Plants of equatorial forests cannot but arouse increased interest not only among specialists, but also among ordinary curious travelers from around the world. And this is not surprising.
You must admit that many of us strive to visit overseas countries precisely for the sake of these exotic representatives of the flora. For example, the plants of the equatorial forests of South America or Africa are very unlike the herbs, flowers, trees and shrubs that we used to see outside the window of our hometown. They look completely different, smell and bloom, which means they cause mixed emotions. I want to consider them closer, touch and photograph.
Plants of equatorial forests is a topic that you can talk about forever. This article is aimed at acquainting readers with the most characteristic properties and living conditions of these representatives of the flora world.
general information
First of all, let's try to define such a concept as wet-equatorial forests. Plants, the habitat of which are regions with a pronounced equatorial, subequatorial and tropical climate, inhabit this type of natural zone. It is worth paying attention to the fact that in this case various species of flora include not only herbs, but also numerous trees and shrubs.
At first glance, it’s hard to imagine, but here there are up to 2000, or even 10, 000 mm of precipitation per year.
These land areas are characterized by huge biodiversity, it is here that 2/3 of all plants and animals of our planet live. By the way, not everyone knows that millions of species are still not described.
There is not enough light on the lower tier in the humid tropical forests, but the undergrowth, as a rule, is formed weak, so a person can easily move around it. However, in the event that for some reason the leafy canopy is missing or weakened, the lower tier can quickly become covered with impenetrable thickets of vines and intricately woven trees. This is called the jungle.
Climate of the equatorial forest
Animals and plants of the equatorial forests, as we have said, are diverse. This is due to the prevailing climate, which means that we need to talk about it in more detail.
This zone stretches along the equator with a shift to the south. The average temperature is 24-28 degrees year-round. The climate is quite hot and humid, although the seasons are implicitly expressed.
This territory belongs to the area of low pressure, and precipitation here falls evenly throughout the year. Such climatic conditions contribute to the development of evergreen vegetation, which is characterized by the so-called complex structure of the forest.
Plant world of equatorial territories of the planet
As a rule, moist evergreen forests, located in narrow stripes or peculiar spots along the equator, are diverse and have a huge number of species. It is hard to imagine that today there are more than a thousand of them in the Congo Basin and on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea.
Plants of the equatorial forests of the upper tier are represented by giant ficuses and palm trees, of which more than 200 species. In the lower ones, mainly bananas and tree ferns grow.
The largest plants are often entwined with vines, flowering orchids. By the way, it is worth noting that sometimes in the equatorial forests there are up to six tiers. Among plants, epiphytes are also found - mosses, lichens, ferns.
But in the depths of the forest you can meet the largest flower of our planet - Rafflesia Arnoldi, whose transverse diameter reaches 1 meter.
Fauna of the equatorial forest
It is unlikely that anyone would be surprised if we note that the fauna of the equatorial forests is primarily rich in monkeys. Monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, howlers and bonobos are found here especially often and in huge numbers.
Of the land inhabitants, it is often possible to meet small ungulates, for example, in Africa, tourists often admire okapi, African deer and other unusual animals. The most common selva predators in South America are, of course, jaguars and cougars. But in the African tropics, the hosts are fast leopards and huge tigers.
Due to humid environmental conditions, many frogs, lizards and insects inhabit the equatorial forests. Hummingbirds, parrots and toucans are most often found among birds.
As for reptiles, who does not know about the pythons of Africa and Asia or the anaconda from the Amazon jungle? In addition, poisonous snakes, alligators, caimans and other equally dangerous representatives of the fauna world are widespread in the equatorial forests.
