Temperate coniferous forest facts for kids
Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial ecoregion. Temperate coniferous forests are found predominantly in areas with warm summers and cool winters, and vary in their kinds of plant life. In some, needleleaf trees dominate, while others are home primarily to broadleaf evergreen trees or a mix of both tree types. A separate habitat type, the tropical coniferous forests, occurs in more tropical climates.
These forests are mostly made up of conifer trees, which are trees that have needles instead of flat leaves and often grow cones (like pinecones!). Sometimes, you'll also find a mix of broadleaf evergreen trees, which keep their leaves all year round. There are also tropical coniferous forests, but those are found in much warmer places.
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Where Do These Forests Grow?
Temperate coniferous forests often grow in places near the coast where winters are mild and there's lots of rain. You can also find them inland in drier areas or high up in montane (mountain) regions.
Many different kinds of trees call these forests home, including pine, cedar, fir, and even giant redwood trees! Below the tall trees, you'll find a variety of smaller plants like grasses, ferns, and shrubs.
These forests are super important because they hold the most plant material (what scientists call biomass) of any land ecosystem. They are especially famous for their incredibly huge trees, especially in temperate rainforest areas.
How Are These Forests Structured?
Imagine looking at a temperate coniferous forest from the side. You'd usually see two main layers:
- The overstory: This is the top layer, made up of the crowns (tops) of the tallest trees.
- The understory: This is the layer below the overstory, where you might find younger trees, shrubs, and smaller plants.
Sometimes, there might also be a separate layer of shrubs. In pine forests, the ground layer often has lots of grasses and forbs (small flowering plants). These plants can actually help with natural wildfires, which are important for the forest's health. But in very wet temperate rainforests, you'll find more ferns and other moisture-loving plants on the forest floor.

Amazing Giant Trees!
Some of the most incredible forests in the world are temperate coniferous forests, home to truly massive trees. Think of the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron gigantea) and redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) trees in western North America. These trees are so big they are considered unusual natural wonders! You can also find similar huge tree forests in southwestern South America, and in places like southeastern Australia and northern New Zealand.
For example, the Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion in western North America is a special place. It has many unique plants and animals that aren't found anywhere else!
Exploring Different Temperate Coniferous Forest Regions
Temperate coniferous forests are found across different continents. Here are some examples:
Forests in Europe and Asia


You can find these forests in many parts of Europe and Asia. For example, the Carpathian Mountains have beautiful conifer forests.
Alps conifer and mixed forests | Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland |
Altai montane forest and forest steppe | China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia |
Caledon conifer forests | United Kingdom |
Carpathian montane conifer forests | Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine |
Da Hinggan–Dzhagdy Mountains conifer forests | China, Russia |
East Afghan montane conifer forests | Afghanistan, Pakistan |
Elburz Range forest steppe | Iran |
Helanshan montane conifer forests | China |
Hengduan Mountains subalpine conifer forests | China |
Hokkaido montane conifer forests | Japan |
Honshū alpine conifer forests | Japan |
Khangai Mountains conifer forests | Mongolia |
Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests | Algeria, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia |
Northeastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests | China, India, Bhutan |
Northern Anatolian conifer and deciduous forests | Turkey |
Nujiang Langcang Gorge alpine conifer and mixed forests | China |
Qilian Mountains conifer forests | China |
Qionglai–Minshan conifer forests | China |
Sayan montane conifer forests | Mongolia, Russia |
Scandinavian coastal conifer forests | Norway |
Tian Shan montane conifer forests | China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan |

In parts of Asia, like the Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests, you'll see trees like the Cedrus deodara.
Indomalayan temperate coniferous forests ecoregions
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Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests | Bhutan, India, Nepal |
Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests | India, Nepal, Pakistan |
Forests in North America
North America also has vast areas of temperate coniferous forests, from the Pacific Northwest to parts of Canada.
Nearctic temperate coniferous forests ecoregions
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Alberta Mountain forests | Canada |
Alberta-British Columbia foothills forests | Canada |
Arizona Mountains forests | United States |
Atlantic coastal pine barrens | United States |
Blue Mountains forests | United States |
British Columbia mainland coastal forests | Canada, United States |
Cascade Mountains leeward forests | Canada, United States |
Central and Southern Cascades forests | United States |
Central British Columbia Mountain forests | Canada |
Central Pacific coastal forests | Canada, United States |
Colorado Rockies forests | United States |
Eastern Cascades forests | Canada, United States |
Fraser Plateau and Basin complex | Canada |
Florida scrub | United States |
Great Basin montane forests | United States |
Haida Gwaii | Canada |
Klamath-Siskiyou forests | United States |
Middle Atlantic coastal forests | United States |
North Central Rockies forests | Canada, United States |
Northern California coastal forests | United States |
Northern Pacific coastal forests | Canada, United States |
Northern transitional alpine forests | Canada |
Okanagan dry forests | Canada, United States |
Piney Woods forests | United States |
Puget lowland forests | Canada, United States |
Sierra Juárez and San Pedro Mártir pine–oak forests | Mexico |
Sierra Nevada forests | United States |
South Central Rockies forests | United States |
Southeastern conifer forests | United States |
Wasatch and Uinta montane forests | United States |
See also
- Cedar hemlock douglas-fir forest
- Temperate deciduous forest