Temperate coniferous forests
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Pine forests are an example of a temperate coniferous forests |
Temperate coniferous forests are a
terrestrial biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest. In most temperate coniferous forests, evergreen
conifers predominate, while some are a mix of conifers and broadleaf
evergreen trees and/or broadleaf
deciduous trees. Temperate evergreen forests are common in the coastal areas of regions that have mild winters and heavy rainfall, or inland in drier climates or mountain areas. Many species of trees inhabit these forests including
cedar,
cypress,
douglas-fir,
fir,
juniper,
kauri,
pine,
podocarpus,
spruce,
redwood and
yew. The understory also contains a wide variety of herbaceous and shrub species.
This region does not support deciduous trees or flowering plants, since the climate does not support insects. Coniferous forests also have limited rainfall, requiring deciduous trees to shed their leaves soon after producing them. This makes
angiosperms incapable of whethering
interspecific competition with conifers.
The synonym for coniferous is cone bearing. "I can bear my own cones" A Phrase that meant in the 1950's one who can take care of his/her self.
Structurally, these forests are rather simple, generally consisting of two layers: an overstory and understory. Some forests may support an intermediate layer of shrubs. Pine forests support an herbaceous understory that is generally dominated by
grasses and herbaceous perennials, and are often subject to ecologically important wildfires.
Temperate rain forests occur only in seven regions around the world: the
Pacific temperate rain forests of the
Pacific Northwest, the
Valdivian temperate rain forests of southwestern
South America, the rain forests of
New Zealand and
Tasmania, northwest
Europe (small pockets in
Ireland,
Scotland,
Iceland and a somewhat larger area in
Norway), southern
Japan, and the eastern
Black Sea-
Caspian Sea region of
Turkey and
Georgia to northern
Iran. The moist conditions of temperate rain forests generally support an understory of
mosses,
ferns and some
shrubs. Temperate rain forests can be Temperate coniferous forests or
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests.
The temperate coniferous rain forests sustain the highest levels of biomass in any terrestrial ecosystem and are notable for trees of massive proportions, including
Giant Sequoia (
Sequoiadendron gigantea),
Coast Redwood (
Sequoia sempervirens),
Douglas-fir (
Pseudotsuga menziesii),
Sitka Spruce (
Picea sitchensis),
Alerce (
Fitzroya cupressoides) and
Kauri (
Agathis australis). These forests are quite rare, occurring in small areas of Western
North America, southwestern
South America and northern
New Zealand. The
Klamath-Siskiyou forests of northwestern
California and southwestern
Oregon is known for its rich variety of plant and animal species, including many endemic species.
Coniferous forests are currently the largest terrestrial biome on earth, although they will be surpassed by desert in the near future. This is due to extensive logging and desertification.
