Editing Eastern Temperate Forests

{{Ecoregion_Level_1
|hasName=Eastern Temperate Forests
|hasURL=https://dmap-prod-oms-edc.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/ORD/Ecoregions/cec_na/NA_LEVEL_I.pdf
|hasEcoregionID=8
|hasLevel=1
|hasDescription=This ecological region extends from the Great Lakes in the north to the Gulf of Mexico in the
south. From the Atlantic Coast, it extends westward approximately 620 km into eastern Texas,
Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota. The region is distinguished by its moderate to mild-
ly humid climate, its relatively dense and diverse forest cover, and its high density of human
inhabitants that approximates 160 million. Urban industries, agriculture and some forestry are
major activities.
|hasBiologicalSetting=The Eastern Temperate Forests form a dense forest canopy consisting mostly of tall broadleaf,
deciduous trees and needle-leaf conifers. Beech-maple and maple-basswood forest types occur
widely especially in the eastern reaches of this region, mixed oak-hickory associations are com-
mon in the Upper Midwest, changing into oak-hickory-pine mixed forests in the south and the
Appalachians. These forests have a diversity of tree, shrub, vine and herb layers. While various
species of oaks, hickories, maples and pines are common, other wide-ranging tree species
include ashes, elms, black cherry, yellow poplar, sweet gum, basswood, hackberry, common
persimmon, eastern red cedar and flowering dogwood. A key tree species, the American chest-
nut, was virtually eliminated from the Eastern Temperate Forests in the first half of the twenti-
eth century by an introduced fungus.
Two essentials for wildlife—food and shelter—are relatively abundant in the Eastern Temperate
Forests. Because it is a significant evolutionary area for the continent’s fauna, the region con-
tains a great diversity of species within several groups of animals. Mammals of the region
include the white-footed mouse, gray squirrel, eastern chipmunk, raccoon, porcupine, gray fox,
bobcat, white-tailed deer and black bear. The region has extremely diverse populations of birds,
fish, reptiles and amphibians.
|hasPhysicalSetting=A variety of geologic materials and landforms are present. Younger-age sedimentary coastal
plains in the south and east abut the older, folded and faulted sedimentary, metamorphic and
igneous rocks of the Appalachian Mountains that reach elevations over 2,000 m. A mixed lime-
stone-dolomite terrain of plains and hills dominate much of the central part of the region, with
other sedimentary rock found on the plateaux and plains in the north and west. Glacially derived
materials and landforms and areas of glacial lake deposits shape the landscape in the north.
Soils are mostly leached, being nutrient-poor to calcium-rich. Surface waters are characterized
by an abundance of perennial streams, small areas with high densities of lakes, a diversity of
wetland communities and a rich array of maritime ecosystems.
The climate is generally warm, humid and temperate, although there is a latitudinal gradient
from cool, continental temperatures to those that are subtropical. Summers are hot and humid,
and winters are mild to cool. The average daily minimum temperature in winter is –12°C in the
north and 4°C in the south. Average daily maximum summer temperatures are 27°C to 32°C.
Precipitation amounts of 1,000-1,500 mm per year are relatively evenly distributed throughout
the year, with most areas having either a summer or spring maximum.
|hasClimate=The climate is generally warm, humid and temperate, although there is a latitudinal gradient
from cool, continental temperatures to those that are subtropical. Summers are hot and humid,
and winters are mild to cool. The average daily minimum temperature in winter is –12°C in the
north and 4°C in the south. Average daily maximum summer temperatures are 27°C to 32°C.
Precipitation amounts of 1,000-1,500 mm per year are relatively evenly distributed throughout
the year, with most areas having either a summer or spring maximum.
|isSubregionOf=USA, North America, American South, Midwest, Northeast
|hasSubregion=Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky
|hasChildEcoregion=Mixed Wood Plains, Central USA Plains, Southeastern USA Plains, Ozark Ouachita-Appalachian Forests, Mississippi Alluvial and Southeast USA Coastal Plains
|hasFootprint=GeoJson:EasternTemperateForests
|hasGeography=Great Lakes, low mountains, dissected plateaus, rolling uplands, broad river valleys
|hasHydrography=Mississippi Basin, Ohio Basin, Tennessee Basin, Missouri Basin, St. Lawrence Basin, 
}}