Forest Types

(FHU3219)
Razak Terhem

Lecture Outcomes

Able to describe forest biomes of the world, forest types

within each biome

Biomes
Biomesare

large regions of the world with

similar plants, animals and other living things
that are adapted to the climate and other
conditions

This

reflects the ecological and physiognomic

characteristics of the vegetation and broadly
corresponds to climatic regions of the Earth.

Biomes of the World

What is a Forest
An

area, incorporating all living and non-living

components, that is dominated by trees having
usually a single stem and a mature or potentially
mature stand height exceeding 2 metres and with
existing or potential crown cover of over storey
strata about equal to or greater than 20 per
cent. The National Forest Inventory of Australia

What is tropical forest?

Located in the tropics which lie between the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn

Approximately between 23N and 23 S latitudes (Thomas and Baltzer, 2002)

Tropical rain forest?

Atropical

rain forestis a type offorestfound in

areas with high regular rainfall and no more than
two months of low rainfall, and consisting of a
completely closed canopy of trees that prevents
penetration of sunlight to the ground and
discourages ground-cover growth. Glossary of
Environment Statistics, Studies in Methods, Series
F, No. 67, United Nations, New York, 1997.

Tropical rain forest-Characteristics

Temperature is on average 25-30 C and varies little throughout the year: the
average temperatures of the three warmest and three coldest months do not differ
by more than 5 degrees.

Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, with annual rainfall

exceeding 200 cm.

Soil is nutrient-poor and acidic. Decomposition is rapid and soils are subject to
heavy leaching.

Canopy in tropical forests is multilayered and continuous, allowing little light

penetration.

Flora is highly diverse: one square kilometer may contain as many as 100 different
tree species. Trees are 25-35 m tall, with buttressed trunks and shallow roots,
mostly evergreen, with large dark green leaves. Plants such as orchids,
bromeliads, vines (lianas), ferns, mosses, and palms are present in tropical forests.

Fauna include numerous birds, bats, small mammals, and insects.

The three major tropical rainforests

Indo-Malayan

region (South and Southeast

Asia)
Africa-Congo
Neotropical

Basin

forests - those of Central and

South America, with Amazonia being the
richest region

Tropical rainforests
Year-round high temperatures and abundant rainfall makes this a dense,
lush forest. Tropical rainforests are found near the equator. They are vital
storehouses of biodiversity on the planet, and yet face severe threat today,
with much of their original extent depleted.

Forest
types

Sub-tropical forests
These are found to the south and north of the tropical forests. The trees here
are adapted to resist the summer drought.
Mediterranean forests
These forests are found to the south of the temperate regions around the coasts of the
Mediterranean, California, Chile and Western Australia. The growing season is short and almost all
trees are evergreen, but mixed hardwood and softwood.
Temperate forests
Found in such places as eastern North America, northeastern Asia, and western and eastern
Europe, temperate forests are a mix of deciduous and coniferous evergreen trees. Usually,
the broad-leaved hardwood trees shed leaves annually. There are well-defined seasons with a
distinct winter and sufficient rainfall.

Temperate forest-Characteristics

Temperature varies from -30 C to 30 C.

Precipitation (75-150 cm) is distributed evenly throughout the year.

Soil is fertile, enriched with decaying litter.

Canopy is moderately dense and allows light to penetrate, resulting in

well-developed and richly diversified understory vegetation and
stratification of animals.

Flora is characterized by 3-4 tree species per square kilometer. Trees are
distinguished by broad leaves that are lost annually and include such
species as oak, hickory, beech, hemlock, maple, basswood, cottonwood,
elm, willow, and spring-flowering herbs.

Fauna is represented by squirrels, rabbits, skunks, birds, deer, mountain

lion, bobcat, timber wolf, fox, and black bear.

Deciduous Forests

Deciduous means ``falling off at

maturity'' or ``tending to fall off'', and it
is typically used in reference to trees
orshrubsthat lose their leaves seasonally
and to the shedding of other plant
structures such as petals after flowering
or fruit when ripe.

Seasonal changes

Coniferous forests

Coniferous forests inhabit the cold, windy regions around the poles. There
are both hardwoods and conifers found in this region. The conifers are
evergreen and structurally adapted to withstand the long drought-like
conditions of the long winters, whereas the hardwoods are deciduous.

Thank you