Food Web
Animal Adaptations
Animals living in a temperate deciduous forest must be able to adapt to the seasonal changes. They have to prepare for the colder temperatures of the winter months and be able to survive within limited food supplies. Migration and hibernation are the two adaptations these animals use within the deciduous forest.
Animals such as birds are able to migrate to a warmer place and return to the deciduous forest once the temperature gats warmer. This helps the birds find the food they need to survive.
Some animals such as the bear will hibernate during the colder winter months.
Hibernation is when the animal will sleep during the winter months. In order to hibernate, the animal must protect themselves from the cold temperature. They will find a small place within the forest to cover themselves from the temperature. They will also slow their breathing and lower their heart beat. Once they get to this stage, they can survive from living off of their stored body fat. However, they must regain their body weight during the spring and summer months. If they do not, they may not last through the colder temperature of the winter.
They small animals that do not hibernate or migrate to a warmer place must collect food and store them for the long winter months. Animals such as squirrels, chipmunks and some birds like the jay often hide nuts and seeds in the ground underneath fallen branches and leaves. They also will find hollow tree trunks to store their food. The food they hide and store will not decompose with the help of the colder ground.
Animals such as birds are able to migrate to a warmer place and return to the deciduous forest once the temperature gats warmer. This helps the birds find the food they need to survive.
Some animals such as the bear will hibernate during the colder winter months.
Hibernation is when the animal will sleep during the winter months. In order to hibernate, the animal must protect themselves from the cold temperature. They will find a small place within the forest to cover themselves from the temperature. They will also slow their breathing and lower their heart beat. Once they get to this stage, they can survive from living off of their stored body fat. However, they must regain their body weight during the spring and summer months. If they do not, they may not last through the colder temperature of the winter.
They small animals that do not hibernate or migrate to a warmer place must collect food and store them for the long winter months. Animals such as squirrels, chipmunks and some birds like the jay often hide nuts and seeds in the ground underneath fallen branches and leaves. They also will find hollow tree trunks to store their food. The food they hide and store will not decompose with the help of the colder ground.
Plants shed their leaves once every year when the temperature gets cold or dry then later they grow their leaves back. Deciduous trees such as ash, beech, birch, maple, oak have broad leaves evergreen trees do not lose their leaves during the cold months.
In the summer the broad green leaves capture the sunlight to produce energy through the photosynthesis process.
In the fall, temperatures begin to drop and the leaves start changing from green to red, yellow, and orange. Without enough sunlight and water, the leaves are unable to produce chlorophyll which is needed to keep the leaves green. This is because the trees start holding the needed water to its trunk to ensure it survives the winter months.
In the winter, it’s too cold to protect the leaves, so the trees just lose them. When the trees lose their leaves it helps them preserve water from lose of transpiration. Before the leaves are dropped some of the food from the leaves go into the twigs and branches where it is stored and used in the following spring.
Once the temperature begins to warm, it signals the start of spring. The broad leaves will begin to grown, the mitigating birds will be returning and laying their eggs, the smaller animals will be more active as well as the hibernating animals will leave their nest and begin searching for food. This is also the start of the cycle of life within the deciduous forest.
In the summer the broad green leaves capture the sunlight to produce energy through the photosynthesis process.
In the fall, temperatures begin to drop and the leaves start changing from green to red, yellow, and orange. Without enough sunlight and water, the leaves are unable to produce chlorophyll which is needed to keep the leaves green. This is because the trees start holding the needed water to its trunk to ensure it survives the winter months.
In the winter, it’s too cold to protect the leaves, so the trees just lose them. When the trees lose their leaves it helps them preserve water from lose of transpiration. Before the leaves are dropped some of the food from the leaves go into the twigs and branches where it is stored and used in the following spring.
Once the temperature begins to warm, it signals the start of spring. The broad leaves will begin to grown, the mitigating birds will be returning and laying their eggs, the smaller animals will be more active as well as the hibernating animals will leave their nest and begin searching for food. This is also the start of the cycle of life within the deciduous forest.