The Temperate Zone

The temperate zone is located between 23.5 and 66.5 degrees latitude, north and south. Although the biomes in the temperate zone experience four distinct seasons, they have a wide variety of temperatures and precipitation. The four biomes include the forest, grassland, chaparral and desert.

Temperate forest biomes have plenty of rain and are known for their evergreen and deciduous trees. The soil is fertile due to the dropping and decaying of leaves every year. Temperate grasslands have little rainfall, and very few trees grow in these biomes. This biome has the most fertile soil, and many crops are grown in these areas.

Temperate chaparral regions are cool and wet in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. Primarily short evergreen shrubs grow in the chaparral’s rocky, nutrient-poor soil. The temperate desert has a year-round dry climate and the soil is nutrient-poor. This type of desert biome is hot during the day and cool overnight.