We explain what the tropical forest is, its flora, fauna, relief, climate and other characteristics. Also, tropical forests in Mexico.
What is the tropical forest?
Tropical forests are those vegetal accumulations that are located in the intertropical zone. They are adapted to the warm climate of the tropics, varying instead with respect to their humidity. In some cases, such as the humid tropical forest, they are considered synonymous with the tropical forest, famous for its gigantic biodiversity and richness in plant and animal species.
Thus, tropical forests can be of three types according to its relationship with the humidity of the environment:
- Humid tropical forests. Abundant and frequent rains, warm and humid climate, like the South American Amazon.
- Dry tropical forests. Semi-dense and with a lower humidity margin, composed of xeric and deciduous species.
- Tropical monsoon forests. Typical of the monsoon climate that alternates between a very rainy season and a dry season, it is considered the transitional forest between humid and dry.
Tropical forests occupy extensive swaths of our continents and are essential for life on the planet. On the one hand, they release a large amount of oxygen into the atmosphere daily. On the other hand, they fix a significant portion of the carbon in greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide).
However, they are in danger: deforestation, indiscriminate logging and climate change threaten to wipe them out. With them, the vital wealth of these ecosystems would be lost, so great that many of their endemic species have not yet been discovered by humans. It would be a tragedy if such a treasure were lost.
Tropical forest characteristics
It is a type of forest of great luxuriance and great height. It is made up of a wide variety of large-leaved, evergreen species, capable of maintaining the humidity of the environment even during the dry season.
These jungles stretch for kilometers and are characteristic of Central America, South America, East Africa (especially Madagascar) and Asia Minor: Malaysia, Borneo or the Indochinese region: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia.
Tropical forest relief
Tropical forests proliferate in various reliefs, both in plains, valleys and foothills, and on mountain slopes where they present vegetal and climatic steps as the altitude increases, giving rise to mountain forests.
They tend to abound along the edges of rivers and lakes and it is not uncommon for them to give way to wetlands or mangroves as they approach the sea.
See also: Terrestrial ecosystem
Tropical forest fauna
The biodiversity of tropical forests is unparalleled especially in the case of humid forests. Only certain marine coral reef ecosystems resemble it.
The number of species of insects, arachnids, reptiles, amphibians, marsupials and mammals, as well as small, medium and large-sized birds, is truly enormous. They even contain human beings more or less integrated into civilization, mainly on their external borders.
Among the species considered emblematic of the tropical forest are South American toucans, Asian orangutans, tapirs, golden eagles, and even devastating or grass-cutting ants. The monkey spider or tarantula, as well as the spider monkey, are some of the fascinating species that inhabit these forests.
Tropical forest flora
The flora of the tropical forest is also diverse and very tall, leafy and evergreen. The large branches and leaves absorb the intense sunlight, barely 2% of which reaches the ground, given the denseness of the forest. This also provides the soil and decomposer species with abundant organic matter and a large layer of humus.
The trees of the tropical forest reach up to 30 meters in height, and floral species predominate among them, so much so that it is estimated 2/3 of all the flowers in the world are found in these forests.
The variety is enormous, reaching 100 different species in just one hectare of forest. However, we can mention orchids, bananas, rubber trees, bromeliads and poinsettias as typical plant species.
Tropical forest climate
The tropical climate is generally warm, with temperatures always higher than 18 °C which reach several degrees above 30 °C. It is a very stable climate, without seasons that cause the temperature to vary.
However, a rainy season and a dry season are distinguished. Precipitation is abundant during the rainy season, reaching or exceeding 3000 mm of rain, and obviously non-existent during the dry season.
Tropical forests in Mexico
The Mexican tropical forests are found towards the southeast of the country, extending into the territory of Guatemala. In the states of Chiapas, Tabasco and Campeche, and in the Yucatan Peninsula these long stretches of humid jungle present a high number of endemic species.
There are many initiatives to protect these ecosystems from indiscriminate logging. It is estimated that in 1940 the Lacandona jungle covered about 15,000 square km, figures that today are much lower.
Continue with: Peruvian jungle
References
- “Tropical forest” in Wikipedia.
- “Tropical forest biomes” at Khan Academy.
- “Tropical forests, ecosystems with great species richness” in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the Government of Mexico.
- “Tropical forest” in Encyclopedia.com.
- “Tropical forest” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
