ByDamarius Dajnowicz & Alexia FoxFall 2009

Temperate Taiga

As we stare into our backyard, we see a fence of trees holding us back from all of the possible journeys that await us right in our own biome – the temperate biome, also known as the deciduous forest. Behind those trees is a world of wonder, larger than our imagination. The trees wave to us as they blow in the wind, squirrels scurry from tree to tree. As we stare, we don’t know that beyond those trees other life is moving about in its natural habitat too. As explorers, we finished packing what we need and we begin on our adventure in the temperate forest.

The temperate forests are made up of mainly two kinds of trees: deciduous and evergreen trees. Deciduous means “fall” and that is why deciduous trees have leaves that fall off of them. Evergreen trees have needles rather than leaves which are always green.

The temperate forest is made up of five zones. They include:

1. the tree stratum – made up of trees, such as oak, maple, chestnut, hickory & elm2. small trees and saplings – first develop here3. shrubs – rhododendron, azoles, mountain laurel and huckleberry4. herbal zone – contains herbs5. ground zone – contains moss

If you live in the temperate forest, be prepared for unexpected temperatures. For example, one day the temperature can be 70° F, but the next day it can be 50° F. In the summer, the temperature can get as high as 93°F, which is very hot for us, but in the winter it can get as cold as 20°F. The temperate forest has precipitation such as rain, freezing rain, snow, sleet, and hail. In spring, summer and fall precipitation in the temperate forest is rain, but in the winter, it can snow, sleet, and hail. So in packing for our adventure, we are bringing a variety of clothing to accommodate both cold and warm and hot temperatures.

There is a wide variety of food you can eat in the temperate forest, but you should be careful and make sure you know what is edible. If there are any beech trees near by you can eat the nuts and/or the nuts can be used as a coffee substitute. If there is an oak tree nearby you can eat the acorns or make it into a mash. The acorns can also be used as a coffee substitute. The inner bark of poplar is edible. You can eat it fresh or have it brewed into tea or cooked into noodles. If there is sweet birch you can eat the buds and twigs. You can also make a drink from sweet birch. The sweet birch contains sap. You can either drink the sap hot or cold.

It is challenging for us exploring in the temperate forest because the temperature can be unpredictable. One reason we say this is because in the winter plants can’t grow so we do not have anything to eat other than buds, twigs, and inner bark. Difficulty surviving in the temperate forest is very hard unless we have the proper gear such as: waterproof matches, warm clothing, food, water, seeds, and at least an insulated tent. In the summer time it is not as difficult to survive because plants grow and ripen. In the spring it is easy to survive also because we plant seeds and when they grow we have delicious food. In the fall it isn’t as easy to survive in the temperate forest because it is too cold for plants to grow and the ones from the summer are dying out. We like to explore in the temperate forest in the summer. The climate is perfect for living in the forest in our tent. And we can find food to harvest.

A good shelter in the temperate forest would be a tent. This is what we use and it protects us from all the weather elements. A tent is easy to put up. When we pitch our tent we place the tent in a flat spot that has no roots sticking out or any rocks. If there are any rocks or roots it will rip our tent creating holes in the tent making sleeping cold, wet and uncomfortable for us. In order to pitch the tent we bring hammers to pound in the stakes. We always bring extra stakes just in case the ones we have get lost or broken.

Temperate Forest

Your trees tall and alive

With squirrels and birds deep inside

Sun shines down on top of your leaves

Then slides down onto your moist dirt ground

This supplies nutrients for all the plants that inhabit you

Spring brings beauty in the flowers that bloom

In fall the leaves float down to the forest floor

Winter brings frosty precipitation

Covering your beauty in a blanket of snow.