Tropical Evergreen Forest

Tropical evergreen forests contain a wide array of plant and animal species. These forests lie near the Equator, according to the University of California Museum of Palaeontology. This biome is characterized by having lots of daylight and only two seasons--rainy and dry. Further division of the biome depends upon the length of the dry season; evergreen rainforests feature no dry season, while semi-evergreen forests have a longer dry season. The animals living within adapt to the settings and the dense flora around. Scarlet Macaw

Scarlet Macaws, or Ara Ma cao, live within tropical rainforest regions, such as those found in southern Mexico and South America. They reside in forest canopies. These birds are bright red, with some multicoloured feathers on their wings. Their faces are white, and their beaks are light on top and black on the bottom. Scarlet macaws can live up to 75 years, their lifespan range from 40 to 50 years. A fully grown scarlet macaw weighs around 3 pounds and is about 3 feet long. Leafcutter Ant

Atta cephalotes, the leafcutter ant, lives within tropical rainforests throughout the world. These ants earn their name because of the cutting action they perform on leaves. Their diet consists of a special fungus; the ants cut leaf parts off. Jaguar

The jaguar, panther once, lives throughout Central and South America's tropical evergreen forests. Within the United States, they can occasionally be found in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. They are the largest big cat in the Americas, according to Defenders of Wildlife. Jaguars feature dark yellow or tan coats with black splotches and a white underbelly. Green Anaconda Eunectes murinus, or green anaconda, lives within tropical forests and rainforests, namely the Amazon and Orinoco Basins. Its name comes from the fact that the snake has dark green scales covering it, along with black spots. Despite many urban legends, green anacondas tend not to grow much larger than about 30 feet in length. Green anacondas constrict their food, which consists of any kind of vertebrate within hunting distance, including capybara, fish and other snakes.

 Abies bracteata The Abies bracteata, also called the Santa Lucia fir, is a common tree in the evergreen forest. This plant grows slowly, but eventually reaches heights up to 70 feet tall. This tree is seen in thick regions of the forest and along mountain sides. The Santa Lucia fir produces thick, dark green leaves that fan outward.

Western Columbine The western columbine is a flowering shrub found in the evergreen forests. Hummingbirds are attracted to this plant because the flowers are a rich source of nectar. Delicate yellowish and red tubular flowers blossom in the spring. The western columbine has thin green foliage and can grow up to 3 feet tall. These species are found in abundance along coastal mountain landscapes and in the Sierra Nevada.

American Beech Tree The American Beech Tree can reach heights of up to 100 feet tall. The bark is smooth and pale and leaves are a deep forest green. The beech tree produces nutrient-dense nuts that are craved by forest animals such as squirrels, rabbits and foxes. The leaves grow closely together, creating a great deal of shade cover, only allowing minimal sunshine to reach the forest floor.

Emerald Carpet Manzanita Emerald carpet Manzanita is a large shrub that provides evergreen ground cover across the forest floor. This plant flourishes in Oregon forests. This forest plant also grows well in gardens with welldrained soils.

Tropical Deciduous Forest

Teak Teak (Tectonic grandees) is large tropical deciduous trees native to the dry forests of Southeast Asia, but they have become common all over the tropics. Teak is well-known around the world for the high-

quality wood it produces. The teak tree can reach a height of 130 feet, and its trunk can have a 5-foot diameter. Teak trees have large, open, rounded crowns.

The oldest teak tree, kannimari is found here. Mesquite Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) is a small, tropical, deciduous tree or thorn shrub native to Central America and northern South America. It can grow to 40 feet tall as a tree but often is a sprawling multitrunk shrub. Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) is a small, tropical, deciduous tree or thorn shrub native to Central America and northern South America. Mesquite is very prolific and is considered a weed in many tropical areas, such as Hawaii

Illawarra Flame Tree The Illawarra flame tree (Brachychiton acerifolius) is native to the tropical deciduous forests of Queensland, Australia, and the eastern coastal rainforest areas, where it grows as a semi evergreen. It is slightly frost-tolerant and survives into New South Wales, where the weather is slightly cooler. The Illawarra flame tree grows to 100 feet tall and is known for a show of bright-red leaves and flowers. Typically, the flowers form after the leaves fall in the summer, but The leaves do not always drop every year. They are followed by leathery seed pods, which contain many seeds that resemble.

Blue-Spotted Salamander The blue-spotted salamander, or Ambystoma laterale, is found in the maple and birch forests throughout the Northeast United States. These type of salamanders are often found in rotting wood. The adults of this amphibious species are approximately five inches in length. Blue-spotted salamanders received their endangered status from the loss of habitat and degradation of water supply. This salamander's appearance consists of black skin with blue spots all over its body.

Puerto Rican Sharp-Shinned Hawk According to the U.S. Forest Service, the Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk's, or Accipiter striatus, habitat is deciduous forests with trees that include elm, ash, birch and maple. This hawk is endangered in Missouri and Illinois and threatened in Tennessee. When fully mature, these birds have a length of 13 inches. Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawks It spend their summers in the western states and migrate to the southeast United States during the winter.

Wood Turtle The wood turtle is found throughout North America and, according to the University of Maine, is threatened or endangered in most of its native states. These turtles grow up to eight inches when they mature. Wood turtles' habitats include forests -- deciduous and coniferous, wetlands and riparian areas. The primary cause of the decline in the wood turtle population is pet collecting, road development and habitat destruction.

Temperate Evergreen Forest

Deciduous forests are also called temperate forests Common Primrose The common primrose is a native of western Europe, northern Africa and Eurasia; it is found in deciduous forests throughout these regions. This perennial flowering plant grows up to 11 inches when it fully matures.

American Beech The American Beech is a deciduous tree that grows in temperate forests in a number of regions in the U.S., including the Southeast and New England. This tree reaches heights of more than 100 feet when it fully matures.

Spanish Bluebell This bulbous plant is native to the temperate forests of Spain, but they were introduced into the East Coast region of the United States. Spanish bluebells grows in North Carolina, Virginia and Delaware, according to the U.S. National Park Service.

The Fairy Pitta The fairy pitta, or Pitta nympha, is a small, brightly coloured bird that lives in northeast Asia and calls the countries of Japan, South Korea and China home. This 16- to 19.5-centimeter-tall bird has a green back, blue tail, chestnut crown and a buff-coloured belly with a red stripe.

Japanese Night Heron At 49 centimetres tall, the Japanese night heron, or Gorschius goisagi, is a small, stocky heron with a red-brown head and neck and chestnut-brown back and tail. This nocturnal bird breeds in Japan, spends the spring and summer in Russia and South Korea, and winters in the Philippines.

Odaigahara Salamander The Odaigahara salamander is a terrestrial, freshwater salamander living in the forests, rivers and streams of the Taiheiyo Forest. Some varieties are known to secrete toxins when scared as a defense against predation.

Coniferous Forests
Santa Cruz Cypress The Santa Cruz cypress is an endangered cypress tree in Santa Cruz Mountains in California. It is only found in five various locations within a 350 mile range and has been listed as endangered since 1973.

 Wawaeiole Wawaeiole is a member of the moss family and is located in Hawaii. Its habitat is very critical and is being degraded by farm animals and other plants in competition for the habitat.

Diellia Falcata The Diellia Falcata is endangered in its home located in the lowland forests of the Hawaiian Islands. It is a part of the fern family and grows about 3 feet in height.

Pygmy Rabbit Pygmy rabbits, the smallest rabbits in the world, are so endangered that they only have one remaining population alive. These tiny creatures have been steadily lost over the years to disease, predatory animals and land development. The pygmy rabbit is protected in the state of Washington, and a program at the Oregon Zoo is attempting to crossbreed the rabbit with another pygmy rabbit subspecies.

Spotted Owl Spotted owls prefer living in mature, old-growth parts of the north-western coniferous forest. In Canada, the spotted owl is considered endangered, while in the United States part of the forest, it is classified as Threatened. Spotted owls make their nests in trees, and are greatly affected by deforestation and logging.

Grizzly Bear Grizzly bears were once a very common animal, with a population of over 50,000 in North America. That population has declined over the years due mostly to contact with humans. Grizzly bears are often killed if they are seen as interfering with a human population. Poaching is another reason for their rapid decline. Fewer white bark

Pines, trees that provide food for the bear, cause a problem as well.

Temperate grasslands have few trees or bushes.

Grasslands are large areas where there are almost no trees or shrubs. According to Enchanted Learning, an educational website, the main plant life in such an area is grass, with less than one tree per acre. Known by names such as pampas, steppes and plains in various parts of the world, in North America temperate grasslands are referred to as prairies. Animals living in grasslands have adapted to the dry, windy conditions that exist there.

Plants & Animals of the Temperate Grasslands

Gazelles

Gazelles are grazing animals found in the grasslands of Africa and Asia. Gazelles live in herds ranging from ten animals up to several hundred animals. This graceful animal is very fast and can run up to 40 miles per hour to evade predators. Prairie Dogs

Prairie dogs are also at home on the Great Plains in the western United States. Prairie dogs eat grasses and other plants. They live in very social communities and burrow in underground tunnels. Prairie dog tunnels can reach 100 feet long. Prairie dogs are relatively

American Bison

Millions of American bison once roamed the Great Plains across the United States. Today the protected species can be found mostly in many state parks and some national parks. The bison is a herd animal that grazes on grass. Bison typically weigh between 911 and 2,022 pounds. They are brown with long hair, and the males of the species have horns. Little Bluestem One of the most common native grasses of the North American temperate grassland is little bluestem grass. This hardy, deep-rooted grass is often found in areas that are dry and often of low fertility. It grows from 18 to 36 inches tall, depending on soil quality. This is a preferred grazing grass for many native species such as elk and bison. It puts out large seed clusters in the fall, providing a source of nutrition for small animals such as mice and voles, as well as for many species of birds.

Indian Grass Indian grass is native to the North American temperate grasslands. The plant is characterized by bluegreen leaves that turn golden yellow in the fall months. This grass can reach heights of up to 12 inches.

Big Bluestem Big bluestem is a tall grass native to the prairies of the Midwest. The blades of this grass are colored a blueish purple and can reach heights of up to 10 feet. The plant is known as a bunch grass because it grows in dense stands that keep other grasses from finding enough light to grow. Big bluestem also has a deep root system that works to preserve the soil and fight wind erosion.

Plants & Animals of the Tropical Grasslands

Baobab Tree The baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) is a common plant of the tropical grassland in Africa and is also referred to as the tree of life. The tree reaches a mature height of about 60 feet and is among the tallest trees in the African savannas. The tree provides food, water and shelter for both humans and animals in the region and its cork-like bark is resistant to fire. The bark is also used for making cloth and rope and the foliage it is used as traditional medicine and condiments. The baobab tree produces an edible fruit called monkey bread. The tree can store up to hundreds of gallons of water, which can be used during droughts.

Candelabra Tree Candelabra tree (Ingens) is found in the savannas of the East Indies and Africa. The tree reaches a mature height of 30 to 40 feet and the branches extending from a single trunk give the impression of candelabra. The tree bears small yellow flowers in the middle of winter. Candelabra tree is highly poisonous and is not preferred by animals. There are sharp spines of the branches, which burn upon contact and make the tree particularly useful as a living fence.

Elephant grass Elephant grass is a tall-growing native grass of the African tropical grasslands. The grass is typically found growing in the rich soil along the lake beds and rivers. Its hairy stems and 2- to 3-foot long, 1inch wide pointed leaves.

African elephants African elephants, the largest land-based animal on earth, can grow to be between 10 and 13 feet in height and 6,600 and 13,200 pounds in weight. The most distinguishable features on an elephant are their long tusks, ears and trunks. African elephants naturally exist in parts of sub-Saharan and Central Africa, including Kenya, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Rhinoceros

Rhinoceros, animals that are often known as "rhinos," can be distinguished by their horns. The animals usually grow to be between 3 and 6 feet in height and between 1,300 and 4,400 pounds in weight, depending on what type of rhinoceros they are. Black rhinos exist in places in Africa Rhinoceros can live 40 to 45 years. Rhinoceros are herbivores, living on foods such as twigs, bark, branches, farm crops, aquatic plants, leaves or fruit.

Cheetahs Cheetahs are fast-moving animals known for their brown, spotted hides, long tails, small heads and skinny bodies. The animals usually grow to be between 2 and 3 feet tall and between 75 and 143 pounds in weight. In nature, cheetahs exist in places such as Niger, Somalia, South Africa and Iran.

Mediterranean forest
Rosemary With a Latin name (Rosmarinus officinalis) that means "dew of the sea," rosemary's native Mediterranean climate is clearly evident. It grows best in well-drained soil; if your soil is very clayey or heavy, use mulch to lighten its texture and encourage speedier drainage. Plant rosemary in the brightest part of your garden; it grows best with at least six or eight hours of sunshine per day.

Lavender The familiar aromatic flower, lavender, is native to Southern Europe and Mediterranean countries such as Spain and the south of France. It grows fairly tall, like an ornamental grass. It reaching around 3 feet in height. The plant's stalk is a soft gray color with delicate light purple flowers at the tips. Lavender it can only endure temperatures down to around the mid-40s. It may continue to return each year for up to 30 years. The plants may attract bees. The fragile flowers have been used for centuries as perfumes and sachets, as well as for medicinal purposes as stimulants and diuretics.

Olive A highly representative plant of the Mediterranean, the importance of the olive tree (Oleo euro pea) can be seen in the fundamental position of olive oil to Mediterranean cooking. In Spain, olive seeds have been found that are over 8,000 years old. In dry locations, provide sufficient irrigation; monthly deep watering is often sufficient.

Iberian lynx The Iberian lynx lives in the Mediterranean forests of southern Spain, although its range at one time covered Spain, Portugal and the south of France. They weigh about half as much as the Eurasian species. They mainly eat wild rabbits, but other food sources include ducks and fawns. The Iberian lynx is the most endangered big cat in the world.

Barbary Macaque The Barbary macaque, also known as the Barbary ape, lives in the Mediterranean forest. They live, on average, 22 years. They eat leaves, invertebrates, fruit, sprouts and roots found in the forest. Barbary macaques also live in the Mediterranean forests of Morocco and northern Algeria.

Barbary Leopard The Barbary leopard is similar to the African leopard, but stockier and with a thicker coat. They live in the Atlas Mountain region of northern Africa. The male and female Leopard both are capable of bringing in prey that is twice their size. The Barbary leopard prefers to eat the Barbary macaque over all else, but also hunts antelope and other small prey. They're especially adept at climbing, and are known for taking their meals into trees.

Plant & Animal Life in Temperate Deciduous Forests

l
Temperate deciduous forest is a forest biome dominated by broad-leafed deciduous trees. The most extensive tracts of intact temperate deciduous forest exist on the eastern half of North America, though there are smaller remnants in Europe, Asia, Australia and the tip of South America. Features

Dominant tree species include oak, maple, walnut and beech, forming a canopy up to 100 feet high. Temperate deciduous forests experience large changes in temperature throughout the year, ranging from warm or hot summers, to cold and snowy winters. Since these forests are dominated by leafy deciduous trees, autumns are notable for the bright colures on display as these trees begin to shed their leaves in preparation for winter. Bald Eagles Bald eagles thrive in the temperate climates of deciduous forests. The many lakes and rivers that are part of the biome provide most of the bald eagles' food. Bald eagles are carnivores that hunt during daylight hours. Although fish is the main food in their diet, they also hunt and eat small mammals, snakes and other birds.

Black Bears Black bears also call temperate deciduous forests home. Unlike other species of bear, black bears are generally harmless to humans. Black bears most often are found in forests, but they make their homes in swamps and desert scrub. Black bear are omnivores that live on roots, nuts, insects, small mammals and leaves.

Beavers Beavers are found in temperate deciduous forests. These members of the rodent family are semi aquatic; they love water and they're good swimmers. Beavers are known for the small lodges, held together with sticky mud that they build as their homes. They eat bark, twigs, leaves and water plants.

Foxes Foxes are common in temperate deciduous forests. They are also found in deserts, in the plains, grasslands and the arctic. Foxes are basically carnivores that eat mice, birds, insects, and frogs, and also grass, berries and nuts.

American Beech The American beech (Fagus grandifolia) is found all over the eastern half of the United States. According to Virginia Tech, it is one of 30 tree species that is dominant in deciduous forests. This tree, which can reach heights of 100 feet, features gray or white bark that is smooth and thin.

White Oak White oak can reach heights of 80 feet, though, according to the University of Connecticut, it is wider than it is tall, making it a larger species of tree. The leaves, which can be 8 inches in length, are a shade of dull blue-green, and in the summer, they change to a purple-red.

Northern Arrowwood Northern arrowwood shrub is an extremely cold hardy shrub that can grow as tall as 9 feet. The dark green leaves can be as long as 4 1/2 inches and as wide as 4 inches.

Carpet Moss Carpet moss is a rootless evergreen plant that covers the ground, similar to a carpet. During the various seasons of the year, it can range in color from dark green to golden green. As a whole, the plant is "almost velvety" in appearance, according to the Blue Planet Biomes organization.