relate to humans, because they touch the ground in a "heel, toe, heel, toe, etc." pattern. They have rounded ears, a short stubby tail, and short claws that are useful in climbing trees. The American Black Bear is usually black but can have phases of brown, cinnamon, beige and even a bluish- white. The length of this bear's body is usually 5-6 feet from nose to tail and 32-38 inches from paw to the top of its shoulder. They live in most of North America." [31]
Common Name: American Black Bear
Description: "The American Black Bear, like most bears, lack the distinctive shoulder hump that the Grizzly Bear has. This bear can run up to 25 miles per hour, which is very quick for its 220-594 pound body. Their feet relate to humans, because they touch the ground in a "heel, toe, heel, toe, etc." pattern. They have rounded ears, a short stubby tail, and short claws that are useful in climbing trees. The American Black Bear is usually black but can have phases of brown, cinnamon, beige and even a bluish- white. The length of this bear's body is usually 5-6 feet from nose to tail and 32-38 inches from paw to the top of its shoulder. They live in most of North America." [31]
Species Name: Odocoileus virginianus
Common Name: White-tailed Deer
Description: "The fur of the white-tailed deer is a grayish color in the winter then more red comes out during the summer. It has a band of white fur behind its nose, in circles around the eyes, and inside the ears. More white fur goes down the throat, on the upper insides of the legs and under the tail. Only the males have antlers, which they shed in January to March, and grow out again in April or May. The white-tailed deer can be 3 to 3 1/2 feet at the shoulders. Males can weigh up to 400 pounds, and females from 70 to 200 pounds. It is mostly active at night but they can be active at any time. They will feed mostly just before dawn for several hours and again from late afternoon until dusk. They graze on green plants in the summer and nuts and acorns during the winter. They will also eat twigs and the buds of birch, maple and conifer trees in the winter." [32]
Common Name: White-tailed Deer
Description: "The fur of the white-tailed deer is a grayish color in the winter then more red comes out during the summer. It has a band of white fur behind its nose, in circles around the eyes, and inside the ears. More white fur goes down the throat, on the upper insides of the legs and under the tail. Only the males have antlers, which they shed in January to March, and grow out again in April or May. The white-tailed deer can be 3 to 3 1/2 feet at the shoulders. Males can weigh up to 400 pounds, and females from 70 to 200 pounds. It is mostly active at night but they can be active at any time. They will feed mostly just before dawn for several hours and again from late afternoon until dusk. They graze on green plants in the summer and nuts and acorns during the winter. They will also eat twigs and the buds of birch, maple and conifer trees in the winter." [32]
Invasive Species
Species Name: Acacia nilotica
Common Name: Thorn Mimosa
Description: "The Thorn Mimosa is a tree 5–20 m high with a dense spheric crown, stems and branches usually dark to black coloured, fissured bark, grey-pinkish slash, exuding a reddish low quality gum. The tree has thin, straight, light, grey spines in axillary pairs, usually in 3 to 12 pairs, 5 to 7.5 cm (3 in) long in young trees, mature trees commonly without thorns. The leaves are bipinnate, with 3–6 pairs of pinnulae and 10–30 pairs of leaflets each, tomentose, rachis with a gland at the bottom of the last pair of pinnulae. Flowers in globulous heads 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter of a bright golden-yellow color, set up either axillary or whorly on peduncles 2–3 cm long located at the end of the branches. Pods are strongly constricted, hairy, white-grey, thick and softly tomentose. Its seeds number approximately 8000/kg" [33]
Common Name: Thorn Mimosa
Description: "The Thorn Mimosa is a tree 5–20 m high with a dense spheric crown, stems and branches usually dark to black coloured, fissured bark, grey-pinkish slash, exuding a reddish low quality gum. The tree has thin, straight, light, grey spines in axillary pairs, usually in 3 to 12 pairs, 5 to 7.5 cm (3 in) long in young trees, mature trees commonly without thorns. The leaves are bipinnate, with 3–6 pairs of pinnulae and 10–30 pairs of leaflets each, tomentose, rachis with a gland at the bottom of the last pair of pinnulae. Flowers in globulous heads 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter of a bright golden-yellow color, set up either axillary or whorly on peduncles 2–3 cm long located at the end of the branches. Pods are strongly constricted, hairy, white-grey, thick and softly tomentose. Its seeds number approximately 8000/kg" [33]
Species Name: Achatina fulica
Common Name: East African Land Snail
Description: "The adult snails have a height of around 7 centimeters (2.8 in), and their length can reach 20 centimeters (7.9 in) or more. The shell has a conical shape, being about twice as high as it is broad. Either clockwise (dextral) or counter-clockwise (sinistral) directions can be observed in the coiling of the shell, although the right-handed (dextral) cone is the more common. Shell coloration is highly variable, and dependent on diet. Typically, brown is the predominant color and the shell is banded." [34]
Common Name: East African Land Snail
Description: "The adult snails have a height of around 7 centimeters (2.8 in), and their length can reach 20 centimeters (7.9 in) or more. The shell has a conical shape, being about twice as high as it is broad. Either clockwise (dextral) or counter-clockwise (sinistral) directions can be observed in the coiling of the shell, although the right-handed (dextral) cone is the more common. Shell coloration is highly variable, and dependent on diet. Typically, brown is the predominant color and the shell is banded." [34]
Abiotic Factors
Average Yearly Precipitation: 30 to 60 inches
Average Yearly Range of Temperature: 5 C to 15 C
Approximate Latitude: 35 N to 60 N
Primary Soil Type: Alfisols
Approximate Altitude: 1000 to 2000 meters
Average Yearly Range of Temperature: 5 C to 15 C
Approximate Latitude: 35 N to 60 N
Primary Soil Type: Alfisols
Approximate Altitude: 1000 to 2000 meters
Human Interactions
Humans are abundantly found in this biome. They have made adjustment to the biome that make it easier for them to survive. Humans have built buildings and roads that have made it easier for them to live. But this has also led to the decline of some of the native species and to the introduction of some invasive species.