#ngscience.com #ecosystems #forests Learn all about the biotic and abiotic factors that make up temperature forest ecosystems. Giant red woods...cute squirrels...huge grizzlies and fierce night owls...let's take a look at a temperate forest ecosystem. Temperate forests are ecosystems with enough rainfall and sunlight for tall trees to grow. Reaching high above the rich soil they grow in are oak trees, maples, elms and birches...to name just a few. The types of trees depends largely on the region too. In North American temperate forests, you'll also find conifers like pines and hemlocks. Australian temperate forests are dominated by Eucalyptus trees. We call them gum trees over here. Not sure why? I'll have to look into that. Below the towering trees is a diverse layer of grasses, shrubs, ferns and mosses. A variety of mushroom and other fungi, like puffballs and bracket fungi can be found growing in the soil or attached to fallen tree trunks. Fungi play an important role in breaking down plant and animal matter, which recycles vital nutrients back into the soil. The thick vegetation provides homes for a variety of animal populations - particularly mammals. We're talking bears, deers, porcupines, rabbits, squirrels and big cats like cougars and bobcats...and that's just to name a few. Tall trees with hollow trunks means plenty of space for birds to raise their young...there's owls, woodpeckers, robins and jays....hawks and eagles too. The forest floor provides an ideal environment for a range of snakes and lizards...and a huge diversity of insects, spiders and other creepy crawlies. You'll also find animals like earthworms, slugs and snails hiding amongst the leaf litter or under rocks and logs. Temperate forests usually have four distinct seasons – summer...fall...winter...and spring. The changes in weather from season to season affects in the organisms in the ecosystem. In fall, the weather begins to cool. To conserve energy, the leaves of some trees change color then fall to the ground. The leaves grow back when the weather warms as spring approaches. During winter, some animals have leave the ecosystem and return in the spring. Ahhhh yeh...about those gum trees...They're called gum trees because of the thick sap that oozes from the trunk when they get damaged. .. a bit like chewing gum I guess. Temperate forests are ecosystems with enough rainfall and sunlight for tall trees to grow. They also have a diverse layer of grass, shrubs, ferns and mosses on the forest floor. Temperate forests are generally cooler than tropical rainforests. Temperate forests usually have four distinct seasons – summer, fall, winter and spring. The changes in weather from season to season affects the organisms in the ecosystem. In fall, the weather begins to cool. To conserve energy, the leaves of some trees change color and fall to the ground. They grow back when the weather warms as spring approaches. During winter, some animals leave the ecosystem and return in the spring. Temperate forests are home to a wide variety of mammals, including bears, squirrels, deer and rodents. The high branches and hollows in trees provide a safe place for many birds to live and raise young. There’s also a variety of invertebrates including snails, spiders, cicadas and beetles. In a rainforest, there is a great diversity of organisms. There are many different kinds of plants, from tiny mosses to giant trees. Hiding amongst the plants you’ll find many different kinds of animals. There’s also fungi growing on the forest floor or attached to logs and tree trunks. There are also many non-living things in a rainforest, such as air, water, rocks and soil. All of the organisms and non-living things in a rainforest along with the interactions between them, make up a rainforest ecosystem. An ecosystem is group of organisms that live and interact with each other and with the non-living things in a specific environment. The organisms in a given ecosystem live in different places. In a rainforest, there are leeches and insects crawling on the moist rainforest floor. Fish and frogs can be found in and around streams. Monkeys and birds move from tree to tree high up in the canopy. The place where an organism lives within an ecosystem is called a habitat. An organism’s habitat provides it with all of the things it needs to survive.