Temperate Deciduous Forests

Located mainly in the northern hemisphere the temperate deciduous forests represent an important biome. Deciduous forests are located on all of major northern landmasses. Usually located in areas with warm summers and cool winters. Trees of the temperate deciduous forests lose their leaves in the fall, in order to help them conserve water during the winter. It is not until the warmer spring months when the water returns to a liquid form that the trees burst forth in leaves. It is the leafless time which provides other plants ample light to grow and mature, many of these species of plants are spring ephemerals, plants which have leaves which emerge fully developed from bulbs. Although abundant with life the Temperate deciduous forests normally have very acidic soils which have low concentrations of nutrients, making them very poor for farming and agriculture.