Tropical forest

Many trees grow in warm lands.

These forests are very big. They make up almost half of all forests.

Some forests stay green all year. Other forests have dry times. Some grow high on mountains. These forests are changing. People use the land for many things. We must help these forests stay safe.

Tropical forests are large areas of trees in warm lands.

These forests are very important. They make up 45 percent of all forests on Earth. That is almost half of the world's forests.

Many types of forests live in these warm zones. Some stay green all year. We call these evergreen rainforests. Other forests have dry seasons. Some grow high on mountains. We call these cloud forests. There are also forests with trees that have needles. These are called coniferous forests.

Many things change how these forests look. The weather is a big part. Some places have lots of rain. Other places have long dry times. The height of the land also matters. High mountains can create special spots for plants.

These forests face many threats today. People use the land for things like beef and coffee. In 2018, over 3.6 million hectares of old forest were lost. This means the forest was cut down. Fire and farming also change the land. In Borneo, old forests dropped from 76 percent to 50 percent.

Tropical forests are huge areas of trees in warm parts of the world. They are very important for our planet. These forests make up 45 percent of all forests on Earth. This is the largest share of any forest type. Other types include boreal, temperate, and subtropical forests.

Because they are so large, they matter to everyone.

Many different things make a tropical forest work. The location and the climate are very important. The temperature stays fairly even in some places. In other areas, there are seasons that are much cooler. Rain also changes how the forest looks. Some places have very wet seasons and very dry seasons. These dry times can change which plants grow there.

The height of the land also plays a big role. High mountains can create special spots called cloud forests.

These forests have a very long history on Earth. The first tropical rainforests appeared during the Devonian period. Those old forests had plants like Pseudosporochnalean and Archaeopteridalean. Later, around 40 million years ago, other forests grew. This happened during the Paleogene epoch. The world became cooler and drier during that time. Scientists first named the tropical forest as a specific biome in 1949.

There are many different kinds of tropical forests. Many people only think of evergreen rainforests or moist forests. However, there are many other types too. Some are called Eucalyptus open forests or coniferous forests. There are also savanna woodlands and mountain forests.

The World Wildlife Fund uses a plan called the Global 200. This plan groups forests into three main types. These include moist broadleaf, dry broadleaf, and coniferous forests.

Today, these forests face many hard jobs. People often use the land for things like beef, soy, and coffee. They also use it for cacao, palm oil, and timber. In 2018, more than 3.6 million hectares of virgin forest were lost. In Borneo, old forests dropped from 76 percent to 50 percent between 1973 and 2018. This happened mostly because of fire and farming. Climate change also brings more droughts and hurricanes to these areas.

Tropical forests are vast forested ecoregions located in warm parts of the world. They are generally bounded by the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. However, other factors like prevailing winds can also influence these areas. These forests are incredibly important because they cover nearly half of the world's total forest land. Specifically, the tropical domain contains 45 percent of all forests on Earth. This is the largest proportion of any forest domain. Other domains include the boreal, temperate, and subtropical forests.

Defining a tropical forest is actually quite difficult for scientists. In temperate regions, experts often categorize forests by how dense the tree canopy is. This method does not work well in the tropics. Because there is no single scheme to define these forests, different sources often report different numbers for their total size. This makes it hard to track exactly how much forest remains. Despite these challenges, we know they are massive and diverse systems.

Many different factors determine the specific nature of a tropical forest. Geography is a primary driver, including the specific climatic zone and temperature profile. In equatorial rainforests, temperatures stay relatively even throughout the year. In subtropical latitudes, there may be a cooler season. Precipitation levels and seasonality also change the forest. Strong dry seasons can affect which plants grow, such as the predominance of lianas. Elevation is another factor that creates "ecological islands." These high-elevation areas, like Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, often have high endemism, meaning many species live there and nowhere else.

Soil characteristics also play a vital role in these ecosystems. Scientists look at the depth and the drainage of the soil to understand the area. History also shapes the forest. The prehistoric age of the forest and recent disturbances matter a lot. A primary forest usually has the maximum amount of biodiversity. Over time, disturbances can turn primary forests into secondary forests. In some areas of Indo-China, prolonged swidden agriculture can cause a forest to degenerate into a bamboo forest.

Tropical forests are not just one single type of environment. While many people think of evergreen rainforests or moist forests, these are only a portion of the total. Other types include Eucalyptus open forests and tropical coniferous forests. There are also savanna woodlands, such as Sahelian forests, and mountain forests. At high elevations, mountain forests are often called cloud forests. The World Wildlife Fund uses a system called the Global 200 to classify these habitats. This scheme groups tropical and subtropical areas into three main biomes: coniferous forests, dry broadleaf forests, and moist broadleaf forests.

These forests have a very long history on our planet. The first tropical rainforests appeared during the Devonian period. These ancient forests were characterized by Pseudosporochnalean and Archaeopteridalean plants. Later, during the Paleogene epoch about 40 million years ago, other canopy forests expanded north and south of the equator. This expansion happened because the climate became drier and cooler. Scientists finally identified the tropical forest as a specific type of biome in 1949.

Today, tropical forests face serious threats from human activity and climate change. In 2018 alone, more than 3.6 million hectares of virgin tropical forest were lost. In Borneo, old-growth forest cover dropped from 76 percent to 50 percent between 1973 and 2018. This loss was mostly due to fire and agricultural expansion. Much of the deforestation in biodiversity hotspots in South America, Africa, and Asia is driven by the export of commodities. These include beef, soy, coffee, cacao, palm oil, and timber.

Climate change is adding even more pressure to these ecosystems. It is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather. This includes more droughts, heatwaves, and hurricanes. These extremes work together with local human disturbances to cause negative ecological consequences. Some people believe that placing a financial value on "ecosystem services" could help create more sustainable policies. However, efforts to improve forest management can be difficult. In Vietnam, for example, poor data and a lack of resources have made it hard to implement forest environmental service schemes.