Lesson Four

Which ecosystem do you think

we are going to learn about today ??

The next two slides will give you some

clues
Wild Boars Goshawks

Which Ecosystem could this be?

Wild Ponies

Adders Red squirrels

Further clues – How this vegetation has
adapted to this ecosystem
Changing
Colours
Willow Tree – aspirin provider

White Trillium-
‘Spring ephemeral’
Completes life-cycle
before the broad leaf
Trees flourish.

Bloodroot, like many other

spring ephemerals, flowers in
the spring before the forest
canopy appears
 Temperate
Deciduous Forest
Biome
PREP from last lesson

Find out FIVE facts about the DECIDUOUS

ECOSYSTEM- Especially in the UK.

What facts did you find out?

STARTER: 5 mins
Sort the following words to make sense
of plants and animals that might be
found in deciduous forests: Use your
mini whiteboards to write and show
your answers.

1.MOMHOURS (8)
MUSHROOM
2.LIVESOT (7)
VIOLETS
3. E FEW DOLLAR (6+4)
FALLOW DEER
4. RED BAGS (7)
BADGERS
5.THUS CENT (8)
CHESTNUT
6. O POWER DECK (10)
WOODPECKER
 Lesson 4 Aim and Objectives
Title: Which ecosystem are we learning
about today??
What will I know and / or
demonstrate by the end of this lesson?
ALL Understand factors that have
made the temperate
deciduous ecosystem
suitable for its location. Able
to identify many factors
MOST Aware that changing one
factor has a massive impact
on that ecosystem.
SOME Understand the fragility of
the ecosystem and
understand the need to
conserve such environments.
Objectives: -To understand that each
ecosystem is unique and has local variations
which make it so.
To learn how to identify the inter-relations in
a temperate deciduous ecosystem
Key Terms
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Food-Chain Hierarchy
Seasonality
Adaptation
Inter-dependence
Key Skills
Identifying key factors
Ability to select information
Use geographical language
Critical awareness of change – natural
and human.
Task; Watch and listen to the video clip.
Make notes in your book on: location;
seasons ; Climate example ;soil: vegetation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqYzR
Akxqlg
Task Sheet: Watch the next four slides to help fill in your hand-out.
Where are temperate deciduous
forests found?
They can be found in the continents of
NE _________ / W.____________
and SE __________.
This biome has ______ seasons which
are named W_______/ S_________/
S__________ and A_________
What happens in autumn?
________________________
________________________
Why do deciduous trees shed
their leaves?
Photosynthesis is __________________
________________________________
Why are broad leaves not good in cold
weather? _________________________
_________________________________
What is chlorophyll? What happens when
leaves lose this?___________________
________________________________
________________________________
Structure of deciduous forests
What are the main trees of the
deciduous forest?
________________________
________________________
Describe the 5 layers of the forest:
1.__________________________
2_____________________________
3.______________________________
4._______________________________
5._______________________________
What animals live in deciduous
forests and how have they adapted?
Name 5 different animals that live in this
Biome____________________________
__________________________________
Name 3 ways in which animals have adapted
to life in a deciduous forest with examples
1._________________________________
2.__________________________________
3.__________________________________
____________________________________
_____________________________________.
Where are deciduous forests found?
This biome is located between the polar regions and the
tropics, so large air masses from both cold and warm
areas of the Earth affect the climate. Deciduous forests
are found in the eastern part of the USA and large areas
of Europe.
There are four seasons in this
biome, with warm summers
and cold, often snowy, winters.
There is about 90-180 cm of
rain falling evenly through the
year. Many people live in this
biome.

In autumn, the leaves change color and fall from the

trees. The leaves decay on the forest floor, so the soil is
very rich. Because of this, and because of the long
growing season, many deciduous forests have been cut
down for farming purposes.
Deciduous Forest: Plants
Trees of this biome include hardwoods such as maple,
oak, hickory, and beech. There are often some
evergreens, such as hemlock, spruce, and fir growing
amongst them.
A deciduous forest generally has 3,4 or even 5 layers of
plants:
Top layer, or canopy: tall deciduous trees.
Although the canopy is quite thick, it does allow sunlight
to reach the forest floor, which encourages the other
layers to grow.
The 2nd layer: saplings and shorter kinds of trees
The 3rd layer, or understorey: shrubs.
The 4th layer: forest herbs, such as wildflowers and
berries. In spring, before the leaves develop on the
deciduous trees, these herbs bloom and grow quickly
while they are getting a lot of sunlight.
The 5th layer: mosses and lichens that grow on tree
trunks.
Why do deciduous trees shed their leaves?
The leaves of deciduous trees are broad and quite light.
This gives the leaves a bigger surface to capture
sunlight to help produce food for the plant. This is called
photosynthesis . However, broad leaves are not good
when the weather gets cold, as they lose too much
moisture and get damaged. So the cooler autumn
temperatures are a signal to the trees to cut off the
water supply to the leaves and seal off leaf stems where
they join onto the tree trunks. The leaves are not able to
produce the chlorophyll that makes them green. The
leaves become yellow, red or gold before they dry up
and fall off the trees. The leaves decay on the ground
and make the soil very fertile.
Deciduous Forest: Animals
A wide variety of mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles
can be found in the deciduous forest biome. Mammals
that can be found include boars, squirrels, moles, wood
mice, and deer.
Melting snow in spring and rain during summer provide
water for streams and ponds. Many water birds, insects,
and fishes are found in this biome, along with
amphibians such as frogs and salamanders, and reptiles
such as lizards and small snakes.
Animal Adaptations
The animals have developed different ways of surviving
in this biome. Many of them migrate to warmer places to
escape the cold winter months, while others hibernate
(sleep) through the winter when food is scarce.
Some animals such as squirrels, chipmunks and jays
store food when it is plentiful, using hollows of trees as
storehouses for nuts and seeds. In winter this store of
food keeps them fed.
Temperate Deciduous
Forests Biome SUMMARY
Deciduous trees lose their leaves in
autumn.
The leaves change colour before
they fall.
The fallen leaves are good for the
soil.
In spring, new leaves grow and the
forest is green again.
The leaves are wide to catch more
sunshine.
'Deciduous' means to shed - deciduous trees shed their
leaves once a year.
 PLENARY:
TEMPERATE Structure?
Locations?
DECIDUOUS
FORESTS -3 mins
Using your mini-whiteboards
Answer the 4 questions

Climate/Seasons-Why? Adaptations?
Prep-Find out what a food-chain is and how
it applies to a temperate deciduous forest biome.