Nihonkai evergreen forests
{{Short description|Terrestrial ecoregion in Japan}}
{{Infobox ecoregion
|name = Nihonkai evergreen forests
|image = Sanbe201508.jpg
|image_size = 300
|image_alt =
|caption = Mt. Sanbe, near Oda
|map = Ecoregion_PA0427.svg
|map_size = 300
|map_alt = Ecoregion territory (in purple)
|map_caption = Ecoregion territory (in purple)
|ecozone = Palearctic
|biome = Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
|animals =
|bird_species =
|borders =
|area = 21496
|country = Japan
|state =
|region_type =
|elevation =
|coordinates = {{coord|35.5|N|133|E|display=title,inline}}
|geology =
|seas =
|rivers =
|climate =
|soil =
|conservation =
|global200 =
|habitat_loss =
|habitat_loss_ref =
|protected =
|protected_ref =
}}
The Nihonkai evergreen forests ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0427) covers a thin strip of land on the western coast (facing the Sea of Japan) of the island of Honshu in Japan. It is bounded on the east by the Nihonkai montane deciduous forests ecoregion.{{cite web|title=Nihonkai evergreen forests|url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/pa0427|publisher=World Wildlife Federation|language=en|access-date=March 21, 2020}}{{cite web|title=Map of Ecoregions 2017|url=https://ecoregions2017.appspot.com/|publisher=Resolve, using WWF data|language=en|access-date=September 14, 2019}}
Location and description
The coastal strips extends for most of the length of the island, encompassing bays, inlets, rocky coasts and caves. Also represented in the ecoregion are the Oki Islands and Sado Island in the Sea of Japan about 40 km west of Honshu.{{cite web|title=Taiheiyo montane deciduous forests|url=https://dopa-explorer.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ecoregion/80427|publisher=Digital Observatory for Protected Areas|language=en|access-date=July 17, 2020}}
Climate
The climate of the ecoregion is Humid continental climate, warm wet summer (Köppen climate classification (Cfa)). This climate is characterized by large seasonal temperature differentials. No month averages below {{convert|0|C|F}}, at least one month averages above {{convert|22|C|F}}, and four months average over {{convert|10|C|F}}. Precipitation is relatively even throughout the year.{{cite web|first1=M. |last1=Kottek |first2=J. |last2=Grieser |first3=C. |last3=Beck |first4=B. |last4=Rudolf |first5=F. |last5=Rubel |date=2006 |title=World Map of Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Updated|url=http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pdf/Paper_2006.pdf|publisher=Gebrüder Borntraeger 2006|language=en|access-date=September 14, 2019}}{{cite web|title=Dataset - Koppen climate classifications|url=https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/dataset/world-maps-k%C3%B6ppen-geiger-climate-classification|publisher=World Bank|language=en|access-date=September 14, 2019}}