Plant-based:
* Berries: Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and other wild berries are a significant food source, especially in late summer and fall.
* Nuts: Acorns, beechnuts, and other nuts are important food sources, especially in autumn when they are abundant.
* Grasses and herbs: Black bears will graze on grasses, clover, and other herbaceous plants.
* Roots and tubers: They dig for roots and tubers, particularly in the spring and early summer.
* Mushrooms: Black bears are known to eat various mushrooms, including morels, chanterelles, and others.
Animal-based:
* Insects: Black bears will eat ants, grubs, beetles, and other insects.
* Fish: They will fish in streams and lakes, especially for salmon, trout, and other species.
* Small mammals: Black bears occasionally prey on mice, voles, squirrels, and other small mammals.
* Carrion: They are scavengers and will eat dead animals when available.
Seasonal variations:
* Spring: Black bears emerge from hibernation and focus on foraging for high-energy foods like berries, roots, and grasses.
* Summer: Their diet becomes more diverse with the availability of berries, insects, and fish.
* Fall: They eat heavily on nuts and berries to prepare for hibernation.
* Winter: Black bears enter a state of hibernation and don't eat.
The specific foods available to black bears in a temperate forest will vary depending on the location, the season, and the specific forest ecosystem.