temperate rainforest, in , a dominated by a mix of or that occurs in the middle latitudes, mostly between approximately 40° and 60° in both Northern and Southern hemispheres, and characterized by abundant moisture present throughout the year. Like all , these are wet, receiving between roughly 150 and 500 cm (about 60 and 200 inches) of precipitation per year in the form of heavy and coastal , and have lush growth. They differ from in that they experience mild in both and . These ecological regions are of vital ecological importance, acting as both stores of and for a wide variety of plants and . Geography Temperate rainforests are found primarily along the western coasts of and and in southeastern Australia near mountainous areas, where moisture-laden air from the moves up slopes, producing significant levels of precipitation (see ). The largest temperate rainforests extend from northern north to and along the coast of southern . The temperate rainforests of Oceania are found in southeastern , , and in several parts of . Smaller temperate rainforests are found in , with remnant temperate rainforests occurring in parts of the and . Flora and fauna broad-leaved evergreen forest, North Island, New Zealand(more)temperate rainforestA temperate rainforest in the Kepler mountains of Fiordland, New Zealand.(more)Although not as as tropical rainforests, temperate rainforests still contain an abundance of plant and animal life. The of temperate rainforests are among the tallest in the world. As in other rainforests, most of the animals are small and live close to the floor beneath the shelter of the canopy, but the is also home to several of large and ., Temperate rainforests are rainforests with coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain., Temperate rainforest, in ecology, a biome dominated by a mix of broad-leaved or coniferous trees that occurs in the middle latitudes, mostly between approximately 40° and 60° in both Northern and Southern hemispheres, and characterized by abundant moisture present throughout the year..