Temperate Deciduous Woodland (The Climatic Climax)

Created by: Bethany
Created on: 02-05-14 17:24

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Temperate Deciduous Woodland: The Climatic Climax
- Dynamic Equilibrium
  - In its natural state, the biome is considered to be in dynamic equilibrium with it's environment
    - Vegetation exists in a perfect balance with the climate and soils so any change would alter the balance between the components of the biome.
- Biomes
  - A global scale ecosystem with a naturally occuring organic community of plants and animals in the climatic climax stage of succession.
  - At the climatic climax, climate, vegetation and soils are closely linked in equilibrium
  - Like tropical rainforests, temperate deciduous woodlands are high energy biomes
- Characterisitics
  - A net primary productivity of 1200 g of dry organic matter per square meter per year. High, but 80% less than tropical rainforest biome.
  - Tall trees are dominant species
    - Oak is tallest, reaching 30-40m, followed by elm, beach, sycamore, ash and Chestnut.
    - Epiphytes e.g. lichens and mosses, grow on the trunks of trees.
  - Trees develop large crowns with small but thin leaves.
  - Trees are deciduous, shedding their leaves in winter.
    - Reduces transpiration at a time when less water is available
  - Relitavely few species of dominants, some by only one species.
  - Stratification of layers
  - Below the canopy is the shrub layer with smaller trees such as holly, hazel, rowan and hawthorn.
  - Herb layer above the forest floor, which is dense if enough light filters through the shrub layer.
    - Made up of grasses, brackens, ferns and some flowering plants such as bluebells. They appear early in the year before trees have developed their full canopy.
  - Mosses grow on the forest floor and a thick layer of leaf litter us readily broken down by soil microbes and animals.

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Temperate Deciduous Woodland (The Climatic Climax)

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