Section 2 • Terrestrial Biomes 69
Temperate forest Temperate forests cover much of southeastern
Canada, the eastern United States, most of Europe,
and parts of Asia and Australia. As shown in Figure 3.10, the
temperate forest is composed mostly of broad-leaved, deciduous
(dih SIH juh wus) trees—trees that shed their leaves in autumn.
The falling red, orange, and gold leaves return nutrients to
the soil. Winters are cold. In spring, warm temperature and
precipitation restart the growth cycles of plants and trees.
Summers are hot.
Temperate woodland and shrubland Open woodlands
and mixed shrub communities are found in areas with less
annual rainfall than in temperate forests. The woodland biome
occurs in areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, on the western
coasts of North and South America, and in South Africa and
Australia. Areas that are dominated by shrubs, such as in California,
are called the chaparral. Figure 3.11 illustrates woodland
and shrub communities.
■ Figure 3.10 Temperate forest
Average precipitation: 75–150 cm per year
Temperature range: 30°C–30°C
Plant species: oak, beech, and maple trees, shrubs
Animal species: squirrels, rabbits, skunks, birds, deer,
foxes, black bears
Geographic location: south of the boreal forests in
eastern North America, eastern Asia, Australia, and
Europe
Abiotic factors: well-defined seasons; summers are
hot, winters are cold
■ Figure 3.11 Temperate woodland and
shrubland
Average precipitation: 38–100 cm per year
Temperature range: 10°C–40°C
Plant species: evergreen shrubs, corn oak
Animal species: foxes, jackrabbits, birds, bobcats,
coyotes, lizards, snakes, butterflies
Geographic location: surrounds the Mediterranean
Sea, western coasts of North and South America,
South Africa, and Australia
Abiotic factors: summers are very hot and dry;
winters are cool and wet
70 Chapter 3 • Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems
Temperate grassland A biome that is characterized
by fertile soils that are able to support a thick cover of
grasses is called grassland, illustrated in Figure 3.12.
Drought, grazing animals, and fires keep grasslands from
becoming forests. Due to their underground stems and
buds, perennial grasses and herbs are not eliminated by
the fires that destroy most shrubs and trees. Temperate
grasslands are found in North America, South America,
Asia, Africa, and Australia. Grasslands are called steppes
in Asia; prairies in North America; pampas, llanos, and
cerrados in South America; savannahs and velds in Africa;
and rangelands in Australia.
Desert Deserts exist on every continent except Europe. A
desert is any area in which the annual rate of evaporation
exceeds the rate of precipitation. You might imagine a desert
as a desolate place full of sand dunes, but many deserts do
not match that description. As shown in Figure 3.13, deserts
can be home to a wide variety of plants and animals.
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