Research/Project ResultsTemperate Deciduous Forest BiomeFrankfort Illinois, Page 2 |
Abiotic DataThere were several abiotic factors that affected the growth of organisms in this forest. Abiotic factors are non-living things that effect the life of an organism. These would include the precipitation, temperature, soil moisture, soil organic content, available sunlight, wind speed etc. Major findings in this field study were that: soil moisture: 6.2% soil organic content: 14.3% available sun: very little; it was very shady even in early spring very dense forest canopy wind speed: very little wind in the forest
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This photograph of the Sugar Maple leaf shows the leaf in its fall colours. Throughout the spring and summer the leaf has green chlorophyll pigments, making it look green. What you don't see are the red and yellow pigments hidden by the green chlorophyll. In fall, with cold days and decreasing daylight hours, the chlorophyll breaks down, leaving the red and yellow to be seen. The red and yellow pigments do serve a purpose, even in the summer. They absorb light frequencies that green chlorophyll misses, and pass the energy on to the chlorophyll. All the pigments help out in the process of photosynthesis!
Abiotic factors like temperature and light effect things like leaf colour. The leaves also effect other abiotic factors in the forest. The leaves decrease the amount of light reaching the ground, making soil cool and moist. The low light levels make the leaves grow thin and broad, to create a large flat surface to maximize the amount of light that they absorb. Almost all of the photosynthesizing cells in the leaves are able to absorb light. Leaves like a Kalanchoe (thick and fleshy) would have cells in the depths of the leaves that could never absorb light in the low levels of a forest. That is why Kalanchoe doesn't grow in a forest, it grows out in the open (check out the desert study!)
This climatogram summarizes the monthly average temperature and precipitation. Note how the temperature profile increases in the summer, quite the opposite of the precipitation profile. The temperature profile shows distinct summer and winter seasons, as opposed to the climatogram of Kenya. Although there is winter, is there snow? Examine the graph carefully!
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