Coniferous vs Deciduous Forest free essay sample

The deciduous forest occupies most of the eastern part of the United States and partially in southern Ontario. These areas are northwest of Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Vegetation These forests have been led to recognition of the eight major forests that is within the biome that is dominated by different species or associated with the species. These species are called mixed mesophytic, Appalachian Oak, Hemlock-white pine-northern hardwoods, oak hickory, maple-basswood, beech-maple, oak-pine, white oak, and southern pine.Mixed mesophytic forest region is one of the oldest regions of the biome and it’s the most complex and most highly developed. They are located west of the Appalachian Mountains on the southeastern part of the United States. Almost all type of their species are found in this region and is thought to be the center of spreading from one forest to another. Even though these areas are quite enormous and have over 30 different types of species, the area have only two or three species that dominate the center of the ecosystem depending on the climate. We will write a custom essay sample on Coniferous vs Deciduous Forest or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The White Birch trees can grow to a height of 80 feet and can live for over 140 years. Their bark is white and is easily peeled, and is also known as catkins. They grow quite fast after a fire or when other trees were cut down around it. But it doesn’t compare to the white oak. This is the largest tree, as it can range from 80 to 100 feet and in diameter it can be between 3 to four feet. They are also one of the oldest trees as they can live from 500 to 600 years old. Its roots can stretch as far as 80 feet. Animal species inhabitants Birds The deciduous forest provides a wide variety of birds species.There are many kinds of species that have micro-habitats in this type of biome. Like the woodpeckers creates shelters of dead trees, and turkeys forage the ground looking for food and seeds and rest on the lower branches of the trees. It also provide shelter to many songbirds, hawks, and owls as well. Reptiles There are many reptile species that have lived and adapted in this kind of ambient in the forest. There are different species of toad, frogs, snakes, and tortoises, as well as Salamanders. They all occupy the humid forest floor where they prey on the easy invertebrate like the slugs and earth worms.Snakes like the black rat snake or copperhead prey on small birds and mammals. Mammals American bald eagles live in this type of biome. They create their large nest in these large trees that is usually near the water, and raises up to two siblings. They nest near water so they could be near the fish and migrate to areas that are similar. The American Black Bear and can run up to 25 miles an hour. They diet consist of 85% of vegetation, which includes honey and breach bee hives with the bees included. Hey are usually found in a forest with a lot of ground vegetation, with fruits and nuts.Insects Beetles make up 40% of the world’s insect population. They live in the deciduous forest for shelter and hibernation for the winter. They use the leaves to lay their eggs as the leaves provide food for them as well. The species found in these biome are the Mexican bean beetle, the Asian long horned beetle, and the ladybug beetle. Butterflies and moths are also part of the ecosystem. They pollinate flowers that are inside the forest and migrate to avoid the frigid winters. Also ants live in these areas, like the north American and European Ant.They both are part of the fire ant colonies and they catch insects on both the ground and trees. The weaver ant and leafcutter ant live in this biome and the flower seeds provide food for these ants. Climate Precipitation The regular recorded temperature of the deciduous forest is 50 degrees while the precipitation is nearly 30 to 60 inches of rain each year, an estimated 14 inches is from the winter, and 18 inches in the summer. The humidity level is usually 60 percent or higher. This is the perfect condition for many animals and plant species to thrive throughout the year. CyclesJust like everywhere else, it still has the typical seasons. It has winter, spring, fall, and autumn. While obviously the spring is the best time of the year for all the animals to roam the forest, and during the summers the temperature are not as high as in the city, with the average temperature of 70 percent. Although during the winter the temperature drops below zero, and its due to its location that they are not as livable during the other cycles. Coniferous (Taiga) Forest General Classification of Coniferous These biomes are made up of mostly cone-bearing, needle-like trees, like spruces, hemlocks, pines and firs.They are able to survive the cold temperature because they are softwood trees that are able to maintain their moisture stored inside throughout the year as they are on the northern border of the tundra as well. Regions They are located in the areas of North America from Pacific to the Atlantic, and also across northern Europe, to Japan. It covers the great majority of the northern hemisphere. Although it doesn’t extend to the south because of the temperature, humidity conditions, and especially vegetation. Growth The biggest trees are the redwood, cedar, and cypresses. They can grow up to 65 feet tall and are usually shaped like a pyramid. They have very flexible branches that grow close to each other and when the snow falls on their hard leaves, they simply slide off. Vegetation There are two types of wood that inhabit this biome, the boreal wood and the mountain wood. As the trees shed their leaves, the floor transforms into a spongy mat. Their leaves are covered with a chemical called resin, which is what helps them prevent freezing. Although this does not prevent them from a fire, but this is necessary when the pine’s node needs to germinate its pine seeds. The lower branches also help with the fern, flowers, and even fungus, like the cauliflower or rosy russula.Animal Species Inhabitants Birds Most of the birds that reside in these biomes have specialized peckers for breaking nuts and seeds, like the woodpecker. There are also the predator birds, like the ferruginous, or cooper hawk. There’s even songbirds like the Vireo species and the Pigmy, which uses the forest for nesting, food, and breeding. The birds seek food depending on what part they are in the forest, and their diet consists of insect, seeds, fruit, pinecones, small mammals, and worms. Mammals The mammals that made their home in this area need to endure icy, freezing condition with their very short summers.But most of them are able to adapt to this coldness by hibernating during the colder months of the frozen wasteland, while others migrate south. These animals are the Marmot, lynx, moose, wolverine, the Siberian tiger, grizzly and brown bear, rabbits, the grey wolf, weasel, and the American squirrel. Climate Precipitation The temperature in this type of forest ranges between negative 40 F to a cool 68 degrees. There is a 36-79 inches of rain each year in this winter land. The majority of this rain is accumulation is from the melting snow throughout the year. The precipitation depends on the location of the forest.