What is a Forest?

Simply defined, a forest is a large group of trees. According to the

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a forest is a land with
tree crown cover of more than 10 percent and area of at least 0.5
hectares.
Forests cover about 30 percent of the earth’s surface and contain
about 3 trillion trees. They exist in dry, wet, freezing cold, and
scorching hot climates. A forest ecosystem is a community of
organisms living in a forest.

There are different types of forests, categorized largely based on

their distance from the equator. And if we understand the
importance of forests, then we would know that a treeless world
could spell doom for all lifeforms, including humans.

In that light, we look at some of the major benefits of forests. Before

that, however, let’s explore the various types of forests.

1. Tropical Forests
The tropical rainforests are found between latitudes 23.5 o N and
23.5o S. The temperatures in these forests range between 68 o and
77o Fahrenheit throughout the year.
Tropical rainforests boast the great diversity of species of all
ecosystems on earth. They don’t experience winter and normally
receive 100 inches of rain annually.

Decomposition happens at an incredibly fast rate in these forests,

thanks to the high temperatures and moist air. High levels of rainfall
normally result in leaching of nutrients from the soil. This explains
why soils in tropical rainforests are nutrient poor.

Tropical rainforests are dominated by broad-leafed trees, which

grow between 82 and 115 feet tall. Other vegetation includes vines,
ferns, mosses, orchids, and palms.
The sun hardly reaches the lower levels of the forest, thanks to
dense-growing trees that create a thick canopy. So, most animals
that inhabit tropical rainforests are adapted to living in the trees.
You can find a wide variety of birds, snakes, bats, and monkeys in
these forests.

Different categories of tropical forests include:

 Evergreen: Evergreen forests receive rain year-round and

have no dry season
 Seasonal: They have evergreen vegetation and short dry
season
 Dry: These forests have long dry season in which trees lose
leaves
 Montane: Known as cloud forests as they receive most of the
precipitation from mist or fog that rises from the lowlands
 Tropical and subtropical coniferous: These forests have
dry and warm climate with conifers adapted to variable
weather
 Sub-tropical: Sub-tropical forests are located at north and
south of tropical forests. Trees here are adapted to resist
summer drought
2. Temperate Forests
Temperate forests are further divided into two sub-categories:

 Temperate deciduous forests

 Temperate coniferous forests
Temperate Deciduous Forests
Temperate deciduous forests can be found in China, Japan,
Western Europe and parts of Russia, as well as in the Eastern
United States and Canada. They experience four distinct seasons
and precipitation falls all year long.

Precipitation comes in the form of rain in spring, summer, and fall. It

snows in the winter. Temperate deciduous forests receive between
30 and 60 inches of rain annually. And the soils there are very
fertile.
You should expect to find ferns, mosses, and wildflowers on the
floor of these forests. The forests are dominated largely by oak,
maple, and birch trees. You can also find some evergreen trees
such as fir and pines in temperate deciduous forests.

Most of the animals that inhabit these forests are adapted to cold
winters. Some of the species you will find in temperate deciduous
forests include hawks, red fox, cardinals, and woodpecker.

Temperate Coniferous Forests

Temperate coniferous forests are normally found in coastal regions
with mild winters and heavy rainfall. You may also find them in in-
land mountainous regions with mild climates. These regions
include:

 New Zealand
 Pacific Northwestern United States and Canada
 Southern Japan
 Southwestern South America
 Some parts of Northwestern Europe
Temperate coniferous forests are characterized by moist climate
and a prolonged growing season, thanks to high levels of
precipitation. The forests receive between 50 and 200 inches of rain
per year. Soils are mostly rich with a thick layer of decaying matter.