Natural zone: humid equatorial forests or tropical rainforest, features, climate, soils, geographical location. rainforest plants rainforest flora

Most useful plants rainforest, Exotic fruits, medicinal plants. Encyclopedia of the 54 most interesting plant species that can be useful to humans in the rainforest. ATTENTION! I recommend that all unfamiliar plants be considered poisonous by default! Even the ones you're just not sure about. Tropical rainforests are the most diverse ecosystem on our planet, and therefore here I have collected only those plants that can somehow be useful to humans.

1) Coconut tree

Plant sea ​​coasts preferring sandy soils. in a lot useful substances: vitamins A, C and group B; minerals: calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, iron; natural sugars, proteins, carbohydrates, fatty oils, organic acids. Coconut milk often used as an alternative to physical solution for the high content of various salts and trace elements in it. Coconut milk will help you regulate the body's salt balance.

• Coconut palm has a reputation as a strong aphrodisiac and normalizes the reproductive system. Milk and pulp of coconut well restores strength and improves eyesight;
• Improve work digestive system and liver;
• Normalize the function of the thyroid gland;
• Relax muscles and help with joint problems;
• Increase immunity and resistance to various infections, reduce the adaptability of bacteria to antibiotics;
• Coconut pulp and oil, thanks to their lauric acid (this is the main fatty acid contained in breast milk), normalize the level of cholesterol in the blood;
• Help the body with flu and colds, AIDS, diarrhea, lichen and gallbladder disease
• They have anthelmintic, antimicrobial, antiviral wound-healing effects;
• Reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and other diseases of the cardiovascular system, as well as cancer and degeneration processes.

ATTENTION! Dropping a coconut on your head can be fatal! This is the cause of death for many people!

2) Banana

If you want to quickly restore your body's low energy level, there is no better snack than a banana. Studies have proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for 1.5 hours of vigorous work. Good food product, because of the content a large number carbohydrates it can be eaten instead of our usual potatoes. Helps with many diseases such as anemia, ulcers, lowers blood pressure, Improves mental capacity Helps with constipation, depression, heartburn. The peel helps to get rid of warts. One banana contains an average of 60-80 calories. Banana contains: chemical elements like iron, potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. Eating 2 bananas during the day, you will fill the body's need for potassium and two-thirds - for magnesium. In addition, the banana contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, E, PP. The substance ephedrine contained in bananas, when used systematically, improves the activity of the central nervous system, and this directly affects overall performance, attention and mood.

3) Papaya

Papaya leaves, depending on their age, processing method and, in fact, the recipe itself, are used to reduce high blood pressure, treatment of kidney infection, stomach pain and bowel problems. Papaya fruits are used in the treatment of fungal diseases and ringworm. Papaya fruit and leaves also contain the anthelmintic alkaloid carpain, which can be dangerous in large doses. Papaya fruits are not only appearance, but also by chemical composition very close to melon. They contain glucose and fructose, organic acids, proteins, fiber, beta-carotene, vitamins C, B1, B2, B5 and D. Minerals are represented by potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and iron.

4) Mango

Mangoes normalize bowel function, two green mangoes a day will save you from diarrhea, constipation, hemorrhoids, as well as prevent bile stasis and disinfect the liver. When eating green fruits (1-2 per day), the elasticity of blood vessels improves, due to the high content of iron in fruits, mango is useful for anemia. And the high content of vitamin C makes it an excellent remedy for beriberi. When using more than two unripe fruits per day, colic, irritation of the mucous gastrointestinal tract and throat. Overeating ripe fruits can lead to intestinal upset, constipation, and allergic reactions. Mango contains a large amount of vitamin C, B vitamins, as well as vitamins A, E, contains folic acid. Mango is also rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, zinc. Regular consumption of mango strengthens the immune system. Due to the content of vitamins C, E, as well as carotene and fiber, the use of mango helps prevent cancer of the colon and rectum, is the prevention of cancer and other organs. Mango is an excellent antidepressant, improves mood, relieves nervous tension.

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Rainforests biomes are located approximately 10 degrees north and south of the equator. Biome (biome) is a biotic environment with homogeneous characteristics, which has its own special kinds plants, animals and climate. Tropical forests are divided into tropical rainforests and dry deciduous tropical forests (subtropics). They are widely distributed in Asia, Australia, Africa, South and Central America, Mexico and many Pacific islands. Temperatures in these forests range from 20°C to 35°C, with no hot or cold seasons. BUT average humidity reaches 77% - 80%. The Amazon rainforest is the most famous of the various rainforests in the world. Moist and warm tropical forests are home to 80% of all animal and plant species on the planet. These forests in the world are called "the world's largest pharmacy" because more than a quarter of modern medicines are made from plants growing in these forests. Undergrowth in the humid tropics is limited in many areas due to lack of sunlight at ground level. This fact makes the rainforests passable for humans and animals.

If the crowns of trees are destroyed or broken for some reason, then it reaches the ground and then everything very quickly becomes overgrown with vines, shrubs and small trees - this is how the jungle appears. They are also called the “lungs of the Earth”, since the humid climate contributes to effective air filtration due to the condensation of moisture on the microparticles of pollution, which generally has a beneficial effect on the atmosphere.

The struggle for existence in these forests led the vegetation to the fact that the forest began to be divided into separate layers. These include:

Emerging or new layer: it is formed from the crowns of trees reaching 30 - 70 meters. They are dome-shaped, umbrella-shaped, which receive the maximum amount of sunlight when they reach the high levels of the rainforest. The trees in this layer are home to a large number animals and birds such as eagles, monkeys, the bats and .

Upper tier: forms a dense "ceiling" of evergreen trees with broad leaves that grow close together. It is because of this layer, sunlight cannot penetrate the lower levels and the ground. The growth of trees in this region is from 20 to 40 meters. This layer makes up the main life support of the rainforest and is home to most tropical animals - leopards, jaguars and exotic birds.

lower tier- undergrowth. It is located immediately below the upper tier and consists of tropical plants that grow up to 20 meters. There is little air movement in this layer and the humidity is constantly high. Due to the lack of sunlight, this layer is constantly in the shade, and herbs, shrubs, trees and woody vines grow here.

And last - forest floor. She hardly gets any sunlight. It is unlikely that any vegetation can be found in this layer, but it is rich in microorganisms. This layer is rich in animals and insects. Giant anteaters, beetles, frogs, snakes, lizards and a variety of insects inhabit the forest floor.

How do animals and plants survive in such a warm and humid climate typical of these forests. Here are some examples of adaptation:

• Trees in tropical rainforests should not have thick bark to prevent moisture loss. Thus, they have a thin and smooth bark.
• These forests are characterized large quantity rainfall and tree leaves, have developed "drip runoff" to allow rainwater to run off quickly. These are waxy grooves on the leaves.
• The leaves of trees at lower levels are wide, and at higher levels high levels narrow, in order to allow sunlight to pass to lower levels.
• There are creepers that climb the trunks of trees and reach the most upper layers looking for .
• There are plants such as those that grow directly on trees.
• Plants in the lower layers of tropical rainforests have spectacular blooms and attract insects for pollination as there is not much wind at these levels.
• Carnivorous Plants: Many of the tropical plants obtain their nutrition by eating animals and insects.

Other commercially important plants: cashews, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coffee, cocoa, mangoes, bananas, papaya, peanuts, pineapple, nutmeg, sesame, sugar cane, tamarind, turmeric, vanilla - these are just a few of the many plants that we have to deal with in everyday life and which grow precisely in tropical rainforests.

Of the frequently encountered indoor plants grow here: monstera, spathiphyllum, stromantha, ferns, (dendrobium, cattleya, vanda, oncidium, phalaenopsis, paphiopedilum, etc.), anthurium, medinilla, akalifa, selaginella, pineapple, banana, bromeliad, vriesia, heliconia, arrowroot , Gloriosa, Gusmania, Diplodia, Dieffenbachia, Jacaranda, Philodendron, Zebrina, Ixora, Calathea, Caladium, Ctenantha, Clerodendrum, Episcia, Coleria, Codiaum, Coco, Columnea, Costus, Crossandra, Neoregelia, Nepenthes, Passiflora, Pachistachis, Plectranthus, Polisias , saintpaulia, sinningia, scindapsus, Robelin date, eschinanthus. All of them need high humidity air in room conditions.

Rainforests located in the tropical, equatorial and subequatorial belts between 25 ° N.L. and 30 ° S, as if "surrounding" the surface of the Earth along the equator. Tropical forests are only torn apart by oceans and mountains.

The general circulation of the atmosphere originates from the zone of high atmospheric pressure in the tropics to the zone low pressure at the equator, evaporated moisture is transported in the same direction. This leads to the existence of a humid equatorial belt and a dry tropical one. Between them is subequatorial belt, in which moisture depends on the direction of the monsoons, depending on the time of year.

The vegetation of tropical forests is very diverse, depending mainly on the amount of precipitation and its distribution over the seasons. With abundant (more than 2000 mm), and relatively uniform distribution develop humid tropical evergreen forests.

Further from the equator, the rainy period is replaced by a dry one, and the forests are replaced with leaves falling during the drought, and then these forests are replaced by savannah forests. At the same time, in Africa and South America, there is a pattern: from west to east, monsoon and equatorial forests are replaced by savanna forests.

Tropical forest classification

tropical rainforest, tropical rain forest these are forests with specific biomes located in equatorial (moist equatorial forest), subequatorial and humid tropical areas with a very humid climate (2000-7000 mm of precipitation per year).

Tropical rainforests are rich in biodiversity. This is the most conducive to life natural area. It is home to a large number of its own, including endemic species of animals and plants, as well as migratory animals. Tropical rainforests are home to two-thirds of all animal and plant species on the planet. It is assumed that millions of species of animals and plants have not yet been described.

These forests are sometimes referred to as " jewels of the earth" and " the largest pharmacy in the world”, as a large number of natural medicinal remedies have been found here. They are also called " lungs of the earth”, however, this statement is debatable because it has no scientific justification, since these forests either do not produce oxygen at all, or produce very little of it.

But it should be borne in mind that a humid climate contributes to effective air filtration, due to the condensation of moisture on the microparticles of pollution, which has a generally beneficial effect on the atmosphere.

Understorey formation in tropical forests is severely limited in many places due to lack of sunlight in the lower layer. This allows man and animals to move through the forest. If for any reason the leafy canopy is missing or weakened, the lower tier is quickly covered with a dense thicket of vines, shrubs and small trees - this formation is called the jungle.

The largest areas of tropical rainforests are located in the Amazon basin (“Amazonian rainforests”), in Nicaragua, in the southern part of the Yucatan Peninsula (Guatemala, Belize), for the most part Central America(where they are called "selva"), in equatorial Africa from Cameroon to Democratic Republic Congo, in many parts of Southeast Asia from Myanmar to Indonesia and New Guinea, in the Australian state of Queensland.

For tropical rainforests characteristic:

• variety of flora
• the presence of 4-5 tree tiers, the absence of shrubs, a large number of vines
• dominance evergreen trees with large evergreen leaves, poorly developed bark, buds not protected by bud scales, monsoon forests- deciduous trees;
• the formation of flowers and then fruits directly on the trunks and thick branches

Trees in tropical rainforests have several general characteristics, which are not observed in plants of less humid climates.

The base of the trunk in many species has wide, woody ledges. Previously, it was assumed that these ledges help the tree to maintain balance, but now it is believed that water with dissolved nutrients flows down to the roots of the tree. Wide leaves of trees, shrubs and grasses of the lower tiers of the forest are characteristic. The wide leaves help the plants absorb sunlight better under the tree edges of the forest, and they are protected from the wind from above.

Tall young trees that have not yet reached the topstory also have broader foliage, which then decreases with height. The leaves of the upper tier, forming a canopy, usually smaller size and heavily indented to reduce wind pressure. On the lower floors, the leaves are often tapered at the ends so that this allows the water to drain quickly and prevents microbes and moss from growing on them that destroy the leaves.

The tops of the trees are often very well interconnected with creeper or epiphytic plants attached to them.

The trees of the humid tropical forest are characterized by unusually thin (1-2 mm) tree bark, sometimes covered with sharp thorns or thorns, the presence of flowers and fruits growing directly on tree trunks, a wide variety of juicy fruits that attract birds and mammals.

Insects are very abundant in tropical rainforests, especially butterflies (one of the richest fauna in the world) and beetles, and fish are abundant in rivers (about 2000 species, approximately one third of the world's freshwater fauna).

Despite the stormy vegetation, the soil in tropical rainforests is thin and with a small humus horizon.

Rapid decay caused by bacteria prevents the accumulation of the humus layer. The concentration of iron and aluminum oxides due to laterization soil (the process of reducing the silica content of the soil with a simultaneous increase in iron and aluminum oxides) turns the soil bright red and sometimes forms deposits of minerals (for example, bauxite). But on rocks of volcanic origin, tropical soils can be quite fertile.

Tropical rainforest levels (tiers)

A tropical forest divided into four main levels, each of which has its own characteristics, has a different flora and fauna.

The topmost level

This layer consists of a small number of very tall trees rising above the forest canopy, reaching a height of 45-55 meters ( rare species reach 60-70 meters). Most often the trees are evergreen, but some shed their foliage during the dry season. Such trees must withstand harsh temperatures and strong winds. This level is inhabited by eagles, bats, some species of monkeys and butterflies.

Crown level (forest canopy)

The crown level is formed by the majority of tall trees, usually 30-45 meters high. This is the densest layer known in all terrestrial biodiversity, with neighboring trees forming a more or less continuous layer of foliage.

According to some estimates, the plants of this tier make up about 40 percent of the species of all plants on the planet - perhaps half of the entire flora of the Earth can be found here. The fauna is similar to the upper level, but more diverse. It is believed that a quarter of all insect species live here.

Scientists have long suspected the diversity of life at this level, but only recently have developed practical research methods. It wasn't until 1917 that the American naturalist William Bead stated that "another continent of life remains unexplored, not on Earth, but 200 feet above its surface, spreading over thousands of square miles."

True exploration of this layer only began in the 1980s, when scientists developed methods to reach the forest canopy, such as shooting ropes at the treetops with crossbows. The study of the forest canopy is still in progress. early stage. Other research methods include travel on balloons or aircraft. The science of access to the tops of trees is called dendronautics.

Average level

Between the forest canopy and the forest floor there is another level called the undergrowth. It is home to a number of birds, snakes and lizards. Insect life at this level is also very extensive. The leaves in this tier are much wider than at crown level.

forest floor

AT Central Africa in the tropical primary forest of Mount Virunga, ground level illumination is 0.5%; in the forests of southern Nigeria and in the area of ​​Santarem (Brazil) 0.5-1%. In the north of the island of Sumatra, in the dipterocarp forest, the illumination is about 0.1%.

Far from the banks of rivers, swamps and open spaces where dense, low-growing vegetation grows, the forest floor is relatively free of plants. On this level, rotting plants and animal remains can be seen, which quickly disappear due to the warm, humid climate that promotes rapid decomposition.

Selva(Spanish " selva" from lat. " silva"- forest) is humid equatorial forests in South America. It is located on the territory of countries such as Brazil, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, Guyana, Paraguay, Colombia, etc.

Selva is formed on vast lowland areas of land under conditions of constant freshwater moisture, as a result of which the soil of the selva is extremely poor in minerals washed out tropical rains. The selva is often swampy.

The flora and fauna of the selva is a riot of colors and a variety of species of plants, birds and mammals.

The largest selva in terms of area is located in the Amazon basin in Brazil).

In the Atlantic Selva, the level of precipitation reaches two thousand millimeters per year, and the humidity fluctuates at the level of 75-90 percent.

The selva is divided into three levels. The soil is covered with leaves, branches, fallen tree trunks, lichens, fungus and moss. The soil itself has a reddish color. The first level of the forest consists of low plants, ferns and grass. The second level is represented by shrubs, reeds and young trees. On the third level there are trees from twelve to forty meters high.

Mangroves - evergreen deciduous forests, common in the tidal strip of sea coasts in tropical and equatorial latitudes, as well as in temperate zones, where this is favorable warm currents. They occupy the strip between the most low level water at low tide and highest at high tide. These are trees or shrubs that grow in mangroves, or mangrove swamps.

Mangrove plants live in coastal sedimentary environments where fine sediments, often with a high organic content, accumulate in places protected from wave energy.

Mangroves have an exceptional ability to exist and develop in a salty environment on soils deprived of oxygen.

Once established, the roots of mangrove plants create a habitat for oysters and help slow down the flow of water, thereby increasing sedimentation in areas where it is already occurring.

As a rule, finely dispersed, oxygen-poor sediments under mangroves act as reservoirs for a wide variety of heavy metals (traces of metals) that are captured from sea ​​water colloidal particles in sediments. In those areas of the world where mangroves were destroyed during the development of the territory, the violation of the integrity of these sedimentary rocks gives rise to the problem of heavy metal pollution of sea water and local flora and fauna.

It is often claimed that mangroves are of significant value in the coastal zone, acting as a buffer against erosion, the onslaught of storms and tsunamis. Although there is a certain decrease in wave height and energy as sea water passes through mangroves, it must be recognized that mangroves usually grow in those areas. coastline, where low wave energy is the norm. Therefore, their ability to withstand the powerful onslaught of storms and tsunamis is limited. Their long-term impact on erosion rates is also likely to be limited.

The many river channels meandering through the mangroves actively erode the mangroves on the outside of all river bends, just as new mangroves appear on inside the same bends where precipitation occurs.

Mangroves are a habitat for wildlife, including a number of commercial fish and crustaceans, and in at least some cases the export of mangrove carbon is important in the coastal food web.

In Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and India, mangroves are grown in coastal areas for coastal fisheries.

Despite ongoing mangrove breeding programs, More than half of the world's mangroves have already been lost.

Floral composition mangroves relatively uniform. The most complex, high and multi-species mangrove forests of the eastern formation (the shores of the Malay Peninsula, etc.) are considered.

Foggy forest (moss forest, nephelogilea) – humid tropical montane evergreen forest. It is located in the tropics on the slopes of mountains in the fog condensation zone.

The foggy forest is located in the tropics on the slopes of mountains in the fog condensation zone, usually starts from an altitude of 500-600 m and reaches a height of up to 3500 meters above sea level. It is much cooler here than in the jungle, located in low-lying places, at night the temperature can drop to almost 0 degrees. But here it is even more humid, for one year square meter up to six cubic meters of water falls. And if it doesn't rain, then the moss-covered trees stand shrouded in fog caused by intense evaporation.

Foggy forest formed by trees with abundant vines, with a dense cover of epiphytic mosses.

Tree-like ferns, magnolia, camellia are characteristic, the forest may also include non-tropical vegetation: evergreen oaks, podocarpus, which distinguishes this type of forest from plain hyla

Variable rainforests-forests found in tropical and equatorial belts, in a climate with a short dry season. Located south and north of wet equatorial forests. Variable rainforests found in Africa (CAR, DR Congo, Cameroon, northern Angola, extreme south of Sudan), South America, India, Sri Lanka, Indochina.

Variable rainforests are partially deciduous dense rainforests. They differ from tropical rainforests in lower species diversity, a decrease in the number of epiphytes and lianas.

dry tropical evergreen forest. They are located in areas with an arid climate, while remaining dense and evergreen, becoming stunted and xeromorphic.

HUMAN IMPACT ON TROPICAL FORESTS

Contrary to popular belief, tropical rainforests are not major consumers of carbon dioxide and, like other established forests, are neutral to carbon dioxide.

Recent studies show that most rainforests, on the contrary, are intensively develop carbon dioxide, and swamps - and methane.

However, these forests play a significant role in the turnover of carbon dioxide, since they are its established basins, and the cutting down of such forests leads to an increase in the carbon dioxide content in the Earth's atmosphere. Tropical rainforests also play a role in cooling the air that passes through them. That's why tropical rainforests - one of the most important ecosystems of the planet, the destruction of forests leads to soil erosion, reduction of flora and fauna species, shifts in the ecological balance by large territories and on the planet as a whole.

Tropical rainforests often reduced to plantations of cinchona and coffee trees, coconut palms, and rubber plants. In South America, tropical rainforests are also seriously threatened by unsustainable mining.

A.A. Kazdym

List of used literature

1. M. B. Gornung. Constantly humid tropics. M.:, "Thought", 1984.
2. Hogarth, P. J. The Biology of Mangroves. Oxford University Press, 1999.
3. Thanikaimoni, G., Mangrove Palynology, 1986
4. Tomlinson, P. B. The Botany of Mangroves, Cambridge University Press. 1986:
5. Jayatissa, L. P., Dahdouh-Guebas, F. & Koedam, N. A review of the floral composition and distribution of mangroves in Sri Lanka. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 138, 2002, 29-43.
6. http://www.glossary.ru/cgi-bin/gl_sch2.cgi?RSwuvo,lxqol!rlxg

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Animals and plants of tropical forests.

Trushnikova Julia, 2nd "d" class, MAOU secondary school No. 91, Tyumen

It's very hot and humid here.

The abundance of heat and moisture - here main reason the fabulous richness and diversity of plants and animals in the rainforest.

Weather.

The weather here is amazing. Before sunrise, the forest is cool and quiet. The sun is rising and the temperature is starting to rise. The heat is on, the air is suffocating. Clouds appear in the sky, lightning flashes, thunder rumbles and a downpour begins. Water flows like a continuous stream. Under its weight, branches of trees break and collapse. Rivers overflow their banks. The rain usually continues more than an hour. Before sunset, the sky clears, the wind subsides, and soon the forest is plunged into darkness.

Tropical forest plants.

Tropical rainforest - multi-tiered, evergreen, extremely rich in the number of plant species.

The trees of the upper tier rise to 80-100 m in height. The longest terrestrial plants also grow here - palm-lianas (rattans), stretching for 300-400 m.

Tropical forest plants.

AT lower tiers tropical forest is gloomy, hot and stuffy, like in a greenhouse. Tree trunks are entwined with woody and herbaceous vines, ferns, orchids.

tropical plants

• dictiophora mushroom

• Rafflesia

• Orchid

• Banana

tropical plants

• sundew, carnivorous plant

Nepenthes plants - predators

• victoria water lily leaves

Tropical forest animals.

Among tropical animals are found as formidable predators, and completely safe rodents or lizards. Colored parrots fly in the forests and giant butterflies, large spiders lurk on the leaves, monkeys sway on the vines.

The rainforest is very rich in animals. It is home to many different kinds of monkeys. A long tenacious tail helps the monkeys deftly climb trees. The spider monkey has a particularly long and prehensile tail.

Another monkey, the howler monkey, wraps its tail around the branch and holds it like a hand. Howler was named for its powerful, obnoxious voice.

There are many in South America bats various kinds. Among them are blood-sucking leaf-beetles that attack horses and mules, and vampires.

Many tropical forests various snakes and lizards. Among them are boas, anaconda, reaching 11 m in length. Many snakes, due to the protective coloration of the skin, are hardly noticeable among the forest greenery.

There are especially many lizards in the tropical rainforest. Geckos are sitting on the trees. An iguana is interesting, living both on trees and on the ground. This lizard has a very beautiful emerald green color. She eats plant foods.

Near reservoirs in the thicket of the forest you can see a tapir. The animal reaches 2 m in length. He, like a pig, loves to wallow in puddles.

Most strong predator tropical forest - jaguar. This is a large yellow cat with black spots on the skin. She is good at climbing trees.

Among the predators of southern Asia, the Bengal tiger is the most famous.

Leopard attacks domestic animals; he is cunning, bold, and dangerous to humans. There are black leopards (panthers).

Of the birds of great interest is the hoatzin. It's pretty large bird with a big crest on his head. The nest of the hoatzin is placed above the water, in the branches of trees or thickets of shrubs. Chicks are not afraid to fall into the water: they swim and dive well. Hoatzin chicks have long claws on the first and second fingers of the wing, which help them climb branches and branches.

There are over 160 species of parrots in the rainforests of South America. The most famous are green Amazonian parrots. They are good at speaking.

This is a hornbill.

Only in one country - in America - live the smallest birds - hummingbirds. These are unusually bright and beautifully colored fast-flying birds, some of them the size of a bumblebee.

In tropical forests, the world of insects is diverse. Very large diurnal butterflies are numerous.

AT tropical zone South America has a lot of spiders. Among them, the largest is the tarantula.

Why are tropical forests needed?

Tropical forests are very necessary for our planet. Plants growing in them absorb carbon dioxide and provide oxygen most our Earth. Tropical forests are home to a huge number of different inhabitants of the Earth. If tropical forests disappear, then all these living creatures will lose their homes or simply die out, as dinosaurs died out in their time.

Tropical forests, due to their impassability, keep many secrets from people. And when there are secrets that have not yet been discovered by anyone, life in the world is much more interesting.

Thank you for your attention!

Moist equatorial forests (or tropical rainforests) are a geographical natural area that is located along the equator, shifting south.

Variety of flora and fauna.

The complex multi-tiered structure of the forest. There are four main tiers of tropical rainforest, which differ not only in flora, but also in animal life.

The presence of a humid climate with a large amount of precipitation and high temperature air.

The flora is predominantly represented by evergreen tree-like plants with poorly developed bark, as well as flowers and fruits formed on tree trunks and branches.

The conditions under which rainforests grow are determined by reduced pressure air, heavy tropical showers and heat. Under these conditions, various tropical crops such as coconut palm, banana tree, cocoa and pineapple are also well cultivated. These forests are called the "lungs" of the planet, but such a statement is controversial according to scientists who claim that tropical forest vegetation releases quite little oxygen into the atmosphere.

Climate

Rain forests are characterized by humid and hot equatorial climate. There are slight temperature fluctuations throughout the year (from 24°C to 28°C), intense and uniform precipitation (from 2000 to 10000 mm per year) and high humidity air, due to the high content of water vapor and reaching 80% and above. Seasons in this natural area followed by a dry season and a rainy season.

In conditions of such a climate, vegetation develops rapidly in the humid equatorial forests. The trees here branch weakly, have a dense evergreen crown, and the height of the trunks reaches several tens of meters.

The upper tier is represented mainly by palm trees and ficuses, and the lower tier is represented by tree ferns, lianas and large plants. At the foot of the trees, twilight always reigns, created by lush crowns, which is why, due to the lack sun rays rainforests have virtually no undergrowth.

The soil

Despite the growth of lush vegetation, the soil of tropical rainforests due to the hot climate is not very fertile and is very saturated with aluminum and iron oxides. The great content of these chemical compounds gives it a red or red-yellow color, and the rapid decomposition of plants under the influence of bacteria prevents the accumulation of the humus (fertile) layer of the earth.

Geographical position

Moist equatorial forests are widespread in tropical regions with an equatorial climate, such as Central and South America(Amazon river basin) equatorial africa, Southeast Asia(Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines), the northeastern region of Australia, as well as the Pacific Islands.