Is it true that forests are the lungs of the planet? November 17th, 2017
Yes, I definitely remember from school that forests are the lungs of the planet. There were such posters. They constantly said that the forest must be protected, it produces the oxygen that we breathe. Where are we without oxygen? Nowhere. That's why they compare forested areas with the lungs of our planet Earth.
And what? Isn't that right?
Yes, not like that. The functions of forests are more reminiscent of the work of the liver and kidneys. Forests provide as much oxygen as they consume. But they cope with the task of cleaning the air and protecting the soil from erosion like no one else.
So what can we call " lungs of the planet"?
In fact, oxygen is produced not only by those plants that grow in the forest. All plant organisms, including inhabitants of reservoirs, and inhabitants of steppes and deserts, constantly produce oxygen. Plants, unlike animals, fungi and other living organisms, can synthesize organic substances themselves, using light energy for this. This process is called photosynthesis. As a result of photosynthesis, oxygen is released. It is a by-product of photosynthesis. A lot of oxygen is released, in fact, 99% of the oxygen that is present in the Earth’s atmosphere is of plant origin. And only 1% comes from the mantle, the underlying layer of the Earth.
Of course, trees produce oxygen, but no one thinks about the fact that they also waste it. And not only them, all other inhabitants of the forest cannot be without oxygen. First of all, plants respire on their own, this happens in the dark when photosynthesis does not occur. And we need to somehow dispose of the reserves organic matter, which they created during the day. That is, feed yourself. And in order to eat you need to spend oxygen. Another thing is that plants spend much less oxygen than they produce. And this is ten times less. However, we should not forget that in the forest there are still animals, as well as mushrooms, as well as various bacteria that do not produce oxygen themselves, but nevertheless breathe it. Significant amount The oxygen that the forest produced during daylight hours will be used by living organisms of the forest to support life. However, something will remain. And this is something like 60% of what the forest produces. This oxygen enters the atmosphere, but does not remain there for very long. Then the forest itself removes oxygen, again for its own needs. Namely, the decomposition of the remains of dead organisms. Ultimately, forests often spend 1.5 times more oxygen to dispose of their own waste than they produce. After this, it cannot be called the oxygen factory of the planet. True, there are forest communities that operate on a zero oxygen balance. These are famous rainforests.
The tropical forest is generally a unique ecosystem; it is very stable, because the consumption of substances is equal to production. But again, there was no surplus left. So even tropical forests can hardly be called oxygen factories.
So why then, after the city, does it seem to us that the forest is clean, Fresh air that there is a lot of oxygen there? The thing is that oxygen production is a very fast process, but consumption is a very slow process.
So what then are the oxygen factories of the planet? There are actually two ecosystems. Among the “land” ones are peat bogs. As we know, in a swamp the process of decomposition of dead matter is very, very slow, as a result of which dead parts of plants fall down, accumulate, and peat deposits are formed. Peat does not decompose, it is compressed and remains in the form of a huge organic brick. That is, during peat formation, a lot of oxygen is not wasted. Thus, swamp vegetation produces oxygen, but consumes very little oxygen itself. As a result, it is the swamps that provide exactly the increase that remains in the atmosphere. However, real peat bogs there are not so many on land, and of course it is almost impossible for them alone to maintain the oxygen balance in the atmosphere. And here another ecosystem helps, called the world ocean.
There are no trees in the world's oceans; grasses in the form of algae are observed only near the coast. However, vegetation still exists in the ocean. And most of it consists of microscopic photosynthetic algae, which scientists call phytoplankton. These algae are so small that it is often impossible to see each of them. with the naked eye. But the accumulation of them is visible to everyone. When bright red or bright green spots are visible on the sea. This is phytoplankton.
Each of these little algae produces great amount oxygen. It consumes very little itself. Due to the fact that they rapidly divide, the amount of oxygen they produce increases. One phytoplankton community produces 100 times more per day than a forest occupying the same volume. But at the same time they spend very little oxygen. Because when algae die, they immediately fall to the bottom, where they are immediately eaten. After that, those who ate them are eaten by other, third organisms. And so few remains reach the bottom that they quickly decompose. There is simply no decomposition that lasts as long as in the forest, in the ocean. There, recycling occurs very quickly, as a result of which oxygen is virtually not wasted. And so the “big profit” occurs, and so it remains in the atmosphere.
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There is an opinion that forests are the “lungs of the planet”, since it is believed that they are the main suppliers of oxygen to the atmosphere. However, in reality this is not the case. The main producers of oxygen live in the ocean. These babies cannot be seen without the help of a microscope. But all living organisms on Earth depend on their livelihoods.
No one argues that forests, of course, need to be preserved and protected. However, not at all because they are these notorious “lungs”. Because in fact, their contribution to the enrichment of our atmosphere with oxygen is practically zero.
No one will deny the fact that the oxygen atmosphere of the Earth was created and continues to be maintained by plants. This happened because they learned to create organic substances from inorganic ones, using the energy of sunlight (as we remember from school course biology, a similar process is called photosynthesis). As a result of this process, plant leaves release free oxygen as a by-product of production. This gas, which we need, rises into the atmosphere and is then evenly distributed throughout it.
According to various institutes, thus, about 145 billion tons of oxygen are released into the atmosphere on our planet every year. Wherein most of it is spent, not surprisingly, not on the respiration of the inhabitants of our planet, but on the decomposition of dead organisms or, simply put, on decay (about 60 percent of what is used by living beings). So, as you can see, oxygen not only gives us the ability to breathe full breasts, but also acts as a kind of stove for burning garbage.
As we know, any tree is not eternal, so when the time comes, it dies. When the trunk of a forest giant falls to the ground, its body is decomposed by thousands of fungi and bacteria over a very long period of time. All of them use oxygen, which is produced by surviving plants. According to researchers' calculations, such “cleaning up the territory” consumes about eighty percent of the “forest” oxygen.
But the remaining 20 percent of oxygen does not enter the “general atmospheric fund” at all, and is also used by forest inhabitants “on the ground” for their own purposes. After all, animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms also need to breathe (without oxygen, as we remember, many living beings would not be able to obtain energy from food). Since all forests are usually very densely populated areas, this residue is only enough to satisfy the oxygen needs of only its own inhabitants. There is nothing left for neighbors (for example, residents of cities where there is little native vegetation).
Who, then, is the main supplier of this gas necessary for breathing on our planet? On land these are, oddly enough... peat bogs. Everyone knows that when plants die in a swamp, their organisms do not decompose, since the bacteria and fungi that do this work cannot live in swamp water - there are many natural antiseptics secreted by mosses.
So, dead parts of plants, without decomposing, sink to the bottom, forming peat deposits. And if there is no decomposition, then oxygen is not wasted. Therefore, swamps contribute about 50 percent of the oxygen they produce to the general fund (the other half is used by the inhabitants of these inhospitable, but very useful places).
Nevertheless, the contribution of swamps to the total " charitable foundation oxygen" is not very large, because there are not so many of them on Earth. Microscopic ocean algae, the totality of which scientists call phytoplankton, are much more actively involved in “oxygen charity”. These creatures are so small that it is almost impossible to see them with the naked eye. However, their total very large, the number goes into millions of billions.
The entire world's phytoplankton produces 10 times more oxygen than it needs for breathing. Enough to provide useful gas and all other inhabitants of the waters, and a lot gets into the atmosphere. As for the oxygen consumption for the decomposition of corpses, in the ocean they are very low - approximately 20 percent of the total production.
This happens due to the fact that dead organisms are immediately eaten by scavengers, of which there are a great many living in sea water. Those, in turn, will be eaten by other scavengers after death, and so on, that is, corpses almost never lie in the water. The same remains, which are no longer of particular interest to anyone, fall to the bottom, where few people live, and there is simply no one to decompose them (this is how the well-known silt is formed), that is, in this case, oxygen is not consumed.
So, the ocean supplies the atmosphere with about 40 percent of the oxygen that phytoplankton produced. It is this reserve that is consumed in those areas where very little oxygen is produced. The latter, in addition to cities and villages, include deserts, steppes and meadows, as well as mountains.
So, oddly enough, the human race lives and thrives on Earth precisely due to the microscopic “oxygen factories” floating on the surface of the ocean. It is they who should be called “the lungs of the planet.” And protect in every possible way from oil pollution, heavy metal poisoning, etc., because if they suddenly stop their activities, you and I will simply have nothing to breathe.
According to the Bible, God created the entire world in six days. On the third, by the will of the Creator, the planet is covered with plants- trees, grasses, flowers of the most bizarre shapes and colors. Majestic forests became home to thousands of representatives of flora and fauna and decorated the Earth with a bright, lush carpet.
Forests are usually called lungs of the planet and this is true - colossal tracts of vegetation provide oxygen everything is alive. But besides this, they are a regulator average temperature on the planet and the concentration of carbon dioxide. The level of the latter, by the way, is steadily growing, while the area of virgin forests, according to ecologists, is constantly are being reduced.
Forests are usually called the lungs of the planet, photo WEB
Forests now cover just under 40 million km², which is approximately a third of the entire land surface. But just a few decades ago, forests covered half of it... Seriously sad statistics worries specialists, but despite all the efforts of “green” organizations, today only 18% of the world’s forests are protected.
The largest in area is taiga forest . On more than 6 million hectares of the Taiga, a third of all the trees in the world are concentrated, and therefore this ecosystem has greatest influence on carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere. It is noteworthy that Taiga is fully illuminated by the sun for no more than one month a year, therefore, in order to grow here, any tree requires about 50 years old!
The largest area is the taiga forest, photo WEB
And here Amazon forest- the largest tract of rain forests on the planet - does not know such a problem. It stretches across the territories of eight countries and is larger in area than all rain forests taken together. Experts estimate that the lush greenery of the Amazon produces a fifth of Earth's oxygen. But it was not always so. The oldest rain forest is considered to be the Australian forest. Daintree Park- its age is supposed to be 135 million years.
The lush greenery of the Amazon basin produces a fifth of the Earth's oxygen, photo WEB
Forest expanses, striking in their grandeur and scale, invariably attract people. Some areas are so picturesque that they become incredibly popular among tourists. For example, amazing beauty national forest park in china Zhangjiajie so fantastic that it became Avatar filming location. Gigantic pillar-like rocks are completely covered in intricate vegetation, and glass-floored viewing platforms complete the experience perfectly. soaring above the world.
Zhangjiajie National Park in China became the location for filming Avatar, photo WEB
Another forest that has captured the hearts of tourists is located in Japan. Admire Sagano- thickets of bamboo, which are cut through by a tourist path - people came from all over the country back in the 8th century.
Sagano - bamboo thickets, photo WEB
Another strange forest is growing, literally, on Caddo Lake in USA. It consists of continuous labyrinths created by swamps, canals, cypress thickets and islands covered with bearded moss. Something similar and, at the same time, completely different, can be seen in Kazakhstan, on Lake Kaindy. A whole one sank in its waters spruce forest and now above the water surface, like the masts of sunken ships, rise hundreds of dried trunks. The turquoise waters of the lake, which has swallowed up the forest, attract like a magnet divers from all over the world.
Kaindy Lake (left), Caddo Lake (right), photo WEB
Not being a fan of underwater walks, you can see something incredible in other places. For example, in Poland, where there is "crooked" forest. Here the trunks of more than four hundred pine trees have strange shape, clearly not created by nature. It is generally accepted that this artificial planting has been grown by the Germans since 1930, but for what purpose and, most importantly, how is not yet clear.
However, there are still colossal areas of forest on the planet remain virgin who have never met a person. Their the boundaries are gradually narrowing, being cut down and suffering from fires. So far the dynamics are disappointing - according to experts, some forests will disappear completely from the face of the Earth in 30-50 years.
There is a misconception that has even found its way into textbooks: forests are the lungs of the planet. Forests actually produce oxygen and the lungs consume it. So this is rather an “oxygen cushion”. So why is this statement a misconception? In fact, oxygen is produced not only by those plants that grow in the forest. All plant organisms, including inhabitants of reservoirs, and inhabitants of steppes and deserts, constantly produce oxygen. Plants, unlike animals, fungi and other living organisms, can synthesize organic substances themselves, using light energy for this. This process is called photosynthesis. As a result of photosynthesis, oxygen is released. It is a by-product of photosynthesis. A lot of oxygen is released, in fact, 99% of the oxygen that is present in the Earth’s atmosphere is of plant origin. And only 1% comes from the mantle, the underlying layer of the Earth.
Of course, trees produce oxygen, but no one thinks about the fact that they also waste it. And not only them, all other inhabitants of the forest cannot be without oxygen. First of all, plants respire on their own, this happens in the dark when photosynthesis does not occur. And we need to somehow utilize the reserves of organic substances that they created during the day. That is, feed yourself. And in order to eat you need to spend oxygen. Another thing is that plants spend much less oxygen than they produce. And this is ten times less. However, we should not forget that in the forest there are still animals, as well as mushrooms, as well as various bacteria that do not produce oxygen themselves, but nevertheless breathe it. A significant amount of oxygen that the forest produced during daylight hours will be used by living organisms of the forest to support life. However, something will remain. And this is something like 60% of what the forest produces. This oxygen enters the atmosphere, but does not remain there for very long. Then the forest itself removes oxygen, again for its own needs. Namely, the decomposition of the remains of dead organisms. Ultimately, forests often spend 1.5 times more oxygen to dispose of their own waste than they produce. After this, it cannot be called the oxygen factory of the planet. True, there are forest communities that operate on a zero oxygen balance. These are the famous rainforests.
The tropical forest is generally a unique ecosystem; it is very stable, because the consumption of substances is equal to production. But again, there was no surplus left. So even tropical forests can hardly be called oxygen factories.
So why then, after the city, does it seem to us that there is clean, fresh air in the forest, that there is a lot of oxygen there? The thing is that oxygen production is a very fast process, but consumption is a very slow process.
So what then are the oxygen factories of the planet? There are actually two ecosystems. Among the “land” ones are peat bogs. As we know, in a swamp the process of decomposition of dead matter is very, very slow, as a result of which dead parts of plants fall down, accumulate, and peat deposits are formed. Peat does not decompose, it is compressed and remains in the form of a huge organic brick. That is, during peat formation, a lot of oxygen is not wasted. Thus, swamp vegetation produces oxygen, but consumes very little oxygen itself. As a result, it is the swamps that provide exactly the increase that remains in the atmosphere. However, there are not so many real peat bogs on land, and of course it is almost impossible for them alone to maintain the oxygen balance in the atmosphere. And here another ecosystem helps, called the world ocean.
There are no trees in the world's oceans; grasses in the form of algae are observed only near the coast. However, vegetation still exists in the ocean. And most of it consists of microscopic photosynthetic algae, which scientists call phytoplankton. These algae are so small that it is often impossible to see each of them with the naked eye. But the accumulation of them is visible to everyone. When bright red or bright green spots are visible on the sea. This is phytoplankton.
Each of these little algae produces enormous amounts of oxygen. It consumes very little itself. Due to the fact that they rapidly divide, the amount of oxygen they produce increases. One phytoplankton community produces 100 times more per day than a forest occupying the same volume. But at the same time they spend very little oxygen. Because when algae die, they immediately fall to the bottom, where they are immediately eaten. After that, those who ate them are eaten by other, third organisms. And so few remains reach the bottom that they quickly decompose. There is simply no decomposition that lasts as long as in the forest, in the ocean. There, recycling occurs very quickly, as a result of which oxygen is virtually not wasted. And so the “big profit” occurs, and so it remains in the atmosphere. So the “lungs of the planet” should be considered not forests at all, but the world’s oceans. He is the one who makes sure that we have something to breathe.
Rainforests located in the tropical, equatorial and subequatorial zones between 25° north latitude. and 30° S, as if “surrounding” the surface of the Earth along the equator. Rainforests are broken only by oceans and mountains.
The general circulation of the atmosphere occurs from a zone of high atmospheric pressure in the tropical region in the zone low pressure in the equator region, evaporated moisture is transferred in the same direction. This leads to the existence of a humid equatorial zone and a dry tropical one. Between them is subequatorial belt, in which moisture depends on the direction of the monsoon, which depends on the time of year.
Vegetation tropical forests very diverse, depending mainly on the amount of precipitation and its distribution over the seasons. When abundant (more than 2000 mm), and relatively uniform distribution develop tropical humid evergreen forests.
Further from the equator, the rainy period gives way to a dry period, and forests are replaced by leaves falling during drought, and then these forests are replaced by savanna 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.
Classification of tropical forests
Tropical rainforest, tropical rain forest these are forests with specific biomes located in equatorial (equatorial rainforest), subequatorial and humid tropical areas with a very humid climate (2000-7000 mm of precipitation per year).
Tropical rainforests are characterized by enormous biodiversity. This is the most conducive to life natural area. It is home to a large number of native, including endemic species of animals and plants, as well as migratory animals. Two-thirds of all animal and plant species on the planet live in tropical rainforests. It is estimated that millions of animal and plant species remain undescribed.
These forests are sometimes called " jewels of the earth" And " the largest pharmacy in the world” as a large number of natural medicines have been found here. They are also called " lungs of the Earth“However, this statement is controversial because it has no scientific basis, since these forests either do not produce oxygen at all or produce extremely little of it.
But it should be borne in mind that a humid climate promotes effective air filtration due to the condensation of moisture on microparticles of pollution, which has a generally beneficial effect on the atmosphere.
Understory formation in tropical forests is severely limited in many places due to the lack of sunlight in the understory. This allows humans and animals to move through the forest. If for some reason the deciduous canopy is absent or weakened, the lower tier is quickly covered with a dense thicket of vines, shrubs and small trees - this formation is called a jungle.
The most large areas tropical rain forests are located in the Amazon River Basin (“Amazon rain forests”), in Nicaragua, in the southern part of the Yucatan Peninsula (Guatemala, Belize), mostly Central America(where they are called "selva"), in equatorial Africa from Cameroon to Democratic Republic Congo, in many areas South-East Asia from Myanmar to Indonesia and New Guinea, in the Australian state of Queensland.
For tropical rainforests characteristic:
- variety of flora,
- presence of 4-5 tree layers, absence of shrubs, large number of vines
- predominance evergreen trees with large evergreen leaves, poorly developed bark, buds not protected by bud scales, in monsoon forests– deciduous trees;
- the formation of flowers and then fruits directly on 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 projections. Previously, it was assumed that these protrusions help the tree maintain balance, but now it is believed that water with dissolved nutrients flows along these protrusions to the roots of the tree. Characteristic of broad leaves of trees, shrubs and grasses lower tiers forests. Wide leaves help plants absorb better sunlight There are forests under the edges of the trees, and they are protected from the wind from above.
Tall young trees that have not yet reached the top tier also have wider foliage, which then decreases with height. The leaves of the upper tier, forming a canopy, are usually smaller in size and heavily grooved to reduce wind pressure. On the lower floors, the leaves are often narrowed at the ends so that this facilitates the rapid drainage of water and prevents the growth of microbes and moss on them, which destroy the leaves.
Tree tops are often very well connected with each other using vine or epiphytic plants, fixed on them.
The trees of the tropical rainforest are characterized by unusually thin (1-2 mm) tree bark, sometimes covered with sharp thorns or prickles, the presence of flowers and fruits growing directly on the tree trunks, big variety juicy fruits that attract birds and mammals.
In tropical rainforests there are a lot of insects, especially butterflies (one of the richest faunas in the world) and beetles, and in rivers there are a lot of fish (about 2000 species, approximately a third of the world's freshwater fauna).
Despite the lush vegetation, the soil in tropical rainforests is thin and has a small humus horizon.
Rapid rotting caused by bacteria prevents the accumulation of a humus layer. The concentration of iron and aluminum oxides due to laterization Soil dehydration (the process of reducing silica in the soil while increasing iron and aluminum oxides) turns the soil bright red and sometimes forms mineral deposits (such as bauxite). But on rocks of volcanic origin, tropical soils can be quite fertile.
Levels (tiers) of tropical rainforest
The rainforest is divided into four main levels, each of which has its own characteristics and has different flora and fauna.
Top level
This tier consists of a small amount 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 leaves during the dry season. Such trees must withstand harsh temperatures and strong winds. Eagles live on this level, the bats, some species of monkeys and butterflies.
Crown level (forest canopy)
The crown level is formed by most tall trees, usually 30-45 meters high. This is the densest layer known in all of Earth's biodiversity, with neighboring trees forming a more or less continuous layer of foliage.
According to some estimates, plants of this tier make up approximately 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 have only recently developed practical methods research. It was not until 1917 that the American naturalist William Beed declared that “another continent of life remains unknown, not on the earth, but 200 feet above its surface, extending over thousands of square miles.”
Real exploration of this layer only began in the 1980s, when scientists developed techniques to reach the forest canopy, such as shooting ropes into the treetops with crossbows. Forest canopy research is still in its early stages. Other research methods include travel on balloons or aircraft. The science of reaching treetops is called dendronautics.
Average level
Between the forest canopy and the forest floor there is another level called the understory. 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 the crown level.
forest floor
IN Central Africa in the tropical primary forest of Mount Virunga, illumination at ground level is 0.5%; in the forests of southern Nigeria and in the Santarem region (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, forest floor relatively free of plants. At this level you can see rotting plants and animal remains, which quickly disappear thanks to the warm, humid climate, promoting rapid decomposition.
Selva(Spanish: " selva" from lat. " silva"- forest) is equatorial rainforests in South America. Located in countries such as Brazil, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, Guyana, Paraguay, Colombia, etc.
The selva is formed on vast low-lying 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 away by tropical rains. Selva is often swampy.
Vegetable and animal world The jungle is a riot of colors and a variety of species of plants, birds and mammals.
The largest village in terms of area is located in the Amazon basin in Brazil).
In the Atlantic jungle, precipitation reaches two thousand millimeters per year, and humidity fluctuates at 75-90 percent.
The village is divided into three levels. The soil is covered with leaves, branches, trunks of fallen trees, lichens, fungus and moss. The soil itself is reddish in 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 zone of sea coasts in tropical and equatorial latitudes, as well as in areas with temperate climate, where it is favorable warm currents. They occupy the space between the most low level water during low tide and highest during high tide. These are trees or shrubs growing in mangroves, or mangrove swamps.
Mangrove plants live in sedimentary coastal environments where fine sediments, often high in organic matter, accumulate in areas protected from wave energy.
Mangroves have an exceptional ability to exist and develop in a saline environment on soils deprived of oxygen.
Once established, mangrove plant roots create habitat for oysters and help slow water flow, thereby increasing sedimentation in areas where it is already occurring.
Typically, fine, oxygen-poor sediments beneath mangroves act as reservoirs for a wide variety of heavy metals (trace 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 contamination of sea water and local flora and fauna.
It is often argued that mangroves provide significant coastal value, acting as a buffer against erosion, storms and tsunamis. Although there is a definite reduction in wave height and wave energy as seawater passes through mangroves, it must be recognized that mangroves typically 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.
Many river channels meandering through mangrove areas are actively eroding the mangroves on the outside of all river bends, just as new mangroves appear on inside the same bends where deposition occurs.
Mangroves provide habitat for wildlife, including a number of commercial fish and crustacean species, and, in at least some cases, mangrove carbon export is associated with important in the coastal food web.
In Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and India, mangroves are grown in coastal areas for coastal fishing.
Despite ongoing mangrove breeding programs, More than half of the world's mangroves have already been lost..
The floristic composition of mangrove forests is relatively uniform. Mangrove forests of the eastern formation (the shores of the Malacca Peninsula, etc.) are considered the most complex, tall and multi-species.
Misty forest (moss forest, nephelogia) – tropical moist montane evergreen forest. Located in the tropics on the slopes of mountains in a zone of fog condensation.
The foggy forest is located in the tropics on the slopes of mountains in a zone of fog condensation, usually starting at altitudes of 500-600 m and reaching heights of up to 3500 meters above sea level. It is much cooler here than in the jungles located in low-lying areas; at night the temperature can drop to almost 0 degrees. But it’s even more humid here, one year a year square meter falls before six cubic meters water. 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 lianas, with a dense cover of epiphytic mosses.
Tree ferns, magnolias, camellias are characteristic; the forest may also include non-tropical vegetation: evergreen oaks, podocarpus, which distinguishes this type of forest from lowland gils
Variable tropical rainforests- forests common in tropical and equatorial belts, in a climate with a short dry season. Located south and north of the wetlands equatorial forests. Variably humid forests found in Africa (CAR, DR Congo, Cameroon, northern Angola, extreme south of Sudan), South America, India, Sri Lanka, Indochina.
Variable rainforests are partly deciduous, dense tropical forests. They differ from tropical rainforests in less species diversity, reducing the number of epiphytes and lianas.
Dry tropical evergreen forest. Located in areas with an arid climate, while remaining dense and evergreen, they become stunted and xeromorphic.
HUMAN IMPACT ON TROPICAL FORESTS
Contrary to popular belief, tropical rainforests are not large consumers of carbon dioxide and, like other established forests, are carbon neutral.
Recent studies show that most rain forests are, on the contrary, intensively produce carbon dioxide, and swamps produce methane.
However, these forests play a significant role in the circulation of carbon dioxide because they are established reservoirs, and cutting down such forests leads to an increase in carbon dioxide 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 on the planet, the destruction of forests leads to soil erosion, a reduction in species of flora and fauna, and shifts in the ecological balance large areas and on the planet as a whole.
Tropical rainforests are often converted into plantations of cinchona and coffee tree, coconut palms, rubber plants. In South America, tropical rainforests are also seriously threatened by unsustainable mining.
A.A. Kazdym
List of used literature
- M. B. Gornung. Constantly humid tropics. M.: “Thought”, 1984.
- Hogarth, P. J. The Biology of Mangroves. Oxford University Press, 1999.
- Thanikaimoni, G., Mangrove Palynology, 1986
- Tomlinson, P. B. The Botany of Mangroves, Cambridge University Press. 1986:
- 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.
- http://www.glossary.ru/cgi-bin/gl_sch2.cgi?RSwuvo,lxqol!rlxg
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