There are a lot of trees in the temperate deciduous forest, including both broadleaf, deciduous trees, like maple, oak, hickory, and beech. There are also evergreens such as hemlock, spruce, and fir. A deciduous tree usually has 3 or 4 (sometimes 5) layers of plant growth.
The top layer is made up of deciduous trees and they create a moderately dense forest canopy. Even though the canopy is dense, it lets sunlight reach the forest floor. This sunlight lets the plants of the inner layers grow. In the second layer of plants, there are saplings and species of trees that are naturally shorter and smaller. The third layer (also known as the understory) has shrubs. In the fourth layer, there are herbs like wildflowers and berries. The fifth and final layer has mosses and lichens that grow on tree trunks.
The top layer is made up of deciduous trees and they create a moderately dense forest canopy. Even though the canopy is dense, it lets sunlight reach the forest floor. This sunlight lets the plants of the inner layers grow. In the second layer of plants, there are saplings and species of trees that are naturally shorter and smaller. The third layer (also known as the understory) has shrubs. In the fourth layer, there are herbs like wildflowers and berries. The fifth and final layer has mosses and lichens that grow on tree trunks.
Plant Adaptations
In the spring, deciduous trees begin producing thin, broad, light-weight leaves. This type of leaf easily captures the sunlight to produce photosynthesis. These leaves are good when temperatures are warm and there is a lot of sunlight. When there is not much sunlight and the temperature is cold, these leaves are too large (in surface area) and suffer through water loss and tissue damage. To help this damage from not happening, deciduous trees make internal and physical changes (adaptations) that happen when the climate is cold.
The trees are triggered to adapt by cooler temperatures and limited sunlight. In Autumn, when these conditions happen, the tree cuts off the supply of water to the leaves and seal off the area between the leaf stem and the tree trunk. With less sunlight and water, the leaf changes color because the chlorophyll stops being produced. Chlorophyll is the stuff that make the leaves green. When it stops being produced, the leaves turn yellow, orange, and red. This makes a beautiful display of colors. The leaves turn brown and dry and fall off. Another type of adaptation is done by the bark on trees that live in an area where the winters are cold. The bark thickens to protect itself from the cold and harmful winters. |