Always hot and humid, equatorial forests are a habitat for unique plant and animal organisms. They are located in certain areas of the equatorial region of Africa, the Amazonian lowland, the Indonesian archipelago, and the south of the Malay Peninsula. Due to climatic features and pronounced tiering, ideal conditions are created for the existence of various representatives of flora and fauna.
According to the school curriculum, this topic is studied in the 7th grade. The article provides a detailed description of the climatic and natural conditions of the equatorial forest.
What plants grow in permanently wet forests?
Vegetation. Among the plants of variable humid forests, evergreen, coniferous and deciduous trees are distinguished. Evergreens include palm trees, ficus, bamboo, all kinds of magnolia, cypress, camphor tree, tulip tree. Deciduous trees are represented by linden, ash, walnut, oak, and maple.
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Representatives of the lower tiers of the forest
The lower tier is inhabited by insects and rodents. There are a huge number of butterflies and beetles here. For example, in the equatorial forest, the goliath beetle lives, the heaviest beetle on the planet. At various levels there are sloths, chameleons, anteaters, armadillos, and spider monkeys. Porcupines move along the forest floor. There are also bats here.
Goliath beetle
Sloth
Chameleon
Spider monkeys
Bat
Upper tier
At this level of the rainforest there are several giant trees reaching heights of about 45-55 m or even higher. Thus, these trees rise above the canopy. They are well adapted to withstand strong winds and high temperatures above the canopy. When such trees die, holes are created in the canopy, allowing sunlight to reach the lower layers of the rainforest.
Crowned eagle
The crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus) is a massive and fierce raptor common in the upper layer of tropical forests. The eagle primarily feeds on mammals, including small ungulates, small primates, birds and lizards. It is one of the largest eagles in Africa, but is now classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN due to large-scale habitat destruction.
Royal colobus
The royal colobus (Colobus polykomos) is one of the rainforest animals that is found in the tropical forests of Africa in countries such as Senegal, Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Ivory Coast. The royal colobus lives in the upper layer of the forest, but feeds, as a rule, on the ground. 3 to 4 females and 1 to 3 males form together one social group.
Evergreen forest soil
The structure of soils is determined by the following processes:
- allitization
(chemical weathering leading to aluminum enrichment);
- podzolization
.
Ferrallitic soils (saturated with iron and aluminum)
, have a yellow-red color.
The soil surface is bare, because due to the lack of light there is no herbaceous vegetation, and leaf litter quickly decomposes. Every year, microorganisms living in the soil process up to 200 tons of fallen plant matter on one hectare of forest.
Amphibians and reptiles
More than two thousand fish are found in the reservoirs, and frogs can be found on the shores of the forests. Some species lay their eggs in rainwater on trees. In the forest floor you can find various snakes, pythons, and lizards. Crocodiles can also be found in the rivers of America and Africa.
Python
Hippopotamus
Crocodile
Undergrowth
The rainforest understory is located between the forest floor and the canopy, and it receives only about 5% of the sunlight. This level is home to a large number of small mammals, birds, reptiles and predators such as the jaguar. The undergrowth contains small trees, shrubs and grasses. Typically, plants at this level rarely reach 3 m in height and usually have wide leaves to provide more surface area for photosynthesis.
Jaguar
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest cat species in the Americas, and the third largest in the world after the lion and tiger. The jaguar prefers to live in tropical forests and is distributed from Central America to Argentina and Paraguay. It is very similar to a leopard, but more muscular and larger. The jaguar is a solitary superpredator of the ecosystem in which it lives.
Birds
Tropical forests are inhabited by a huge variety of birds, both small and large. Sunbirds are small birds (from 8 cm in length) with bright and variegated plumage that feed on the nectar of flowers and contribute to their pollination.
The toucan is a member of a family of birds with a huge, brightly colored yellow beak almost as long as its body. It is hunted by local residents for its tasty meat and orange skin, used as decoration.
Parrots and birds of paradise are among the most densely populated birds in tropical forests, with long feathered tails and colorful crests.
Flora of the tropical forest
The humid equatorial climate contributes to the formation of dense multi-tiered forest cover. Woody vegetation is weakly branched. The structure of the jungle is specific: there are few tall trees, and the vegetation of the lower tiers is dense and lush, strongly shading the space.
Evergreen trees have plank-shaped roots, trunks are long and straight, the crown spreads only in the upper part, where there is sufficient light.
Tall trees have dense leaves with a leathery surface that reliably protects them from intense sunlight and rainfall. Plants in shaded lower tiers, where only 1% of sunlight penetrates, have thin and soft foliage.
Typical representatives of the upper tier are palm trees, ficus, and mallow. Banana and cocoa trees grow below. The trunks are often covered with vines, tree ferns, and mosses. Of the parasites, orchids are often found. The flora of the lower tiers is characterized by cauliflory - the appearance of inflorescences not on the branches, but on the trunks.
South American equatorial forests are called selva.
They are richer in plant and animal species diversity than the African forest.
ENVIRONMENTAL BLOG
Equatorial forests are considered one of the most ancient natural zones. They are common in the equatorial regions of Africa, which is where they got their name. In addition to the African continent, the equatorial forest is found on the Indonesian islands, in the Amazon, in the north of Australia and in the southern regions of the Malacca Peninsula, and covers 6% of the entire surface of the Earth.
Wet equatorial forests on the World map.
Wet equatorial forests grow in peculiar “spots”, most often in lowland areas. Their main feature is the absence of seasonal changes, that is, the weather here is stable - hot, humid and rainy all year round. Because of this, the second name for equatorial forests is rain forests.
Climate of equatorial forests
The climate of equatorial forests is characterized by high humidity, usually 85%, approximately the same air temperature and intense precipitation. The average daytime temperature is around 28ºC; at night temperatures can drop below 22ºC.
There are two main seasons in this natural area: the dry season and the heavy rainy season. The dry season lasts from July to September. During the year, the equatorial forest receives from 250 cm to 450 cm of precipitation. Strong gusts of wind are almost never observed in the equatorial forest.
Such climatic conditions of the equatorial forest led to the rapid growth of vegetation, due to the density of which the equatorial forests are still difficult to navigate and little explored.
Answering the question of what contributes to the formation of such a climate, we can say that the main factor is location. The equatorial forest is located in the intertropical convergence zone. This is an area with relatively low atmospheric pressure and weak winds of variable directions.
In addition, the feedback between convection processes and high levels of soil moisture, along with the interception of precipitation from dense vegetation, leads to transpiration. This feedback results in a daily repeating climate pattern: hot, humid air, dry but foggy mornings, evening showers and convective storms.
Plants of equatorial forests
Life in equatorial forests is distributed “vertically”: plants populate the space on several levels, the number of so-called floors can reach four. Photosynthesis in the humid equatorial forest zone occurs without interruption all year round.
The flora of the equatorial forest is mainly represented by trees that reach a height of 80 meters and have wide roots that serve not only for support, but also for maximum absorption of nutrients from the poor soil. Trees in rain forests, although deciduous, are primarily evergreens .
In addition to trees, equatorial forests contain many woody vines - climbing plants that can climb to any height in pursuit of sunlight. Lianas twine around trunks, hang on branches, spread from tree to tree, like snakes crawl along the ground in wide coils or lie on it in tangled balls. Some vines of equatorial forests have thin, smooth, aerial-like roots, others are rough and knotty. Often the vines are woven together like real ropes. Woody vines have a long lifespan and have an almost limitless ability to grow in length.
Being so varied in length, thickness, hardness and flexibility, the vines of the equatorial forest are widely used by the natives in their daily life. Almost all rope products are woven from vines. Some vines do not rot in water for a long time and therefore are widely used in the manufacture of ropes, twine for attaching fishing nets and wooden anchors.
In addition to the many species of trees and vines that mainly make up the equatorial forests, various types of palm trees are also widely found here. The middle and lower floors are represented by herbs, mushrooms and lichens, with reeds appearing in places. Rain forest plants have a lot of foliage, but the taller they are, the smaller the leaves become. Where forests are found near the coast, swamps covered with mangroves .
Below is a short list of the most famous plants of the equatorial forest:
- cocoa tree;
- Hevea brazilica is a source of rubber from which rubber is made;
- banana tree;
- a coffee tree;
- oil palm, which is a source of palm oil used in the manufacture of soap, ointments, creams, as well as candles and margarine;
- fragrant tsedrela, from the wood of which cigarette cases are made;
- ceiba. From the seeds of this plant, oil is extracted, which is necessary for soap making, and from the fruits, cotton is obtained, which serves as a filler for soft toys and furniture, and is also used for sound and heat insulation.
Animals of the equatorial forests
The fauna of the equatorial forest, like the plant world, is located in several tiers. The lower floor is a habitat for insects, including butterflies, small rodents, small ungulates, as well as predators - reptiles and wild cats.
The moist equatorial forests of Africa are inhabited by leopards and African elephants, jaguars live in South America, and Indian elephants live in India, which are smaller and more mobile than their African counterparts. The rivers and lakes are home to crocodiles, hippos and water snakes, including the largest snake on our planet - the anaconda.
Among the diversity of fauna of equatorial forests, a large number of birds can be distinguished. These include toucans, sunbirds, banana eaters, turacos, and hummingbirds. Parrots of various species are traditionally considered one of the most famous inhabitants of rain forests. All feathered birds of the equatorial forests are united by exotic beauty and bright plumage. Among all this beauty, the birds of paradise stand out the most - their multi-colored crests and tails reach a length of 60 cm.
Next to the birds, sloths and monkeys live on the treetops: monkeys, howler monkeys, orangutans and others. Tree crowns are their main place of residence, as there is a lot of food in this layer - nuts, berries and flowers. In addition, this layer provides protection from terrestrial predators and winds. The forest canopy is so dense that it serves as a “superhighway” for arboreal mammals. Large primates - chimpanzees and gorillas - inhabit the lower tier of equatorial forests, where they feed on fruits that have fallen from trees, as well as young shoots and roots of plants.
Soil of equatorial forests
Due to the high content of aluminum and iron, the soils of equatorial forests have acquired a red-yellow color.
Despite the fact that the equatorial forest is the habitat of a myriad of plant species, the soils of this zone are relatively infertile and poor. The reason for this is the hot climate, due to which plants quickly decompose under the influence of bacteria, which in turn prevents the formation of a fertile (humus) layer. High precipitation in turn leads to leaching, the process of water washing away soluble salts and minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Over millions of years, weathering and heavy rainfall have caused the soil to lose nutrients. The process of deforestation, which has worsened over the past few decades, also has a negative impact on the rapid leaching of elements necessary for plants.
What is the significance of equatorial forests?
The importance of the equatorial forest, both for humanity and for nature as a whole, cannot be assessed. Equatorial forests are called “the lungs of our planet”, as they absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and in return release huge amounts of oxygen, on which the survival of all living organisms depends.
While the problems of the equatorial forests may seem remote, these ecosystems are critical to our well-being. Equatorial forests stabilize the climate, provide habitat for countless plants and wildlife, and create and influence precipitation across the planet.
The role of equatorial rain forests:
- help stabilize the world's climate;
- provide a home for many plants and animals;
- maintain the water cycle, protect against floods, droughts and erosion;
- are a source of medicines and food;
- support for the population of indigenous tribes of the equatorial forests;
- and they are also an interesting place to visit and relax for tourists from all over the world.
Source: Environmental blog (ruslo.info)
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Predators of equatorial forests
Among the largest predators are jaguars and leopards. Jaguars go hunting during twilight hours. They hunt monkeys and birds, and especially kill various ungulates. These cats have very powerful jaws that can bite through the shell of a turtle, and they also fall prey to jaguars. These animals are excellent swimmers and can sometimes even attack alligators.
Jaguar
Leopard
Leopards are found in various places. They hunt alone in ambush, killing ungulates and birds. They also quietly creep up to the victim and attack it. The color allows it to blend in with its surroundings. These animals live in forests and can climb trees.
Bird world
The world of feathered equatorial forests is interesting and diverse. There are small nectarine birds here, they have bright plumage. They feed on the nectar of exotic flowers. Another inhabitants of the forest are toucans. They are distinguished by a huge yellow beak and bright feathers. The forests are overflowing with various parrots.
nectarine bird
Toucan
Equatorial forests are amazing nature. The world of flora has several thousand species. Since the forest thickets are dense and impenetrable, the flora and fauna have been little studied, but in the future many amazing species will open up.
