Final answer:
In harsh weather, such as long and cold winters of boreal forests, coniferous trees are better adapted due to their needle-shaped leaves and ability to retain nutrients, whereas deciduous trees dominate temperate climates with moderate weather but have a period of dormancy during winter.
Step-by-step explanation:
In environments such as the boreal forest, coniferous trees like pines, spruce, and fir are able to withstand harsh weather particularly well. These trees are adapted to long and cold winters, retaining their needle-shaped leaves year-round, which is a significant advantage. The needle-like leaves require less energy from the sun to warm up compared to broad leaves, allowing coniferous trees to photosynthesize earlier in the spring than deciduous trees. Additionally, the soils in these regions tend to be acidic with little nitrogen available. Since deciduous trees need to create a new set of nitrogen-rich leaves each year, coniferous trees that keep their nitrogen-rich needles might have a competitive advantage in these nutrient-poor conditions.
In temperate environments with moderate rainfall and temperatures, deciduous trees are more common. These trees shed their leaves in the fall and remain leafless during winter, which means no photosynthesis occurs in this dormant period. When temperatures increase in the spring, deciduous trees grow new leaves. This cycle means that the net productivity of temperate forests is less than that of tropical wet forests, and these forests also have less diversity in tree species compared to tropical rainforests.