Biome

What is a Biome?

A Biome is any of several major life zones of interrelated plants and animals determined by the climate. Meaning a place that supports life of different types of plants or animals depending on its climate.

What type of Biome do you think Deer live in?

http://www.yourdictionary.com/biome

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Our Biome is the Temperate Deciduous Forest, it is different then the other Biomes because it is very temperate and has four different seasons. (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) Each Season differs the temperature and other factors of weather. (rain, snow, sun, etc.) The Temperate Deciduous Forest has on average, the second largest rainfall of all biomes. (just behind the Rainforest) Mostly the Temperate Deciduous Forest is characterized by trees that lose their leaves each year. There is a lot of biodiversity in this Biome that range depending on temperature and other factors.

What do you think will be different in a forest if it suddenly became warmer or colder?

Real World Example

Dysart Woods, Ohio is an example of a Temperate Deciduous Forest. The trees in this forest lose their leaves for about half of the year. Why do you think the trees in this area lose there leaves for so long?

Scenic Details

When walking through the Temperate Deciduous Forest you will see Many trees and plants, like Oak, Pine, Maple, Beech, Moss, Common Lime, Guelder Rose, Fern, Arrowwood, Pecan, Hickory, etc. You will also see animals such as the Bald Eagle, Black Bear, Platypus, Chipmunk, Squirell, Dormouse, Weasel, Deer, and even sometimmes a Cyote.

These are only a few examples, what other plants and animals do you think you will find in this Biome?

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/deciduous_forest.htm

https://jtscience.wikispaces.com/file/view/deer-756165.jpg

Plants and Animals

A common plant to find in the Temperate Deciduous Forest is the White Birch. It is a thin tree that grows out into stems and can grow up to 70 or 80 ft. long. The White Birch however only lives for about 140 years. Identifying the tree is easy because of its thin white bark. The bark also has think slits around it. The bark is interesting because it is very flexible and can even burn when it is wet. Many animals in the Temperate Deciduous Forest like to eat off of the various parts of the tree.

Another common plant that you will find is the Shagbark Hickory. It has ashy gray bark similar tho the Birch but in this one the bark separates into strips which give it a shaggy appearance. Its branches spread about 25 feet apart and can grow up to 100 ft. tall. The wood is very strong and tough to protect it. An interesting fact about this tree is that it grows in patches of Oak trees and can grow in wet and dry soils. An adaptation of this tree is that it has long taprooms which grow straight into the soil to help it collect extra water. Squirrels and humans usually try to eat the nuts off of the branches but not much else is edible.

Do you think that you will find these types of plants in other Biomes? If so which ones?

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Photography/Images/Content/white-birch-trees-381768-sw.jpg

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/deciduous_plant_page.htm

Plants and Animals Cont.

A common animal that you will find in the Temperate Deciduous Forest is the American Black Bear. It can weigh up to 600 pounds and can run over 25 mph. They have sharp claws that are very useful for climbing trees. They can live for up to 25 years. An interesting thing about this animal is that it is blind at birth and then gets its sight later.

Another animal that can be found in the Temperate Deciduous Forest is the Duckbill Platypus they have venom but that is only found in males. They are also very sensative to touch. the tail has fatty tissue that stores energy. Its body is very streamlined and flat to help them swin. It has short legs and webbed feet to swim aswell. the feet have broad nails to dig. The billls have nostrils for breathing. Also it does not have teeth it has grinding pads in its mouth to eat. Thay can walk and swim too. It is 26 to 36 inches long.

Do you think that you will see these types of animals in other Biomes? If so which ones?

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/deciduous_animal_page.htm

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/American_Black_Bear.JPG/800px-American_Black_Bear.JPG

Maps

This is a mapping image of some of the Biomes in the world. The brown means that there is a lot of Temperate Deciduous Forests in that area. Notice how most of the brown patches are nearer to the water and how Deserts and Grasslands are toward the center. This means that in order for a Temperate Deciduous Forest to grow, there must be a lot of water in that area. For more information on this, scroll toward the youtube video labled Temperate Deciduous Forest.

Why do you think the Temperate Deciduous Forest needs more water than the Desert or Grasslands?

http://ths.sps.lane.edu/biomes/Images/map.jpg

Temperate Deciduous Forest