12 Temperate Rainforests Around the World

Kapok Tree. Found from southern Mexico down to the southern Amazon, as well as in West Africa, this rainforest giant can reach up to 200 feet in height. Some varieties of the kapok tree bear spines or conical thorns, giving the tree a menacing appearance. Many plant and animal species, such as frogs, birds, and bromeliads, appreciate the nooks. A rainforest is an area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall. Rainforests are Earth's oldest living ecosystems, with some surviving in their present form for at least 70 million years. They are incredibly diverse and complex, home to more than half of the world's plant and animal species—even though they cover.

FileDaintree Rainforest 4.jpg Wikimedia Commons

Rainforest, luxuriant forest, generally composed of tall, broad-leaved trees and usually found in wet tropical uplands and lowlands around the Equator. Rainforests usually occur in regions where there is a high annual rainfall of generally more than 1,800 mm (70 inches) and a hot and steamy climate. In the Amazon rainforest, the Brazil nut tree is one of only a handful of hyper-dominant trees. It is a member of the Lecythidaceae family. The Dipterocarpaceae are easily recognized by the fruits that they produce. Each fruit has wings which makes them spin like helicopter blades as they fall. Almost 400 billion trees belonging to 16,000 different species grow in the Amazon rainforest, according to recent estimates. Among the species are the rubber tree, the walking palm and the. If rainforest trees are cleared, rain can accumulate on the exposed soil surfaces, creating run-off, and beginning a process of soil erosion. Eventually, streams and rivers form and flooding becomes possible. There are several reasons for the poor soil quality. First is that the soil is highly acidic.

The magical mossy trees of Hoh Rainforest, Washington [OC][3000x2000] r/EarthPorn

A rainforest is typically made up of four key layers: emergent, upper canopy, understory, and forest floor. In the top emergent layer, trees as tall as 60 meters (200 feet) grow far apart and tall, their branches reaching above the canopy. The upper canopy, a deep layer of vegetation roughly six meters (20 feet) thick, houses most of the. Like the name suggests, rainforest ecosystems are full of trees and receive huge amounts of rain. Despite covering just 6 percent of Earth's surface, more than half the world's plant and animal species live in rainforests. The largest and most diverse rain forest in the world, the Amazon, is dominated by just a few dozen species of trees, with the majority of the other species being relatively rare. Rainforest loss. Deforestation is endangering rainforests worldwide, driven by logging, mining, agriculture, and ranching. About 17 percent of the Amazonian rainforest has been destroyed over the.

FileValdivian temperate rainforest.JPG Wikimedia Commons

These types of tropical rainforest trees are most common along rivers, streams, swamps, and lakes. Climbing fig trees are commonly used for ornamentation and privacy. Some people find these trees beautiful and peaceful. Climbing fig trees provide shade and shelter for birds and wildlife. Strangler fig trees are often confused with oak trees. Several species of rainforest trees host ant gardens, mini-ecosystems created when ants collect epiphyte seeds and "plant" them in the nutrient-rich nests they build in trees. These gardens. Rainforest trees can release a lot of water, up to 200 gallons each year. The water forms a thick cloud-cover over the rainforest, so it is always warm and humid. In some rainforests it rains more than an inch every day! Rainforests help to stabilize the climate of the world not only by making rain but also by absorbing carbon dioxide. That's. Rainforest trees play a crucial role in maintaining a high level of biodiversity, that is, the large variety of plant and animal species Rainforest trees are noted for creating a distinctive.

12 Temperate Rainforests Around the World

But the three main kinds of trees are * the ones that form the thick canopy which catches 95% of all the sunlight. * the ones that grow higher than the canopy, but are not numerous enough to stop much sunlight. * the ones that grow under the canopy - these trees are adapted to a life in shade. Temperate rainforests are known for giant trees. Rainforest trees shade and protect the soil, blocking the hot, intense tropical sun from hitting it during the day. They hold heat in at night. Destroying the forest leads to more extreme temperatures swings that are harmful to plants and animals. The trees also protect the soil from intense tropical rains.