The deciduous woodlands of the Palaearctic ecozone are found mostly north of the Alps, where Eurasia narrows and few places are far from the sea. It is a region of high rainfall and temperate climate. There are four marked seasons: dormant winter; spring in which leaves and flowers appear; summer with the most vigorous growth; and autumn, which is a time of fruiting just before the trees lose their leaves for winter. The predominant trees are oaks, ashes and beech, below which is usually an understory of smaller trees and a thick undergrowth.