Temperate Forests

Temperate forests have on average between 200mm and 350mm of rainfall per year, and mild and moderate temperatures. This steady rainfall and lack of extremes allows for shrubs, flowers and trees to grow at a steady rate and adapt to more generalized conditions.

Temperate forests are divided into three types - coniferous forests, broadleaf forests and mixed forests. A specific type of broadleaf forest is the deciduous forest, a type that is found widely in the British Isles. Some temperate forests receive enough rainfall to be considered rain forests. Whilst these mostly occur in North America, the coastal regions of Africa and the mountainous regions of Asia, they also notably occur in New Zealand and the British Isles. In the British Isles these so called Celtic rainforests or Atlantic oakwood forests occur in isolated pockets around some notable lochs in Scotland, in the English Lake District, in Devon and Cornwall, on the valley sides of the River Dart and some riverine gorges on the slopes of Snowdonia. Some of these regions that are considered temperate rainforests receive in excess of 2,000mm of rainfall per annum.

These temperate areas are valuable ecosystems for a huge variety of species. They are simpler in terms of structure, having a canopy and under structure, but without the other layers that characterize tropical forests. Play this quiz and test your knowledge of coniferous, broadleaf and mixed temperate forests.