Deciduous Forests: Location, Habitat and Characteristics

A deciduous forest is one of the types of forest in the classifications of forests. A forest that includes trees and plants that shed their leaves annually, that is, once a year, is known as a deciduous forest. 

• Generally, in deciduous forests, plants like mosses, herbs, and ferns can be found. 
• Deciduous forests are mainly prevalent in continents and places like North America, Europe, and Asia. 
• Deciduous in literal terms means having the 'tendency to fall'. 
• There are mainly three types of deciduous forests. 
• They are temperate deciduous forests, tropical deciduous forests, and subtropical deciduous forests (that is dry forests). 

Read More: Forest Conservation

Key Terms: Deciduous, Biome, Shedding, Flora and Fauna, Temperate, Tropical, Sub-tropical, Habitat

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What are Deciduous Forests? 

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Deciduous forests are the type of forests in which the habitat trees shed their leaves annually, that is once a year during a certain period. The trees in this type of forest shed their leaves mainly during that time of the season when days get shorter and cooler. 

• During this time, the leaves on the trees start fading and lose their colors and start falling starting from autumn till the winter season.
• Then gradually when the spring season gets closer, and days become longer and warmer, these trees begin to grow fresh leaves on them. 
• Deciduous forests are more open and spacious, unlike the equatorial evergreen forests which are much more lush and luxuriant.

Read More: Effects of Climate Changes

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Location of Deciduous Forests

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Deciduous forest is present throughout the world on various continents such as North America, Europe, and other continents. 

• The eastern half of North America and the center of Europe is almost completely filled with deciduous forests. 
• Along Asian countries, deciduous forests are prevalent in areas such as the northeastern China Plain and Japan. 
• Other places where deciduous forests are quite richly present are Southwest Russia, certain areas in southern Chile, Paraguay's Middle East coast, New Zealand, and also in Southern Australia. 

Read More: Difference Between Deforestation and Afforestation

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Climatic Conditions of Deciduous Forests

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Deciduous forests are adapted to areas where the climate ranges from very cold and chilly winters to warm summers with significant rainy weather such as the mid-latitudes and areas in between the tropics and the arctic regions. 

• The temperature fluctuates very significantly in these areas depending on the specific season and is thus categorized into four specific seasons. 
• They are spring, summer, autumn, and winter. 
• During the autumn season, the leaves on the deciduous trees change and lose their colors and in the season of winters, these leaves fall off from the trees. 
• The average temperature in these areas and regions annually is around 10 degrees Celsius (or 50 degrees Fahrenheit) and the annual average rainfall is approximately 750 mm to 1500 mm (that is 30 to 60 inches). 

Read More: Biodiversity and Conservation

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Habitat in the Deciduous Forests

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In correspondence with the climatic conditions of the deciduous forests, a variety of trees and plants with their characteristic broad leaves grow in such woods. Some examples of such trees are oak, maple, beech, hickory, and chestnut. 

• On the other hand, certain trees such as mountain laurels, azaleas, and moss, only grow in forest planes that are shaded and where no trace of sunlight is present. 
• These plants also include parts such as flowers, ferns, moss, and herbs. 
• In such climatic conditions, flowers such as orchids and vines grow suitably well in this type of forest. 
• Plants present in these areas have the tendency to lean towards the sun to help with their adaptation to the climate. 

Read More: Biodiversity Hotspot

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Characteristics of Deciduous Forests

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Some characteristics of deciduous forests are mentioned below-

1. The deciduous forests grow in one of the suitable seasons out of the four seasons as per its requirements. 
2. Deciduous forests have a great amount of moisture. 
3. Deciduous forests have soils that are rich in minerals as the leaves that shed off and fall on the floor of the forest act as the organic matter which is broken down as nutrients by the many species present within the soil. 
4. Almost all the trees in a deciduous forest are broad-leaved and are in the shape of a canopy. 
5. When the leaves start shedding the trees and plants, these plants go into slumber or dormant. 
6. The most common plants that are present in deciduous forests are oak, southern pine, northern hardwood, and central hardwood.

Read More: Conservation of Plants & Animals

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Layers in the Deciduous Forests 

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The deciduous forest, which is also called the stratum, is mainly divided into five layers based on the types of trees and plants that grow and are present in each layer of the forest floor. 

The layers of the deciduous forests are classified as - 

1. The Tree Stratum - In this layer of the deciduous forest, high and tall trees are more prominently visible and present such as the oak, maple, hickory, beech, and elm that grow in this tree layer. These trees range from about 60 feet to as tall as 100 feet in height category. 
2. The Small Tree Layer - As the name suggests, this layer contains small trees that make up the seedling floor or layer. This layer contains small trees such as dogwoods and redbuds. 
3. The Shrub Layer - This layer is formed by the bushes such as azaleas and rhododendrons that make up this shrub layer. 
4. The Herb Layer - This layer is filled with the annually occurring wildflowers, ferns, and plants present at the ground level. 
5. The Ground Layer - This is the last layer of the stratum or the deciduous forest. This layer includes mosses, club mosses, and lichens.

Read More: Loss of Biodiversity

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Things to Remember 

• A deciduous forest is one that has trees and other plants that change their leaves yearly, or once per year.
• North America, Europe, and Asia are among the continents and regions with the highest concentrations of deciduous wood.
• Deciduous forests mostly come in three different varieties. They are subtropical deciduous woods (dry forests), tropical deciduous forests, and temperate deciduous forests.
• A deciduous forest is a type of biome that is identified by its shrubs and trees, which typically have wide leaves and lose them annually.
• The trees in this sort of forest primarily lose their leaves when the days are shorter and chilly.
• These trees produce new leaves as the days get longer and warmer in the spring. 
• As the leaves that fall off and land on the forest floor function as the organic matter, which is then broken down as nutrients by the numerous species present in the soil, deciduous forests contain soils that are rich in minerals.