TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST

Temperate deciduous forest is characterized by a warm to hot growing season with moderate precipitation, followed by a winter that is not as cold or as long as in more northerly regions. The dominant trees in this zone avoid water loss during the winter by shedding their leaves. The temperate deciduous forests are much richer in plant and animal species than the taiga or tundra zones. A rich variety of tree and other plant species characterize the temperate deciduous forest. Temperate deciduous forest is primarily characteristic of the eastern United States and Canada, and also occurs in Europe, Japan, parts of Australia, and the mountainous regions of Patagonia at the southern tip of South America.