The Hokkaidō deciduous forests ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0423) covers the northern and southern coasts of the island of Hokkaido, the northernmost of the main islands of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The region sits in the transition zone between the colder subarctic forests to the north and the more temperate forests to the south. Characteristic trees include Mongolian oak, Basswood, and Ash trees.

Location and description

The terrain in the ecoregion is mostly low hills and plains. The west and northern coasts face the colder

Sea of Okhotsk The Sea of Okhotsk ( rus, Охо́тское мо́ре, Ohótskoye móre ; ja, オホーツク海, Ohōtsuku-kai) is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. It is located between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands ...

. The ecoregion surrounds the

Hokkaidō montane conifer forests The Hokkaido montane conifer forests ecoregion covers the mountainous central regions of Hokkaido Island, the northernmost of Japan's main islands. Forests of spruce and fir thrive in the subalpine, cool climate. On the northeastern edge of the ...

ecoregion which is at higher altitudes.

Climate

The climate of the ecoregion is '' Humid continental climate, warm summer'' ( Köppen climate classification (Dfb)). This climate is characterized by large seasonal temperature differentials and a warm summer (at least four months averaging over , but no month averaging over . Average annual precipitation is 1,150 mm.

Flora and fauna

Dominant trees of the lowland forests are Mongolian oak ''( Quercus mongolica)'', Lime trees ''(

Tilia ''Tilia'' is a genus of about 30 species of trees or bushes, native throughout most of the temperateness, temperate Northern Hemisphere. The tree is known as linden for the European species, and basswood for North American species. In Britain a ...

)'', and Ash trees ''(

Fraxinus ''Fraxinus'' (), common name, commonly called ash, is a genus of flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45–65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous, though a number of Subtropics, subtropic ...

)''. The main underbrush is

Sasa Sasa may refer to: People * Saša, a given name * Genjū Sasa (1900–1959), Japanese film director and critic * Sa'sa'a bin Sohan (598–666), a companion of Imam Ali revered by Shia Muslims * Sasa (politician), special envoy to the United Nation ...

, a form of dwarf bamboo. The ecoregion is generally too cold to support the Japanese beech that is common on Honshu to the south. Biodiversity is relatively low in the area, and there are no endemic species.

References

{{Paleartic temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Palearctic ecoregions Ecoregions of Japan Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests