Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome

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Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome
Adam Tran
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Introduction

• Four seasons winter, spring, summer and fall.
• The climate is mild, with warm summers and cool
  winters.
• 30 and 60 inches of precipitation a year.
• Average annual temperature is 50F.
• Trees lose leaves during winter months.

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Introduction

• Located in Eurasia, northeastern United States,
  and Eastern Canada.

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Introduction

• Trees of a deciduous temperate forest lose their
  leaves every winter
• Leaves change color during the fall

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Introduction

• Common animals include deer, bears, beavers, and
  raccoons.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park have 66
  species of mammals, over 200 varieties of birds,
  50 native fish species, and more than 80 types of
  reptiles and amphibians.

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Introduction

• Great Smoky Mountain National Park contains one
  of the largest blocks of old-growth temperate
  deciduous forest in North America
• Between South Carolina and Tennessee
• Part of the Appalachian Mountain chain

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Common Organisms Producers

• White trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
• American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)

White trillium common to the Great Smoky Mountains
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Common Organisms Producers

• Carpet Moss (Mnium hornum)
• Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)

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Common Organisms Producers

• Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
• Catawba rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense)

Garlic Mustard is an invasive species of Smoky
Mountains National Park
The Catawba is a blooming shrub of Smoky
Mountains National Park
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Common Organisms Primary Consumers

• Elk (Cervus canadensis)
• White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Elk have recently been reintroduced to the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park
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Common Organisms Primary Consumers

• Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
• Wooly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae)

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Common Organisms Secondary Comsumers

• Barred Owl (Strix varia)
• Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

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Common Organisms Tertiary Consumers

• Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
• Cougar (Puma concolor)

Black Bear are found in the Smoky Mountains
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Food Web
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Predator-Prey Relationships

• As the population of prey increases, the
  population of predators also increases
• When the population of predators becomes too
  high, the number of prey decreases

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Predator-Prey Relationships

• The Great Horned Owl eats small mammals such as
  rats, squirrels, skunks, and weasels

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Role of Predation in Population Control

• Because the population of predators increases
  with the population of prey, the population of
  prey will never exceed a certain amount
• When the population of prey is reduced by the
  presence of excess predators, predators food
  sources are reduced and the population decreases

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Role of Predation in Population Control

• The Great Horned Owl will reduce the number of
  rodents in an ecosystem, and the reduced number
  of rodent will decrease the number of owls
• In an excess of prey, black bears will have more
  food, but when predation leads to the reduction
  of prey, black bear population will decrease

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Energy Pyramid
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Indiana Bat

• The Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) has been listed
  as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
  Service
• The 2005 population estimate was about 457,000
  Indiana bats
• Half as many were listed as endangered in 1967
• In New York, the population of Indiana bats is
  increasing

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Indiana Bat Reasons for Decline

• A single cave can have 20,000 to 50,000 bats, so
  a single disturbance can have great consequences
• Commercialization of caves (touring) can disturb
  populations
• Gating caves disallows access for bats
• Deforestation causes bats to lose foraging sites
• Insecticides reduce insect populations, which are
  food for bats

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Human Impact Non-native Species

• Hemlock Woolly Adelgids are insects that pose a
  threat the Hemlock populations
• Likely to kill most of the Great Smoky Mountains
  Hemlock population
• Hemlock are critical to the survival of trout and
  other water species
• Balsam Woolly Adelgids are insects that kill
  Fraser firs
• The Fraser fir is now listed as a Federal Species
  of Concern

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Human Impact Non-native Species

• Rainbow trout and brown trout act as competition
  for the native brook trout
• Non-native species are larger and more aggressive

Rainbow Trout
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Human Impact Disease

• Diseases such as the chestnut blight and Dutch
  elm disease were introduced by humans
• The chestnut blight has infected nearly every
  American Chestnut
• Extinction is averted because the blight does not
  affect young chestnuts
• International timber trade increases the risk of
  transmitting disease causing organisms
• Pests can travel to new regions where predators
  dont control their population

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Human Impact Deforestation

• Logging is not so much of a problem for deciduous
  forests
• In order to reduce forests, demand has to exceed
  rate of regeneration, which is rare
• Area of forests involved in logging is much less
  than area involved in clearing for other uses
• Land that is converted to another use, such as
  for farming or development, will likely never
  regrow
• Today, Agricultural surpluses allow farmland to
  be converted back into forests

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Human Impact Acid Rain
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Predictions for the Future Migrating Forests

• As warming occurs, forests of North America and
  Europe will move northwards
• During the last ice age, forests migrated quickly
• Farmland will pose as an obstacle for migrating
  forests
• Land must be put aside for migrating forests, or
  species will become extinct

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Predictions for the Future Migrating Forests

• As warming occurs, forests of North America and
  Europe will move northwards
• During the last ice age, forests migrated quickly
• Farmland will pose as an obstacle for migrating
  forests
• Land must be put aside for migrating forests, or
  species will become extinct

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FAQs

• What are some common ways organisms adapt to the
  changing seasons?
• Trees and other deciduous plants lose their
  leaves during the winter to conserve energy.
  Animals have altered behavioral patterns, such as
  migration, and hibernation. Other animals have
  physiological changes, such as change in
  coloring.

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FAQs

• What are some common threats to the temperate
  deciduous forest biome?
• Some of the major threats to the biome include
  human development and agriculture. Logging poses
  a threat to hardwood populations. Acid rain from
  burning coal, as well as global warming, have a
  negative impact on the biome.

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FAQs

• What are some endangered species of the temperate
  deciduous forest? Why are they endangered?
• Some examples include the Indiana bat, Carolina
  northern flying squirrel, Red-cockaded
  Woodpecker, Spruce-fir moss spider, Gray wolf and
  many others. Factors that threaten such species
  include loss of habitat, introduction of invasive
  species, and loss of food sources. The Indiana
  Bat is of particular concern for the Smokey
  Mountains National Park.

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The Great Smoky Mountains
For more information http//www.nps.gov/grsm/ ht
tp//greatsmokymountains.areaparks.com/
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• Photo Credits included as comments