population to less than one-third the number of indi- 

 viduals present during the early summer, but during 

 the spring and autumn migratory periods, popula- 

 tions are temporarily greatly increased. Various in- 

 sect species, including the monarch butterfly, migrate 

 many miles southward. Other species move much 

 shorter distances from open country into the forest- 

 edge preparatory to hibernation (Weese 1924). 



Woodchucks, bats, and possibly chipmunks hiber- 

 nate in the true sense ; the black bear enters a pseudo- 

 hibernation state, remaining quiescent over winter but 

 maintaining temperature and other body functions at 

 near normal. Reptiles and amphibians bury them- 

 selves in decaying stumps or logs, in the ground 

 below the frost line, or in the mud bottom of ponds. 

 Nearly all insects and other invertebrates migrate 

 out of the trees, shrubs, and herbs to the forest floor 

 where they hiberate. Some species move up and 

 down in the soil to keep below the frost line. Other 

 species overwinter only in the egg or some other 

 immature stage. Further south, especially in the 

 magnolia-oak forest where there is less need, hiberna- 

 tion and migration of populations that breed in the 

 region are much less pronounced. 



The original condition of the forest and its wild- 

 life has, of course, been greatly modified by man. 

 The American Indian should probably be considered 

 a native inhabitant of the deciduous forest, and the 

 modifications he produced (Day 1953) as a normal 

 influence comparable to that of other large mammals. 

 The white man, however, is equipped with a large 

 variety of tools that renders his influence extreme. 

 As a consequence, some forest and forest-edge spe- 

 cies, such as the mountain lion, gray wolf, eastern 

 bison, wapiti, passenger pigeon, Carolina parakeet, 

 probably the ivory-billed woodpecker, and others 

 have become extinct. With agriculture and lumber- 

 ing, serai stages have become more prevalent, so 

 that there has been considerable shift in the relative 

 abundance and importance of species from what oc- 

 curred originally (Bennett and Nagel 1937, Allen 

 1938). 



HUMAN RELATIONS 



White man finds in the climate of the de- 

 ciduous forest biome conditions favorable for the 

 highest efficiency of his various activities, for his 



greatest health and energy, for maintenance of high 

 population densities, and for high development of 

 modern civilization (Huntington 1924). The chief 

 and most profitable occupations of man in the de- 

 ciduous forest biome are agriculture, mining, and 

 industry. In eastern Asia, the broad-leaved decidu- 

 ous and evergreen forests are occupied by Mongo- 

 lians, and like the white man this yellow race early 

 developed a high degree of civilization and large 

 populations. 



Forests early became essential to white man as a 

 source of lumber, fuel, and raw materials of industry. 

 Trees furnish him shade from the hot summer sun 

 and protection from the cold winter winds. In the 

 early settlement of North America, forests were 

 cleared for farming purposes with difficulty, but 

 forest land was considered more fertile than grass- 

 land because it grew trees instead of grass. As man 

 dispersed westward across North America into the 

 grassland biome, he first built his home in the fringes 

 of forest along the streams or in outlying groves 

 (Hewes 1950). As settlement increased, however, 

 surplus people were crowded onto the prairie as they 

 were crowded also into other biomes. It is of interest 

 that in his invasion of grassland man planted trees 

 around his home and thus tried to bring the forest 

 environment with him. 



SUMMARY 



The temperate deciduous forest biome is 

 derived from the Arcto-tertiary forest and is best de- 

 veloped in eastern North America, western Europe, 

 and eastern Asia. In those places, precipitation is 

 moderate and temperatures mild during the summer 

 growing season, but the winter season is generally 

 unfavorable for the activity of most organisms. 



Animal communities of major significance are the 

 North American deciduous forest biociation. North 

 American deciduous forest-edge biociation (often a 

 biocies), southeastern mixed biocies, European de- 

 ciduous forest biociation, and Asiatic deciduous for- 

 est biociation. 



Animals are adapted and adjusted in various ways 

 to live in and under trees. Reproduction takes place 

 principally in the spring and early summer. The 

 severe winter season is adjusted to by increase in 

 physiological hardiness, hiberation, or migration. 



300 Geographic distribution of communities 



