Temperate Rain Forest

By : Miani Callenderand

Briona Williams

World Distribution Map• This is a small biome in

terms of area covered. The main stretch of this habitat is along the northwestern coast of North America from northern California though southern Alaska. There are also small areas in southern Chile, New Zealand, Australia and a few other places around the world, most of which don't show up on the scale of the map to the right. In general, such forests form were relatively warm offshore waters affect

inland climates.

Climate of Temperate Rain Forest

• The obvious element of climate in the temperate rain forest is precipitation. At least 200 cm of it, perhaps up to 350 centimeters in warmer areas. The precipitation can fall in the form of rain or snow, with snow becoming more likely at higher elevations. The average annual temperature is above 0 C, largely influenced by the nearby ocean. The warmest of the temperate rainforests may have average annual temperatures around 20 C.

Plants and Animals in the Temperate Rain Forest

Big coniferous trees dominate this habitat, including Douglas fir and Western red cedar, Mountain hemlock, Western hemlock, Sitka spruce and Lodgepole pine. In addition, a number of deciduous trees are found here, particularly in warmer spots. One of these is Big-Leaf Maple. In addition to the trees, mosses and lichens are very common, often growing as epiphytes. Epiphytes are also common in tropical rain forests; the common denominator is the moist environment that puts minimal water stress on plants without roots.In the pictures here you can see Douglas Firs in the photo above. The photo above right shows a ground-level view of the mossy forest floor, while the two lower photos to the right illustrate the epiphytes - mosses and lichens - that make a southern temperate rainforest home (note the deciduous trees). Below is a species of Indian Paintbrush growing in a temperate rainforest in British Columbia.

Plants and Animals of the Temperate Rain Forest

(continued)

Hoh River Rain Forest

^Indian Paintbrush - Castilleja sp. – Chilliwack River Provincial Park, BC

Bigleaf Maple  - Acer macrophyllum

Plants and Animals of the Temperate Rain Forest (continued)