The temperate rain forest is found in large areas of the Pacific Northwest and Canada, where the mountain ranges of Washington, Oregon and northern California trap moisture moving in from the Pacific Ocean. Precipitation is a large feature of life in the temperate rain forest, with between 60 and 200 inches of rain and snow falling each year. A large number of species are found in the temperate rain forests of the U.S., Australia, Chile and New Zealand because of the moderate climate. A long wet season sees temperatures rarely fall below 0 degrees F, while the short, dry season sees temperatures rarely exceed 80 degrees F.
The temperate rain forest sees the top layer of the forest, known as the canopy, made up of coniferous evergreen trees that can reach up to 300 feet in height with the trunks of these trees as wide as 100 feet in diameter. Large cone-producing tree species in the temperate rain forest include the Douglas fir, western red cedar, western hemlock and the lodge pole pine. The next level of the rain forest is the understory, which sits beneath the canopy, and is made up of small trees that grow in shaded, moist environments. Understory species of trees include the dogwood and vine maples.
Species of plants that thrive in the temperate rain forest includes a large number of epiphytes, such as moss and algae, that live on other trees and plants, including club mosses that survive on maple trees. The bottom layer of the temperate rain forest is called the forest floor and is made up of wildflowers, grasses, small plants, algae and mosses. Rocks and stones that cover the forest floor are often home to different species of moss and algae.
The majority of animal species found in the temperate rain forest survive on the ground and in streams and rivers in the biome. Small insects and bacteria aid in the decomposition of leaves and pine needles that fall from the canopy and understory to the forest floor. Amphibians and fish, including salmon, are found in the streams and rivers of the rain forest, while large predators that inhabit the area include coyotes, black bears and cougars.
