Rainforests are the "lungs" of our planet, the most precious treasure, the "great pharmacy of the Earth." For many years it was believed that they produce colossal volumes of oxygen, but this was not so, but a humid climate contributes to perfect air filtration and purification from pollution. In this area, a lot of medicinal plants grow, which have found application in folk and official medicine. Where tropical forests grow, a huge number of birds, predators, artiodactyl, amphibian creatures live, all of them somehow coexist on the same territory, surprising travelers with their abundance.
Rainforest Spread
It will immediately become clear where the tropical forests grow, if we explain that they seem to “encircle” the planet along the Equator. They are located in the wet equatorial, dry tropical, temperate subequatorial zones, representing a clear line, interrupted only by mountains and oceans. Vegetation changes depending on air temperature and rainfall. Rainy areas are covered with evergreen flora, drier regions are characterized by deciduous plants, and then there are savannah forests. Both in South America and in Africa, monsoon forests are located in the west, savannahs in the east, and equatorial forests in the middle.
Forest levels
Description of the rainforest will be more understandable if you divide it into tiers. Four main levels can be distinguished. The uppermost are evergreen trees up to 70 m tall, their green hats are mostly only above, but bare trunks below. These giants can withstand hurricanes and temperature extremes without problems, sheltering the remaining tiers from the weather. The main owners here are eagles, butterflies, bats. Next comes the forest canopy, consisting of 45-meter trees. The level of crowns is considered the most diverse, about 25% of all species of insects live here. Scientists agree that 40% of the species of all plants on the planet are located on this tier, although it has not been fully studied.
This is followed by the middle level, called undergrowth, here live snakes, birds, lizards, the number of insects is also huge. On the tier of the forest litter are animal remains and rotting plants. Such stratification is more characteristic of humid tropics. Here, for example, selva - the forests of South America - is divided into only three levels. The first is grass, low plants, ferns, the second is reed, low shrubs, young trees, and the third is 40-meter trees.
The species of flora and fauna that prevail in them depend on where the tropical forests grow. For example, mangroves are common in equatorial and tropical latitudes in the zones of tidal stripes of sea coasts. Plants grow here, accustomed to do without oxygen and feel great in salty soil. Their roots create an excellent habitat for oysters, crustaceans, commercial fish species. On the slopes of the mountains, in the area of fog condensation, mossy or foggy forests grow, characterized by a low night temperature.
In arid regions, savannah and rainforest prevail, but dry. The plants here are evergreen, but xeromorphic and stunted. In regions of equatorial and tropical zones with a variable climate, alternating-humid forests grow, characterized by deciduous crowns and a small number of vines and epiphytes. They are found in South America, Africa, Sri Lanka, India and Indochina.
Rainforest climate
In humid tropical forests, the air temperature ranges from 20 ° C to 35 ° C, it rains here almost daily, so the humidity is kept at 80%, and in some regions reaches 100%. In the subtropics there is no pronounced seasonality, the temperature is characterized by stability. On the slopes of the mountains, where fogs are observed, it is warm during the day, and at night a sharp cooling to 0 ° C is possible. The climate of the rainforest varies by belt. In the tropics, there is high temperature and low humidity, at the equator there is a lot of moisture and very hot, and in the sub-equatorial zone the weather depends on monsoons.
Tropic trees
Rainforest trees are significantly different from temperate trees. The peculiarity of their development is affected by weather conditions, because at the equator there is no seasonality, it rains almost daily, and air temperature is 25-35 ° С. If in Russia, giants have been growing for several centuries, then 10-15 years are enough. Each type of tree drops leaves in a strictly defined period, it can be every six months, once every 2-3 years. They bloom too, whenever they want, many representatives of the flora delight in flowers once a decade. The trees are mostly large, leathery leaves, strong enough to withstand powerful torrential showers. More than 600 species of bamboo, chocolate tree, cola, marang, jackfruit, breadfruit, mango, etc. grow in the tropics.
Exotic shrubs
The question of whether there is a bushy layer in the rainforests remains rather controversial. It exists in the subtropical and temperate zones, but not in the equatorial ones. Of course, there are representatives of shrubs, but they are very few and they will not create their own level. Together with them, grassy phanerophytes grow, preserving the trunk from one to several years, and undersized trees. These include representatives of the families of scytamin, Marat, and bananas. Most of the bushes belong to dicotyledons, their leaves are large, but tender.
Rainforest grass
Where tropical forests grow, two groups of grasses prevail: shade-loving and shade-tolerant. The former prefer to grow in shaded areas, while the latter are able to develop normally under the closed canopy of the forest. It should be borne in mind that even in the afternoon twilight reigns here, since the sun's rays are not able to break through the crowns of numerous trees. There are not so many herbaceous plants in the tropics, among them ferns, cereals, and selaginella predominate. Phanerophytes whose stems do not change for several years should be classified as undersized herbs. Also, do not forget about extra-tier plants: epiphytes, vines, stem parasites, stranglers.
Tropic birds
In the virgin forests live incredibly beautiful, bright, with an unusual appearance of the bird. Each individual part of the world boasts some kind of feathered species. For example, in the tropics of Asia, turoci live, in appearance they resemble partridges, only slightly larger. They run fast, so in case of danger they do not take off, but fly away with whatever strength they have. Shrubby chickens, pheasants, and royal peacocks also live in the forests. In the American tropics you can find tinama - a poorly flying bird with short but very strong legs. Well, how can you not remember the bright, cheerful and talkative parrots, without which the tropics are not tropics. In addition, motley pigeons, trogons, woodpeckers, flycatchers, and rhino live on the equator. Hummingbirds, tanagras, rocky males, cotings and many others are found in the Amazon forests.
Animals
The fauna of the rainforest is striking in its diversity and richness of species. The largest number is represented by a group of monkeys that live high on trees and in impenetrable thickets. The most interesting of them are tsebids, marmoset and arachnid representatives of the family. Needle-shaped ones are characterized by a very small size, they reach a length of no more than 15 cm, tsebids can boast a long tail, which they catch on the branches, and arachnid monkeys have flexible and long limbs.
But the wildlife of the rainforests is not limited to monkeys alone, anteaters, sloths, porcupines also live here. Among predators, representatives of felines predominate - jaguars, jaguarundis, ocelots, panthers, from the canine family - bush dogs. There are ungulates - tapirs, deer spicy horned animals. Rainforests are also rich in rodents - possums, marsupial rats, bats, agouti.
Amphibians of the tropics
A wide variety of amphibians and reptiles is also characteristic of the rainforest. Photos of exotic snakes, frogs, crocodiles, chameleons, lizards are no longer considered a rarity. Amphibians are found in all parts of the world, but their greatest number is observed in moist tropical forests, because they are attracted by heat and moisture. At the equator, they live not only in water, but also on trees, in the axils of leaves, in hollows. Salamanders live in the tropics, many poisonous snakes, water anacondas and land boa constrictors are very common.
