Nature & Science

Although we preserve the buildings and gardens at Home of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site, we also work every day to maintain and improve the health of the diverse ecological communities around us. Hyde Park is located within the temperate deciduous forest biome. Temperate deciduous forests are located in the mid-latitude areas between the polar regions and the tropic areas of the Earth. Deciduous forest regions are exposed to warm and cold air masses, which cause this area to have four distinct seasons. Temperature varies widely from season to season with cold winters and hot, wet summers. The average yearly temperature is about 10° C. The areas in which deciduous forests are located get about 750 to 1,500 mm of precipitation spread fairly evenly throughout the year. The temperate deciduous forest biome in North America occupies most of the eastern part of the United States and a small strip of southern Ontario. Dominant trees are broadleaf trees such as oak, maple, beech, hickory and chestnut.

Get more in-depth and up-close details about some of the plants and animals we monitor, learn how the science gets done, and meet some park scientists as they do their work to help keep parks healthy.