Temperate deciduous forest in southeastern Canada

Physical Environment: Temperatures fall below freezing each winter but not usually below ?12°C, and annual rainfall is generally between 75 cm and 200 cm.  Location: Large tracts of temperate deciduous forest are evident in the eastern U.S. and Canada, eastern Asia, and western Europe. In the southern hemisphere eucalyptus forests occur in Australia, and stands of southern beech are found in southern South America, New Zealand, and Australia.  Plant Life: Species diversity is much lower in temperate deciduous forests than in the tropical forests, with about only three to four species per square kilometre, and several tree genera may be dominant in a given locality—for example, beech–maple forests predominate in the temperate deciduous forests of Canada. Commonly, leaves are shed in the fall and reappear in the spring. Many herbaceous plants flower in spring before the trees leaf out and block the light, though even in the summer the forest is not as dense as in tropical forests so there is abundant ground cover. There are few epiphytes and lianas.  Animal Life: Animals are adapted to the vagaries of the climate; many mammals hibernate during the cold months, birds migrate, and insects enter diapause, a condition of dormancy passed usually as a pupa. Reptiles, which are dependent on solar radiation for heat, are relatively uncommon. Mammals in North American temperate deciduous forests include squirrels, wolves, bobcats, foxes, white-tailed deer, bears, and mountain lions.  Effects of Humans: Logging has eliminated much temperate forest from heavily populated portions of Europe and North America. Soils are rich because the annual leaf drop promotes high soil nutrient levels. With careful agricultural practices, soil richness can be conserved, and as a result agriculture can flourish.