Temperate Rainforest
Temperate Rainforests are located mostly in South America, Parts of Asia and Australia,
but we have one right here in the United States. In Washington, to be exact.
The Olympic Peninsula is home to the States most visited wildlife parks. With
temperatures that almost never freeze in the winter and never get above
80°F in the summer, and factor in about 12 feet of rain per year, it is one of the
Earth's most exquisite biomes.
Temperate Rainforests are abundant with wildlife. The thick
canopy moderates the temperature for species year round. The Olympic National
Park is home to the United States biggest population of Roosevelt Elk. The elk
share their home with Black bears, raccoons, cougars, and several amphibian and rodant species. The lush forest is teeming with vegetation as well. Common trees include the Sitka Spruce, Bigleaf Maple, and Black
Cottonwood. Nurse logs with ferns and Cattail Moss litter the forest floors.
Nurse logs are dead trees that have fallen down. As the logs decay, seedlings
germinate and grow on top of them. Soon their roots reach the soil and the nurse
log will eventually decay completely, leaving a colonnade: a row of trees with
stilt-like roots.
but we have one right here in the United States. In Washington, to be exact.
The Olympic Peninsula is home to the States most visited wildlife parks. With
temperatures that almost never freeze in the winter and never get above
80°F in the summer, and factor in about 12 feet of rain per year, it is one of the
Earth's most exquisite biomes.
Temperate Rainforests are abundant with wildlife. The thick
canopy moderates the temperature for species year round. The Olympic National
Park is home to the United States biggest population of Roosevelt Elk. The elk
share their home with Black bears, raccoons, cougars, and several amphibian and rodant species. The lush forest is teeming with vegetation as well. Common trees include the Sitka Spruce, Bigleaf Maple, and Black
Cottonwood. Nurse logs with ferns and Cattail Moss litter the forest floors.
Nurse logs are dead trees that have fallen down. As the logs decay, seedlings
germinate and grow on top of them. Soon their roots reach the soil and the nurse
log will eventually decay completely, leaving a colonnade: a row of trees with
stilt-like roots.
Plants of the Rainforest!
Rainforest Animals!
Fun Facts!
2000 plants in the temperate rainforest have been identified to have anti-cancer properties.
Rainforests are home to more than 50% of Earth's animals. Temperate rainforests used to exist on almost every continent in the world, but today only 50 percent remain. |
Every second, a slice of rainforest the size of a football field is mowed down.
That's 86,400 football fields of rainforest per day, and over 31 million football fields of rainforest each year! Because the soil is very fertile and hardwood trees are good for building, this biome has some of the world's largest population centers in it. 1 out of 4 ingredients in our medicine is from rainforest plants. |