Evergreen Forest - Temperate Evergreen Forests

Temperate Evergreen Forests

Temperate evergreen forests, coniferous, broadleaf, and mixed, are found largely in the temperate mid-lattitudes of Montane North America, Siberia, Canada, Australia, Africa and Scandinavia. Broadleaf evergreen forests occur in particular in eastern North America and in countries around the Mediterranean Basin, such as Lebanon and Morocco. Many temperate evergreen forests occur along the eastern margins of major land masses, e.g., in southeastern United States, southern China and in southeastern Brazil. Other examples include the wet temperate and subtropical conifer forests of northwestern North America.

Temperate evergreen forests are the regional climax vegetation, commonly dominated by hardy trees that can deal with sandy, rocky, and various other soils of poor quality. Most such communities also are subject to intermittent fire, drought and cold. Coniferous temperate evergreen forests are most frequently dominated by species in the families Pinaceae and Cupressaceae. Broadleaf temperate evergreen forests include those in which Fagaceae such as oaks are common, those in which Nothofagaceae predominate, and the Eucalyptus forests of the Southern Hemisphere. There also are assorted temperate evergreen forests dominated by other families of trees, such as Lauraceae in laurel forest.

Evergreen forests around the world are under threat of logging, mining, oil and gas developments, pollution, hydroelectric projects and other human developments planned in these areas.