Research/Project Results

Temperate Deciduous Biome:

South Central Ontario, Canada

Red Trilliums are flower early in spring.  The flower withers and produces a large seed pod that also turns red.  It is often eaten by squirrels and chipmunks, which spread the seeds when they defecate.  The Forget-me-not is an escaped flower from peoples' gardens.  It originally came from europe, but is now often found in sunny, damp areas.  While these flowers were found on the study site, they were not actually flowering at the time of the study.

School: Cobourg District Collegiate Institute West

e-mail: jcord@eagle.ca
Class: OAC Biology
 
 

 

    This field study was undertaken to determine what types of plants and animals were most commonly found in a mature, secondary, deciduous forest.  This forest is typical of many presently occurring deciduous forests in Ontario that are not managed.  

 

Abiotic Site Description

Type of Ecosystem: mature forest          

Latitude: 44 degrees 4 minutes north

Longitude: 78 degrees 15 minutes west

Soil Moisture: 31.3%

Soil Organic Content: 16.7 %

Sunlight: deep shade

Wind: slight breeze

 

    This deciduous forest is typical of deciduous forests in Ontario.  Its climax forest of maple and beech have a dense canopy of leaves, which determines many of the abiotic aspects of the forest.  The dense canopy gives the area deep shade in most times of the year.  This shade also leads to cooler temperatures in the forest than in adjacent lands.  The soil is more moist and has more organic matter than do adjacent lands.  Even the wind, which might dry the soil, is reduced by the presence of the tree trunks and leaves.  Even in the driest times of the summer, the plants remain healthy due to the moist soil.

This pictures show the lush vegetative growth under the canopy of the trees.  Most of the flowers are spring ephemerals, flowering briefly in the spring, before the trees produce large leaves and shade them out.  The heavy shade, promotes damp conditions that help bracket fungi grow on fallen trees, recycling them to form nutrients in the soil.

 

Biotic Site Description: Animal Data

 

Most Common Arthropod

 ant
Second Most Common Arthropod spider
Third Most Common Arthropod sowbug
Fourth Most Common Arthropod springtail
Most Common Mammal squirrel
Second Most Common Mammal mouse
Most Common Bird woodpecker

 

These plants show 2 extreme flowering methods to adapt to the dense shade of the deciduous forest canopy.  The flower on the right is flowering in early September, when leaves are falling off trees, allowing extra light to reach the forest floor.  The Baneberry on the left (sometimes called Doll's Eyes) flowers in the spring.  The ovaries of the flower contain the seeds.  They have become swollen and formed the fruit, or berry, of the flower.

 

Biotic Site Description: Plant Data

 

Most Important Tree sugar maple
Second Most Important Tree beech
Third Most Important Tree elm
Fourth Most Important Tree yellow birch

 

Most Important Shrub sugar maple
Second Most Important Shrub beech
Third Most important Shrub dogwood
Fourth Most Important Shrub red maple

These  plants are both typical of dense, moist hardwood forests.  Red Baneberry on the right and Wild Ginger on the left both flower in the spring.  The Wild Ginger, in particular, flowers very soon after snow melts.  It produces a small, brownish-red flower that is pipe shaped. 

Most Important Herb horse tail
Second Most Important Herb large leaved goldenrod
Third Most Important Herb ginger
Fourth Most Important Herb meadow rue

 

     The plants found in this deciduous forest are well adapted to the abiotic conditions determined by the soil and the dense tree cover.  The trees of this climax forest greatly affect all aspects of the forest.  The dense shade they produce keeps the soil moist.  Herbaceous plants must flower in the spring, before the dense shady canopy forms above them in the trees.  Their flowers produce fruits throughout the summer, which are food for many different animals found in the area.

     This mature forest often has trees die as they mature.  Standing dead trees, sometimes called snags, are great sources of food for insect eating birds.  Trees that fall to the ground decay quickly in the moist environment, enriching the soil for  other plant growth.
 

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jcord@eagle.ca