What is the difference between evergreen and deciduous forests?

At the core, the difference between evergreen and deciduous trees comes down to leaf types and whether the trees lose them. Evergreen trees, frequently referred to as conifers, generally contain needles instead of leaves, and they tend not to lose as many of these these during the fall and winter seasons. Deciduous, or broadleaf, trees contain more flat leaf varieties and are subject to withering and color changes during the fall and winter months. Deteriorated leaves from the deciduous trees will also reinvigorate the soil, unlike evergreen needles, which leave behind few minerals as they rot.
Some additional differences between evergreen and deciduous trees include different growth times, wood quality types, and market values. Overall, deciduous trees take much longer to grow to maturity, and when they do, their woods tend to be much harder than the softer evergreens, thus making deciduous woods like maple and oak much more desirable, and expensive, than evergreens like pine and cedar.
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