Forest

We explain what a forest is, what types exist, its flora and fauna. Also, its geographical location and importance.

What is a forest?

A forest is a type of ecosystem in which trees and shrubs predominate and that it is present on almost all continents and represents a third of the surface of planet Earth.

The forests are fundamental in the development of the planet since they have very fertile soils, a great variety of fauna and are made up of trees that release oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide and regulate water flows. The climate, type of vegetation and fauna of a forest varies depending on its geographical location.

Human action on native forests produces deforestation, a practice that is carried out for economic purposes for the use of resources from the forest, urbanization or cultivation of cleared areas. Indiscriminate logging and lack of reforestation is causing a decline in the world's forests.

Forest types

Forests are classified according to certain criteria.

According to its origin:

• Primary or native forests. They are forests that grow naturally without intervention or planting by humans.
• Secondary forests. They are forests that emerged again after logging.
• Artificial forests. They are forests that were planted by humans.

According to your climate:

• Temperate forests. They are forests that are found in temperate climates. Its vegetation can be both leafy and mixed broadleaf trees and coniferous trees.
• Tropical forests. They are forests found in tropical climates where there is abundant rainfall and broad-leaved trees that cover the ground from solar radiation.
• Subtropical forests. They are forests with a subtropical climate, either humid or dry.
• boreal forests. They are forests with a subpolar climate that are usually made up of conifers with evergreen leaves.

Depending on the type of tree:

• coniferous forests. They are forests located in mountainous, elevated and cold regions and in which conifers predominate, which are evergreen plants, such as pines, cedars and firs.
• hardwood forests. They are forests with broad-leaved trees, such as eucalyptus, oak and beech, and that have diverse vegetation, require greater humidity than coniferous forests and are found in tropical or temperate climates.
• Mixed forests. They are forests that combine evergreen trees with broadleaf and non-evergreen trees.

According to the characteristics of the trees:

• deciduous forests. They are forests made up of trees that lose their leaves at some point during the year.
• Evergreen forests. They are forests made up of trees that do not lose their leaves, so they are green and foliage throughout the year.

forest fauna

The animals that live in forests vary depending on the climate and altitude of each type of forest. For example:

• In temperate coniferous forests. They are home to rabbits, coyotes, lynxes, raccoons, squirrels, owls, deer, beavers, porcupines, bats, pigeons, magpies, rattlesnakes, scorpions, weasels, among others.
• In temperate hardwood forests. Bears, goats, raccoons, squirrels, pumas, deer, deer, tigers, bats, pandas, wolves, woodpeckers, golden eagles, mice, among others, live here.
• In the tropical forests. It is home to monkeys, ants, butterflies, eagles, capybaras, lizards, crocodiles, toucans, vipers, tigers, bats, wild boars, frogs, spiders, gorillas, tapirs, among others.
• In the boreal forests. Bears, deer, owls, squirrels, lynxes, marmots, wolves, foxes, among others, live there.

There are also animals specific to each forest, for example, in the forests between Argentina and Chile there are many guanacos, huemules, beavers, black-necked swans, steam ducks, among others.

Continue in: Forest animals

Geographic location of forests

Different types of forests extend throughout the entire planet, however, the majority is in the territories of Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States and China. Many of these forests are tropical and boreal.

Some of the most important and recognized forests in the world are: the Amazon in Brazil, the Black Forest in Germany the Siberian Taiga in Russia, the Congo Forest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the boreal forests of Canada and the sequoia forests in the United States.

Importance of forests

Like all ecosystems on the planet, forests They are very important for the conservation of the world as we know it, since they are home to many and diverse species of animals and plants. Furthermore, the attractiveness of their landscapes turned them into tourist and recreational sites.

Trees and other forest plant species have various environmental and economic benefits, such as:

• They store carbon and release oxygen, allowing the development of other forms of life.
• They prevent soil erosion.
• They provide wood, which is used as a form of energy or for the construction of buildings or furniture.
• They regulate temperatures.
• They reduce global warming, because they absorb carbon dioxide.
• They absorb excess precipitation, which prevents flooding.
• They provide food and other resources such as paper.
• They reduce noise pollution.
• They regulate and protect hydrographic basins.

Forest exploitation

The risks to forests can be caused by humans, such as illegal logging or naturally, such as fires or pests.

Due to human intervention and the use of wood or rubber, Deforestation is a practice that threatens the world's forests. Illegal logging is responsible for a significant loss of native forest, so it is important to raise awareness in the population for the responsible use of natural resources obtained from forests.

Through silvicultural measures and campaigns (which is the discipline that studies and works in forests), we seek to make use of the resources that come from the forest, on which a large portion of the world's population lives, and, in turn, , take care of the environment by reforesting and restoring ecosystems that were altered.

Continue with: Environmental problems

References

• “More than half of the world's forests are in these countries” in World Economic Forum.
• “Forest” in Cambridge Dictionary.
• “How to erase 100 years of carbon emissions? Plant trees – lots of them” in National Geographic.
• “Why are forests important?” at Wildlife Foundation.
• “Importance of forest ecosystems” in the Government of Mexico.
• “Importance of forests” in WWF.