Food Web for Deciduous Forests

Energy Pyramid for Temperate Deciduous Forests

Maple- Acer

Wild Blackberry- Rubus Fruticosus

poison ivy, taxicodendrons radicans

Black Cherry, Prunus serotina.

Fox squirrel, scurius niger.

American Bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana.

relationships in deciduous biome

The catapla hornworm feeds on and lays eggs on the catalpa tree's leaves, which is parasitism.

A bee and flower's mutualism.  The bee pollenates the flower, and the bee gets the pollen which they then use for a food source.

The cherries and maples living in such density show competition.  They are competing for the same resource- sunlight.  The ones that can get the most sunlight will grow taller, and thus become the dominant species in that community.

This is commensalism, because the cow is not being affected, yet the bird is getting fed off of the cow's back.

The spotted turtle is a threatened species in Ohio.  Their decreasing population is due to the decrease of their habitat in Ohio.  Their main habitat includes marshes and bogs, wherever vegetation is abundant.  These areas were destroyed by development and alteration of marshland.

Eastern Screech Owl, Otus Asio.
PREDATOR
PREY=insects and small rodents

Red Fox-Vulpes Fulva
PREDATOR
PREY=small mammals, rodents, small birds

Aposematic Coloration

The Eastern Newt appears mostly in its "red eft" form.  The red warns predators of the poisonous secretions coming from the eft.  This is aposematic coloration, but also camoflauge.

Camo

The ruffed grouse has adapted and uses camoflauge to hide from its predators.  Its predators are owls, hawks, and humans. 

Ruffed Grouse-B.Umbellus

Density dependent:
A limiting factor of a population wherein large, dense populations are more strongly affected than small, less crowded ones.

E.g. Emerald Ash borer on the ash trees in Ohio
E.g. Amount of food present in a given area for red fox

Density independent:
Density independent factors can affect a population no matter what it’s density is.

E.g. Rainfall (or lack of)
E.g. Tornadoes or high winds, which can kill entire tracts of trees

Multiflora Rose- Rosa Multiflora

This plant was introduced from England initially being used as a natural fence for livestock. It propogates extremely quickly, therefore it is known as an invasive plant to the temperate deciduous forests.  This also competes (and overruns) native briers, and is extremely difficult to kill. 

Primary Succesion=This is the development of a community where there was nothing before.  In this picture of a Maine landscape, the rock is growing lichens and algae, which will make small cracks in the rock.  The small cracks will collect some organic material, and then make larger cracks.  These larger cracks will collect much more material and establish a base for grasses and shrubs to grow.

Secondary Succession=This is development where a community was formerly present.  The above picture shows lake succession, a variation of secondary succession.  In this example, the floating vegetation creates a medium for shrubs, and sometimes even trees to grow on.  The acid they produce keep things from decomposing within the bog.

Human impact on temperate deciduous forests

Tarim Basin deciduous forests and steppe

The Tarim River is an oasis that waters a strip 300 miles (500 km) long, running through China’s largest and driest desert, the Taklimakan. In the local Uygur language, tarim means "converging of waters." Among braided channels of water, forests of poplar stabilize the sand and moderate the climate. Much of this habitat, however, has been converted to agriculture, with native poplars planted as windbreaks along the edges of fields.

(National Geographic)

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/pa/pa0442.html

The destruction of natural riparian zones means the Tarim River will be more polluted by sediment of its' own watershed.  Humans in the future will miss this river's prosperity as the river becomes more polluted and less navigable.  Also, the increase in erosion will cut away at banks and can build up at the mouth of the river, where that soil will not be usable. 

Eco-tourism

1. This biome is "temperate".  When touring, be sure to remember the weather is always subject to change, and that this biome has definite seasons, so tour when you feel you will be most comfortable.
2. This biome is very extensive, and it is not limited to just Eastern U.S.  You will find that there are many countries which have a temperate deciduous forest.
3. There is much biological diversity in a temperate deciduous forest, and the time of year you visit may determine the organisms and plants that you encounter on your tour. 
4. In the temperate deciduous biome, there are hundreds of breath-taking scenic opportunities.  Be sure to check out places such as: the Great Lakes region, State parks in the southeastern US, scenic and historical forests in Europe, and the mountainous region of China and Eastern Russia.
5. HUNTING: Hunting is very prevalent in the temperate deciduous forest biome, because there is a large variety of game which can be hunted in many different areas.  The amount of private and government land owned in this biome make this region extremely popular to both local and foreign hunters looking for a challenge.  From white-tailed deer to ruffed grouse, be sure to make the temperate deciduous forest your choice for great hunting expeditions!

Interesting Fact

The temperate deciduous biome has four distinct seasons.  Yes, this is the most interesting fact I could find.  I am sorry.

Cycles

Hydrological Cycle ^^^^

Carbon Cycle^^^^^

Nitrogen Cycle^^^^

Phosphorous Cycle^^^^

Food Web for Deciduous Forests

White Oak, quercus alba

The Eastern Coyote, Canis Latrans.
PREDATOR
PREY=Small mammals, livestock,

White-tailed deer

White tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, is a highly common animal in temperate deciduous forests.

Soil Features- Abiotic

Soils in this biome are rich and easily usable for agriculture.  The rich soil is due to the decaying plant matter that comes from the leaves that die every year, and this adds to the organic matter content of the soil.  Soils are usually deep, or moderately deep, depending on whether glaciers went through the area.  Texture is most always loamy, except for in swamps and lakes.  Erosion becomes a problem in many areas of temperate deciduous forests, especially when the soil is on steep slopes.  The Appalachian Mountain Range, for example contains many steep mountains and foothills which contribute a lot to erosion, especially when the land is cultivated.

Abiotic Features

This is a graph of the abiotic factors with temperate deciduous forests highlighted. 

Precipitation and Temperature

Temperate Deciduous Forests exhibit an average annual temperature ranging from 20 degrees celcius to freezing. Annual precipitation ranges from 50-200 cm.  Actual climate can differ due to exact location of  the ecosystem.  Certain areas within the temperate deciduous biome can have more moderated microclimate due to their proximity of large bodies of water.  These can be oceans or the great lakes, which affect the climate of the surrounding ecosystems drastically.

Range of Temperate Deciduous Forests

• Eastern third of the continental U.S
• Western Europe
• China
• Korea
• Japan
• Australia
• Southern point of  South America (yes it is odd, but this is a result of the Atlantic Conveyor)