FOREST BIOMESFOREST BIOMES

TROPICAL, TEMPERATE TROPICAL, TEMPERATE AND BOREALAND BOREAL

WHAT IS A FOREST?WHAT IS A FOREST?

UNDISTURBED AREAS WITH UNDISTURBED AREAS WITH MODERATE TO HIGH AVERAGE MODERATE TO HIGH AVERAGE ANNUAL PRECIPITATION WITH ANNUAL PRECIPITATION WITH VARIOUS SPECIES OF TREES AND VARIOUS SPECIES OF TREES AND SMALLER FORMS OF VEGETATIONSMALLER FORMS OF VEGETATION

TROPICAL TROPICAL RAINFORESTSRAINFORESTS

A TYPE OF BROADLEAF EVERGREEN A TYPE OF BROADLEAF EVERGREEN FOREST NEAR THE EQUATOR WHERE FOREST NEAR THE EQUATOR WHERE HOT, MOISTURE-LADEN AIR RISES AND HOT, MOISTURE-LADEN AIR RISES AND DUMPS ITS MOISTUREDUMPS ITS MOISTURE

WORLD’S LARGEST TROPICAL WORLD’S LARGEST TROPICAL RAINFOREST IS IN THE AMAZON RIVER RAINFOREST IS IN THE AMAZON RIVER BASIN IN SOUTH AMERICABASIN IN SOUTH AMERICA

HIGH HUMIDITY, DAILY HEAVY HIGH HUMIDITY, DAILY HEAVY RAINFALL AND WARM ANNUAL RAINFALL AND WARM ANNUAL TEMPERATURESTEMPERATURES

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYBIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

HIGHEST DIVERSITY ON EARTHHIGHEST DIVERSITY ON EARTH DIVERSE LIFE FORMS OCCUPY A DIVERSE LIFE FORMS OCCUPY A

VARIETY OF SPECIALIZED NICHES IN VARIETY OF SPECIALIZED NICHES IN DISTINCT LAYERS, BASED MOSTLY DISTINCT LAYERS, BASED MOSTLY ON THEIR NEED FOR SUNLIGHTON THEIR NEED FOR SUNLIGHT

R.F. COVER 2% OF EARTH’S R.F. COVER 2% OF EARTH’S SURFACE BUT ARE HABITATS FOR SURFACE BUT ARE HABITATS FOR 50-80% OF EARTH’S TERRESTRIAL 50-80% OF EARTH’S TERRESTRIAL SPECIESSPECIES

LAYERS OF THE LAYERS OF THE RAINFORESTRAINFOREST

EMERGENT LAYER – TOP LAYER, OCCUPIED EMERGENT LAYER – TOP LAYER, OCCUPIED BY THE TALLEST TREESBY THE TALLEST TREES

CANOPY – NEXT TO TOP LAYER, ABUNDANT CANOPY – NEXT TO TOP LAYER, ABUNDANT SHELTER AND SUPPLIES OF LEAVES, SHELTER AND SUPPLIES OF LEAVES, FLOWERS AND FRUITS; MUCH OF THE FLOWERS AND FRUITS; MUCH OF THE ANIMAL LIFE IS HEREANIMAL LIFE IS HERE

UNDERSTORY – SMALL TREES ADAPTED TO UNDERSTORY – SMALL TREES ADAPTED TO LOW LIGHTLOW LIGHT

SHRUB LAYER – SHRUBS AND SHORT PLANTS SHRUB LAYER – SHRUBS AND SHORT PLANTS ADAPTED TO EVEN LESS LIGHTADAPTED TO EVEN LESS LIGHT

GROUND LAYER-OPEN AND FREE OF GROUND LAYER-OPEN AND FREE OF VEGETATIONVEGETATION

PLANT ADAPTATIONSPLANT ADAPTATIONS

LIANAS – CLIMBING VINES, ROOTED LIANAS – CLIMBING VINES, ROOTED IN THE SOIL, WIND UPWARD IN THE SOIL, WIND UPWARD AROUND THE TRUNKS OF LARGER AROUND THE TRUNKS OF LARGER TREES INTO THE CANOPYTREES INTO THE CANOPY

EPIPHYTES – ORCHIDS, EPIPHYTES – ORCHIDS, BROMELIADS ATTACH THEMSELVES BROMELIADS ATTACH THEMSELVES TO THE TRUNKS AND BRANCHES OF TO THE TRUNKS AND BRANCHES OF CANOPY TREESCANOPY TREES

PLANT ADAPTATIONSPLANT ADAPTATIONS

UNDERSTORY & SHRUB LAYER UNDERSTORY & SHRUB LAYER PLANTS – PHILODENDRONS – USE PLANTS – PHILODENDRONS – USE HUGE, DARK GREEN LEAVES TO HUGE, DARK GREEN LEAVES TO CAPTURE ENOUGH SUNLIGHTCAPTURE ENOUGH SUNLIGHT

ROOTS OF EVEN LARGE TREES ROOTS OF EVEN LARGE TREES TEND TO BE SHALLOW AND TEND TO BE SHALLOW AND SPREAD OUTSPREAD OUT

BUTTRESSES – LARGE BULGES AT BUTTRESSES – LARGE BULGES AT BASE OF TREE FOR SUPPORTBASE OF TREE FOR SUPPORT

COEXISTENCECOEXISTENCE STRATIFICATION OF SPECIALIZED STRATIFICATION OF SPECIALIZED

PLANT AND ANIMAL NICHES PLANT AND ANIMAL NICHES ENCOURAGES BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYENCOURAGES BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

PRESENCE OF THESE SPECIALIZED PRESENCE OF THESE SPECIALIZED NICHES ENABLES SPECIES TO AVOID NICHES ENABLES SPECIES TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE COMPETITION FOR OR MINIMIZE COMPETITION FOR RESOURCES AND INCREASES THE RESOURCES AND INCREASES THE COEXISTENCE OF A GREAT VARIETY COEXISTENCE OF A GREAT VARIETY OF SPECIES (BIODIVERSITY)OF SPECIES (BIODIVERSITY)

RAINFOREST RAINFOREST NUTRIENTSNUTRIENTS

NUTRIENTS ARE NOT STORED IN NUTRIENTS ARE NOT STORED IN THE SOILTHE SOIL

NUTRIENTS ARE STORED IN THE NUTRIENTS ARE STORED IN THE BIOMASS OF ITS LIVING BIOMASS OF ITS LIVING ORGANISMSORGANISMS

LIVING PLANTS RAPIDLY TAKE UP LIVING PLANTS RAPIDLY TAKE UP THE NUTRIENTS FROM THE THE NUTRIENTS FROM THE DECOMPOSING ORGANIC MATTERDECOMPOSING ORGANIC MATTER

TROPICAL DECIDUOUS TROPICAL DECIDUOUS FORESTSFORESTS

TROPICAL MONSOON FORESTS TROPICAL MONSOON FORESTS OROR

TROPICAL SEASONAL FORESTSTROPICAL SEASONAL FORESTS WARM YEAR-ROUNDWARM YEAR-ROUND MOST RAIN COMES DURING A MOST RAIN COMES DURING A

MONSOON SEASON FOLLOWED MONSOON SEASON FOLLOWED BY A LONG DRY SEASONBY A LONG DRY SEASON

CANOPY IS LOWERCANOPY IS LOWER

TROPICAL DECIDUOUS TROPICAL DECIDUOUS FORESTSFORESTS

CONTAIN A MIXTURE OF CONTAIN A MIXTURE OF DECIDUOUS TREES AND DECIDUOUS TREES AND DROUGHT-TOLERANT EVERGREEN DROUGHT-TOLERANT EVERGREEN TREESTREES

TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTSFORESTS

GROW IN AREAS WITH MODERATE GROW IN AREAS WITH MODERATE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES THAT AVERAGE TEMPERATURES THAT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY WITH CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY WITH THE SEASONTHE SEASON

LONG WARM SUMMERSLONG WARM SUMMERS COLD BUT NOT TOO SEVERE COLD BUT NOT TOO SEVERE

WINTERSWINTERS ABUNDANT PRECIPITATIONABUNDANT PRECIPITATION

TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTSFORESTS

DOMINATED BY A FEW SPECIES DOMINATED BY A FEW SPECIES OF BROADLEAF DECIDUOUS OF BROADLEAF DECIDUOUS TREES SUCH AS OAK, HICKORY, TREES SUCH AS OAK, HICKORY, MAPLE, POPLAR AND SYCAMOREMAPLE, POPLAR AND SYCAMORE

SURVIVE COLD WINTERS BY SURVIVE COLD WINTERS BY DROPPING THEIR LEAVES IN THE DROPPING THEIR LEAVES IN THE FALL AND BECOMING DORMANT FALL AND BECOMING DORMANT

TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTSFORESTS

LOW RATE OF DECOMPOSITION LOW RATE OF DECOMPOSITION SO FOREST ACCUMULATES A SO FOREST ACCUMULATES A THICK LAYER OF SLOWLY THICK LAYER OF SLOWLY DECAYING LEAF LITTER THAT IS A DECAYING LEAF LITTER THAT IS A STOREHOUSE OF NUTRIENTSSTOREHOUSE OF NUTRIENTS

RICHER DIVERSITY OF PLANT RICHER DIVERSITY OF PLANT LIFE AT GROUND LEVEL DUE TO LIFE AT GROUND LEVEL DUE TO SUNLIGHT REACHING THE SUNLIGHT REACHING THE GROUNDGROUND

TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTSFORESTS

DOMINANT MAMMAL SPECIES IS DOMINANT MAMMAL SPECIES IS THE WHITE-TAILED DEER, THE WHITE-TAILED DEER, SQUIRRELS, RABBITS, POSSUMS, SQUIRRELS, RABBITS, POSSUMS, RACCOONS AND MICERACCOONS AND MICE

EVERGREEN CONIFEROUS EVERGREEN CONIFEROUS FORESTSFORESTS

ALSO CALLED BOREAL FORESTS & ALSO CALLED BOREAL FORESTS & TAIGASTAIGAS

FOUND JUST SOUTH OF THE FOUND JUST SOUTH OF THE ARCTIC TUNDRA IN NORTHERN ARCTIC TUNDRA IN NORTHERN REGIONS ACROSS NORTH REGIONS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA, ASIA & EUROPEAMERICA, ASIA & EUROPE

CHARACTERISTICSCHARACTERISTICS

WINTERS ARE LONG, DRY AND WINTERS ARE LONG, DRY AND EXTREMELY COLDEXTREMELY COLD

IN THE NORTHERNMOST TAIGA, IN THE NORTHERNMOST TAIGA, SUNLIGHT AVAILABLE 6-8 HOURS SUNLIGHT AVAILABLE 6-8 HOURS EACH DAYEACH DAY

SUMMERS ARE SHORT, MILD TO SUMMERS ARE SHORT, MILD TO WARM TEMPERATURESWARM TEMPERATURES

SUN SHINES 19 HOURS A DAYSUN SHINES 19 HOURS A DAY

BOREAL FORESTSBOREAL FORESTS

DOMINATED BY A FEW SPECIES DOMINATED BY A FEW SPECIES OF EVERGREEN CONIFER TREES OF EVERGREEN CONIFER TREES SUCH AS SPRUCE, FIR, CEDAR, SUCH AS SPRUCE, FIR, CEDAR, HEMLOCK AND PINEHEMLOCK AND PINE

LOW PLANT DIVERSITY BECAUSE LOW PLANT DIVERSITY BECAUSE FEW SPECIES CAN SURVIVE THE FEW SPECIES CAN SURVIVE THE WINTERS WHEN SOIL MOISTURE WINTERS WHEN SOIL MOISTURE IS FROZENIS FROZEN

BOREAL FORESTSBOREAL FORESTS

DECOMPOSITION IS SLOW DUE TO DECOMPOSITION IS SLOW DUE TO LOW TEMPERATURES, WAXY LOW TEMPERATURES, WAXY COATING ON THE NEEDLES AND COATING ON THE NEEDLES AND HIGH ACIDITYHIGH ACIDITY

VARIETY OF WILDLIFE VARIETY OF WILDLIFE MOSTLY SEED-EATERS – SQUIRRELSMOSTLY SEED-EATERS – SQUIRRELS INSECT HERBIVORESINSECT HERBIVORES LARGER BROWSERS – ELK AND LARGER BROWSERS – ELK AND

MOOSEMOOSE

BOREAL FORESTSBOREAL FORESTS

PREDATORS INCLUDE WOLVES, PREDATORS INCLUDE WOLVES, WOLVERINES, GRIZZLY BEARS WOLVERINES, GRIZZLY BEARS AND BLACK BEARSAND BLACK BEARS

TEMPERATE RAIN TEMPERATE RAIN FORESTSFORESTS

COASTAL CONIFEROUS COASTAL CONIFEROUS RAINFORESTS RAINFORESTS

FOUND IN SCATTERED COASTAL FOUND IN SCATTERED COASTAL TEMPERATE AREAS WITH AMPLE TEMPERATE AREAS WITH AMPLE RAINFALL OR MOISTURE FROM RAINFALL OR MOISTURE FROM DENSE OCEAN FOGSDENSE OCEAN FOGS

TEMPERATE RAIN FOREST TEMPERATE RAIN FOREST CHARACTERISTICSCHARACTERISTICS

COAST OF NORTH AMERICA FROM COAST OF NORTH AMERICA FROM CANADA TO NORTHERN CANADA TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIACALIFORNIA

DOMINATED BY STANDS OF LARGE DOMINATED BY STANDS OF LARGE CONIFERS SUCH AS SITKA SPRUCE, CONIFERS SUCH AS SITKA SPRUCE, DOUGLAS FIR AND REDWOODSDOUGLAS FIR AND REDWOODS

WINTERS ARE MILDWINTERS ARE MILD SUMMERS ARE COOLSUMMERS ARE COOL

WHAT IMPACTS DO WHAT IMPACTS DO HUMAN ACTIVITIES HAVE HUMAN ACTIVITIES HAVE ON FOREST ECOSYSTEMS?ON FOREST ECOSYSTEMS? CLEARING AND DEGRADATION OF CLEARING AND DEGRADATION OF

TROPICAL RAINFORESTS FOR TROPICAL RAINFORESTS FOR TIMBER, GRAZING LAND AND TIMBER, GRAZING LAND AND AGRICULTUREAGRICULTURE

LEADS TO SEVERE EROSIONLEADS TO SEVERE EROSION CLEARING OF TEMPERATE CLEARING OF TEMPERATE

DECIDUOUS FORESTS IN EUROPE, DECIDUOUS FORESTS IN EUROPE, ASIA AND NORTH AMERICA FOR ASIA AND NORTH AMERICA FOR TIMBER CROPLAND AND URBAN TIMBER CROPLAND AND URBAN DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT

HUMAN IMPACTHUMAN IMPACT

IN NORTH AMERICA, ABOUT 99.9% OF IN NORTH AMERICA, ABOUT 99.9% OF THE ORIGINAL STANDS HAVE BEEN THE ORIGINAL STANDS HAVE BEEN CLEAREDCLEARED

CLEARING OF LARGE AREAS OF CLEARING OF LARGE AREAS OF EVERGREEN CONIFEROUS FORESTS BY EVERGREEN CONIFEROUS FORESTS BY LOGGERS IN NORTH AMERICA, LOGGERS IN NORTH AMERICA, FINLAND, SWEDEN AND CANADAFINLAND, SWEDEN AND CANADA

BECAUSE OF THE COLD, CONIFEROUS BECAUSE OF THE COLD, CONIFEROUS TREES TAKE A LONG TIME TO TREES TAKE A LONG TIME TO RECOVERRECOVER

MOUNTAIN BIOMESMOUNTAIN BIOMES

COVER 20% OF EARTH’S SURFACECOVER 20% OF EARTH’S SURFACE PLACES WHERE DRAMATIC PLACES WHERE DRAMATIC

CHANGES IN ALTITUDE, CLIMATE, CHANGES IN ALTITUDE, CLIMATE, SOIL AND VEGETATION TAKE SOIL AND VEGETATION TAKE PLACE OVER A VERY SHORT PLACE OVER A VERY SHORT DISTANCEDISTANCE

EACH 300 FOOT CHANGE IN EACH 300 FOOT CHANGE IN ELEVATION IS EQUIVALENT TO A ELEVATION IS EQUIVALENT TO A 62 MILE CHANGE IN LATITUDE62 MILE CHANGE IN LATITUDE

MOUNTAIN BIOMESMOUNTAIN BIOMES

ISLANDS OF BIODIVERSITY – MANY ISLANDS OF BIODIVERSITY – MANY FREE-STANDING MOUNTAINS FREE-STANDING MOUNTAINS CONTAIN ENDEMIC SPECIES CONTAIN ENDEMIC SPECIES FOUND NOWHERE ELSE ON EARTHFOUND NOWHERE ELSE ON EARTH

ALSO SANCTUARIES FOR ANIMAL ALSO SANCTUARIES FOR ANIMAL SPECIES DRIVE FROM LOWLAND SPECIES DRIVE FROM LOWLAND AREAS DUE TO DEVELOPMENTAREAS DUE TO DEVELOPMENT

ANTARCTICA IS THE MOST ANTARCTICA IS THE MOST MOUNTAINOUS OF ALL MOUNTAINOUS OF ALL CONTINENTSCONTINENTS

MOUNTAIN BIOMESMOUNTAIN BIOMES

ALSO CONTAIN THE MAJORITY OF ALSO CONTAIN THE MAJORITY OF THE WORLD’S FORESTS WHICH THE WORLD’S FORESTS WHICH CONTAIN MOST OF THE WORLD’S CONTAIN MOST OF THE WORLD’S BIODIVERSITYBIODIVERSITY

MOUNTAINS PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE MOUNTAINS PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE BY IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE BY GRADUALLY RELEASING MELTING GRADUALLY RELEASING MELTING ICE, SNOW AND WATER STORED IN ICE, SNOW AND WATER STORED IN THE SOILS AND VEGETATION OF THE SOILS AND VEGETATION OF MOUNTAINSIDES TO SMALL MOUNTAINSIDES TO SMALL STREAMSSTREAMS

IMPACT OF HUMAN IMPACT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON ACTIVITIES ON

MOUNTAIN ECOSYSTEMSMOUNTAIN ECOSYSTEMS RAPIDLY INCREASING POPULATIONS RAPIDLY INCREASING POPULATIONS

IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES FORCES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES FORCES LANDLESS PEOPLE TO TRY TO LANDLESS PEOPLE TO TRY TO SURVIVE IN THE MOUNTAINSSURVIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS

INCREASED HARVESTING OF TIMBER INCREASED HARVESTING OF TIMBER AND MINERAL RESOURCESAND MINERAL RESOURCES

DAMMING OF RIVERS IN MOUNTAINS DAMMING OF RIVERS IN MOUNTAINS FOR HYDROELECTRIC POWERFOR HYDROELECTRIC POWER

IMPACTIMPACT

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION FROM RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIESFROM RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

INCREASED AIR POLLUTIONINCREASED AIR POLLUTION CHANGES IN CLIMATE AND CHANGES IN CLIMATE AND

LEVELS OF UV RADIATIONLEVELS OF UV RADIATION