Temperate forest

A temperate forest is a forest found between the tropical and boreal regions, located in the temperate zone. It is within the second largest biome on the planet, covering 25% of the world's forest area, only behind the boreal forest, which covers about 33%. These forests cover both hemispheres at latitudes ranging from 25 to 50 degrees, wrapping the planet in a belt similar to that of the boreal forest. Due to its large size spanning several continents, there are several main types: deciduous, coniferous, broadleaf and mixed forest and rainforest. A temperate forest is a forest found between the tropical and boreal regions, located in the temperate zone. It is within the second largest biome on the planet, covering 25% of the world's forest area, only behind the boreal forest, which covers about 33%. These forests cover both hemispheres at latitudes ranging from 25 to 50 degrees, wrapping the planet in a belt similar to that of the boreal forest. Due to its large size spanning several continents, there are several main types: deciduous, coniferous, broadleaf and mixed forest and rainforest. The climate of a temperate forest is highly variable depending on the location of the forest. For example, Los Angeles and Vancouver, Canada are both considered to be located in a temperate zone, however, Vancouver is located in a temperate rainforest, while Los Angeles is more subtropical. Temperate forests typically have winters that often reach below freezing, however even this is not always true. The East Coast deciduous forests retain their deciduous nature largely due to the excessive freezing days each winter, as the leaves often freeze over and are only designed to live for one season. Milder areas such as the southern coast of British Columbia where the average winter lows are above freezing often have evergreen rainforests. Deciduous forests are composed mainly of broadleaf trees, such as maple and oak, that shed all their leaves during one season. They are typically found in three middle-latitude regions with temperate climates characterized by a winter season and year-round precipitation: eastern North America, western Eurasia and northeastern Asia. Coniferous forests are composed of needle-leaved evergreen trees, such as pine or fir. Evergreen forests are typically found in regions with moderate climates. Boreal forests, however, are an exception as they are found in subarctic regions.