Temperate and Deciduous Forest Biome

CLIMATE
The temperate deciduous forest is a biome that is always changing. It has four distinct seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. Winters are cold and summers are warm. Temperate deciduous forests get between 30 and 60 inches of precipitation a year. Precipitation in this biome happens year round. The soil is very fertile. This makes for very good plant life, especially for the trees which is why many of the world's largest population centers are located there.

INTRODUCTION
The word "Deciduous" means falling off or out of season. The biome can be found in 3 different regions in the northern hemisphere. Many different animals and plants live in this biome. The climate in this biome is different than any other biome, in that it has 4 changing seasons which supports much of the worlds species. Some of these species are endangered or have been endangered. This biome also has certain enviremental issues such as excessive hunting, excessive logging, and most importantly pollution.

ANIMAL INHABITANTS
There is great diversity of life in this biome. Insects, spiders, slugs, frogs, turtles and salamanders are common. Birds like broad-winged hawks, cardinals, snowy owls, and pileated woodpeckers are also found in this biome. Some of the mammals include white-tailed deer, raccoons, opossums, porcupines, and red foxes. Animals that live in the temperate deciduous forest must be able to adapt to the changing seasons. Some animals in this biome migrate or hibernate in the winter.

PLANTS
Temperate deciduous forests have a great variety of plant species. Most have three levels of plants. Lichen, moss, ferns, wildflowers and other small plants can be found on the forest floor. In the middle level shrubs fill in and hardwood trees like maple, oak, birch, magnolia, sweet gum and beech make up the third level. Conifers like spruce, fir and pine trees can usually also be found mixed in with the hardwood trees in this biome. Sometimes the taiga and the temperate deciduous forest overlap.

ENDANGERED SPECIES
In the deciduous forests there are a few endangered species such as the bald eagle who have been saved. But the one organism who has not been taken off the endangered species list is the gray wolf. The gray wolf lives in the northern parts of the deciduous forests and travel in packs. The gray wolf was put on the endangered species list in 1988. They have been hunted and also have been driven out of their homes by humans. Many wildlife organizations are trying to keep them protected.

Environmental Issues
A problem in deciduous forests is that there is excessive of hunting and encroachment of animal's habitat. So much so that some animals have become endangered, and sometimes extinct. Animals like the gray wolf are endangered. The bald eagle used to be endangered, but luckily was removed from the list later. Another problem is deforestation and pollution. In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of North Carolina, researchers have found ozone damage to some 90-plant species. The woodlands of eastern North America are poorly understood and have rapidly disappearing forests, and extreme logging. Almost all the "original growth" in the eastern United States has been cut down. Logging companies are not the only things harming this foliage. Pollution is the other factor in the deforestation of these trees. The air they are breathing is poisoning them, the water bathes them in acid, the soil is growing toxic, they are gnawed by exotic pests, and the climate to which they are adapted is likely to shift. A primary cause of this torment involves changes in the "nitrogen cycle." Nitrogen