Temperate Deciduous Woodland Biome
Deciduous tree: a tree that sheds its leaves in the autumn months, when water supply is limited. By losing its leaves, trees will prevent water loss through transpiration. Also they will have more energy to grow upwards, to reach the limited amounts of sunlight in the winter, instead of through photosynthesis. The leaves of deciduous trees are broad and thin so that there is a larger surface area for maximum photosynthesis in the summer when there are long days of sunlight..
Temperate deciduous woodland areas are located in the climatic climax of countries with temperate climates, for example the UK. In the UK the climate in the summer is between 15°C and 20°C, whereas in the winter temperatures rarely fall below 0°C. There is around 1000 to 1500mm of rainfall each year. An example of temperate deciduous woodland is Salcey Forest, UK.
The climate of a temperate biome is between 15°C and 25°C in the summer but between 0°C and 5°C in the winter. There is rainfall all year round, with between 500 and 1500mm a year. This climate allows deciduous woodlands to develop as they shed their leaves in the winter when temperatures are lower, so they conserve their energy, allowing them to grow upwards rather than photosynthesise.
Dynamic equilibrium: is when the diversity of species/vegetation is balanced with the abiotic factors of the environment, eg. climate and soil. An ecosystem is in dynamic equilibrium with its environment when it is in natural state. Changes in the environment can alter the balance.
Deciduous forests are dormant during the winter to conserve energy. First of all they shed their leaves, to prevent water loss through transpiration. They also slow down growth as they aren’t making food/energy through photosynthesis. Tree dormancy is similar to hibernation, but in trees.
Deciduous forests are high energy biomes, with a net primary productivity of 1,200g dry organic matter per m² per year. This is because of the high summer temperatures up to 25°C and large amounts of sunlight.
Dominant species in woodlands:
 Oak, beech and ash trees – thin, broad leaves giving large surface area for maximum photosynthesis. They grow up to 40m to get maximum sunlight. Oak trees have large seeds that contain enough food to grow through the shady forest floor.
There tends to be few dominant species in a deciduous forest, one dominant tree in a deciduous forest/woodland, for example oak.
Deciduous forests show stratification; the formation of layers. These include: herb layer, shrub layer, canopy layer and emergent layer. In the herb layer, mosses and leaf litter grow on the ground and decomposed (adding nutrients into the soil below). Shade-tolerant plants eg. grass may grow densely is enough light passes through to the undergrowth. Some flowering plants eg. bluebells grow on the forest floor before trees begin to re-grow their leaves, allowing them to absorb enough light to photosynthesise. In the shrub layer, smaller trees grow between 5m and 20m and are fairly shade-tolerant. These trees may include hazel and hawthorn. Epiphytes, eg. lichen and mosses, grow up the trunks of trees to get as much sunlight as possible. The canopy layer consists of the dominant trees eg. oak and beech, which grow up to 30m tall. Some trees grow taller than the rest, as they are competing for sunlight. These trees are in the emergent layer.
The soil in a deciduous forest is brown earth. This soil is very fertile due to the decomposition of leaf litter on the forest floor which adds nutrients back into the soil. Earthworms in the soil help to mix the nutrients, and blend the layers within the soil.
Humans have had a major impact on deciduous woodland in the UK. Only 10% of the original deciduous woodland remains due to deforestation. Humans remove the woodlands/forests for many reasons; one being to create space for urban areas, but also to create space for farms/grazing.
Animals that live in deciduous forests have to be adapted to the seasonal changes of climate. Two main adaptations are hibernation and migration. Animals hibernate to survive in the winter months when temperatures are too cold (0°C and 5°C). Others migrate to places with warmer climates. Examples of animals in deciduous woodlands are squirrels, foxes, toad, rabbit, woodpecker and owls.