Forest Biomes

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Forest Biomes

• Chapter 9

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Types of Forests
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9.1 Coniferous Forests

• Objectives
• Describe the characteristics of the coniferous
  forest.
• Explain adaptations that enable organisms to
  survive in coniferous forests
• Many of Earths forests have been harvested to
  meet the demand for wood, resulting in widespread
  ecosystem destruction.

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Coniferous Forest (Taiga) Facts

• Coniferous means cone bearing
• Northern potion of the northern hemisphere
• Warm summers long cold, snowy winters
  (temperature range of -50 to 25)
• Needles for leaves - evergreen

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Coniferous Forests Facts

• Not diverse
• Trees grow in dense stands blocks sunlight
• Soil poor and acidic
• Forest floor has limited plant life
• Fern, lichens, sphagnum moss, fungi

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Coniferous Forests Facts

• Heavy snow in northern forests (Taiga) insulates
  ground
• Keeps ground from freezing
• Protects roots
• Helps animals
• Small herbivores eat seeds
• Large herbivores eat plants and bark
• Many species migrate or hibernate
• Growing needs for wood has led to tree harvesting

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Temperate Coniferous Forests

• Exist where soils are too shallow or
  nutrient-poor to sustain hardwood trees.
• Often less dense than Taiga forestsgrasses can
  grow.
• Winters are less harsh, so diversity may be
  greater
• Fire is important to the ecosystem, as in a
  grassland.

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Quick Quiz 9.1QQ T or F

1. Coniferous means evergreen.
2. Exist in Northern portion of the southern
   hemisphere
3. Taiga has cool summers short dry winters
4. Conifers have needles for leaves
5. Taiga is very diverse
6. Trees grow in dense stands blocks sunlight
7. Soil poor and acidic
8. Forest floor has limited plant life Fern,
   lichens, sphagnum moss
9. Heavy snow insulates ground protects roots
   helps animals
10. Small herbivores eat seeds large herbivores eat
    plants and bark
11. Large animal species die off in winter
12. Growing needs for wood has led to tree harvesting
13. Temperate deciduous forests exist where it is too
    wet for hardwoods to grow.
14. Temperate deciduous forests are more diverse than
    Taiga.

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9.2 Deciduous forests

• Objectives
• Identify the characteristics of the deciduous
  forest
• Describe the organisms that inhabit the deciduous
  forest
• A tree that sheds its leaves during a particular
  season of the year.

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What is a Deciduous Forest
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Deciduous Facts

• Grow in the temperate zones
• Temperatures from 30oC to 30oC
• 50cm to 300 cm of rainfall
• During growing season
• Photosynthesis occurs
• Grows rapidly
• Stores large amounts of food

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Deciduous Facts Continued

• During winter
• Photosynthesis stops
• Leaves lose green color
• Sheds leaves
• Helps to conserve water
• Minimizes snow damage
• Becomes dormant
• Consumes food stored in trunk, branches and roots

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Deciduous Forest Video
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Types of Deciduous Trees

• Maple
• Oak
• Beech
• Ash
• Hickory
• Birch

More diverse than coniferous forest
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Deciduous Forest Levels

• Canopy
• Upper branches of tall trees
• Captures most of sunlight
• Understory
• Younger and smaller trees
• Shrubs
• Forest Floor
• Mosses, ferns and other plants also fungi

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Deciduous Leaves

• Decay quickly
• Produce a deep rich layer of soil humus
• Humus and leaves are home to many insects and
  other invertebrates

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Deciduous Animals
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Mans Impact on the Deciduous Forests

• Very little original deciduous forest remains
• Less than 0.1
• Cut down for
• Farm land
• Lumber
• Paper
• Fuel

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Replanting the Forest

• Replanted forests usually low in diversity
• The forest ecosystem regenerates slowly
• Communities come back slowly, if at all

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Past, Present Future
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Quick Quiz 9.2 QQ T or F

• A deciduous tree sheds its leaves during a
  particular season of the year
• Temperatures from 30oC to 30oC
• 50 cm to 300 cm of rainfall
• During growing season photosynthesis, grows
  rapidly, store large amounts of food
• During winter photosynthesis stops leaves lose
  green color becomes dormant consumes food
  stored in trunk, branches and roots
• Shedding leaves helps to conserve water
  minimizes snow damage
• More diverse than coniferous forest
• Types maple, oak, beech, hickory
• Decaying leaves produce humus
• Replanted forests usually low in diversity
• The forest ecosystem regenerates slowly
• Only 30 of original forest remain

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9.3 Rain Forest

• Objectives
• Describe the characteristics of the tropical zone
  and the rain forest
• Illustrate the complexity and diversity of the
  rain-forest ecosystem
• The rain forest is the most productive and
  diverse biome on Earth.

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Rain Forest Facts

• Located in the tropical zones near the equator
• Average 25oC all year
• 100 cm to 450 cm rainfall per year
• Growing season lasts all year

A rain forest is a biome with a dense canopy of
evergreen, broadleaf trees supported by at least
200 cm of rain each year.
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More Facts

• Contain 70 to 90 of all Earths species
• Only 6 of earths surface but 40 of biomass
• Trees are the basis of the forest
• Cyprus Balsa Teak Mahogany many more!
• Many reach heights of 50 - 60 m (195 feet)

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Rainforest Video
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Rainforest Structure

• Upper canopy
• Captures 99 of sunlight
• Lower canopy
• Understory
• Forest floor
• Sparse population
• Shallow roots
• Tree trunks have buttresses to support tree

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Rain Forest Soil

• Thin and poor
• Most nutrients in top 5 cm
• Organic matter decomposes quickly and is lifted
  back up into trees

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Organisms

• High plant diversity leads to high animal
  diversity
• Wide variety of habitats at different levels
• Complex food web
• Millions of species of plants, animals, bacteria
  and fungi

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Organisms of the Canopy
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Deforestation
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Deforestation

• Rain forests have been reduced from 10 of
  Earths surface to 6
• The destruction of forest as a result of human
  activity is called deforestation
• Because of humans need for space and wood
• The rain forest cannot regenerate!
• The many organisms will be gone for ever.

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Quick Quiz 9.3QQ

• The rain forest is the most productive and
  diverse biome on Earth
• Rain forests have been reduced from 10 of
  Earths surface to 6
• The destruction of forest as a result of human
  activity is called deforestation
• The rain forest cannot regenerate!
• High plant diversity leads to high animal
  diversity
• Wide variety of habitats at different levels
• Complex food web
• Millions of species of plants, animals, bacteria
  and fungi
• Soil is thin and poor with most nutrients in top
  5 cm
• Organic matter decomposes quickly and is lifted
  back up into trees
• Contain 70 to 90 of all Earths species, only
  6 of earths surface but 40 of biomass
• Many trees reach heights of 50 - 60 m (195 feet)
  Cyprus Balsa Teak Mahogany