Equatorial humid forests (or rainforests) are a geographic natural area that runs along the equator, moving southward.

Diversity of flora and fauna.

Complex multi-tiered forest structure. There are four main tiers of tropical rainforest, which differ not only in flora, but also in fauna.

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

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

The conditions in which tropical rainforests grow are due to low air pressure, abundant tropical rainfall and heat. Various tropical crops such as coconut, banana, cocoa and pineapple are also well cultivated under these conditions. These forests are called the "lungs" of the planet, but such a statement is controversial in the opinion of scientists who claim that the vegetation of tropical forests emits enough oxygen into the atmosphere.

Climate

Rainforests are characterized by a 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 air humidity due to the high content of water vapor and reaching 80% and above ... The seasons in this natural area are followed by dry seasons and tropical rainstorms.

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

The upper tier is represented mainly by palms 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 of sunlight in the rainforests, there is practically no undergrowth.

The soil

Despite the growth of lush vegetation, the soil of tropical rainforests, due to the hot climate, is poorly fertile and very rich in aluminum and iron oxides. The high 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

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

The most useful rainforest plants, exotic fruits, medicinal plants. An encyclopedia of 54 of the most interesting plant species that can be useful to humans in a tropical rainforest. ATTENTION! I recommend that all unfamiliar plants be considered poisonous by default! Even those that you are simply not sure of. Rainforests are the most diverse ecosystem on our planet, and therefore here I have collected only those plants that are somehow useful to humans.

1) coconut tree

A coastal plant that prefers sandy soils. There are many useful substances: vitamins A, C and group B; minerals: calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, iron; natural sugars, proteins, carbohydrates, fatty oil, organic acids. Coconut milk is often used as an alternative to nat. solution for the high content of various salts and microelements in it. Coconut milk will help you regulate the body's salt balance.

  • The coconut tree has a reputation for being a powerful aphrodisiac and normalizing the reproductive system. Milk and coconut pulp are good for restoring strength and improving vision;
  • Improves the functioning of the digestive system and liver;
  • Normalize the function of the thyroid gland;
  • Relaxes muscles and helps with joint problems;
  • Increase immunity and resistance to various infections, reduce the adaptability of bacteria to antibiotics;
  • The pulp and oil of coconut, thanks to their constituent lauric acid (this is the main fatty acid found in breast milk), normalize the level of cholesterol in the blood;
  • Helps the body with flu and colds, AIDS, diarrhea, lichen and gallbladder diseases
  • They have anthelmintic, antimicrobial, antiviral wound-healing effects;
  • Reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and other diseases of the cardiovascular system, as well as cancer and degenerative processes.

ATTENTION! Falling 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 levels, there is no better snack than a banana. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for 1.5 hours of vigorous exercise. A good food product, due to the high amount of carbohydrates it can be eaten instead of the 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 on average 60-80 calories. Banana contains chemical elements such as iron, potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. Eating 2 bananas throughout the day will fill your body's need for potassium and two-thirds for magnesium. In addition, banana contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, E, PP. The substance ephedrine contained in bananas, when used regularly, 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, treat kidney infections, stomach pain and intestinal problems. Papaya fruit is used in the treatment of fungal diseases and ringworm. The papaya fruit and leaves also contain the anthelmintic alkaloid carpaine, which can be dangerous in high doses. Papaya fruits are very close to melon not only in appearance, but also in chemical composition. 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, iron.

4) Mango

Mangoes normalize bowel function, two green mangoes a day will save you from diarrhea, constipation, hemorrhoids, and also prevent bile stagnation 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 the fruits, mango is useful for anemia. And the high content of vitamin C makes it an excellent remedy for vitamin deficiency. If more than two unripe fruits are consumed per day, colic, irritation of the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract and throat may occur. 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. Also, mango is rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, zinc. Eating mangoes on a regular basis strengthens the immune system. Due to the content of vitamins C, E, as well as carotene and fiber, the use of mango helps to 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.

In the equatorial belt, encircling the entire globe on both sides of the equator, evergreen, constantly humid tropical forests dominate for thousands of kilometers. These forests are better known to us under the capacious and sonorous name - jungle. From the Hindi language, the word "jungle" is translated as "dense thickets" or simply "forest".

The jungle occupies vast areas of Equatorial Africa, Central and South America, the southwestern coast of India, the Indochina Peninsula, the islands of Indonesia, the Great Sunda and the Philippine Islands, and part of the island of New Guinea.

The equatorial belt of solar energy and heat receives more than other belts of the Earth. The annual precipitation here ranges from 1500 to 12,000 mm. It rains in the afternoon, and most often these are heavy showers - a solid wall of water. The air is saturated with water vapor, and therefore its relative humidity is very high - 80-90%, which at constantly high temperatures (average annual + 24 ... + 28 ° С with fluctuations between the warmest and coldest months in 2-3 ° С) creates an excess moisturizing. The air is humid and warm, so it is difficult to breathe, like in a steam room. There is no cooling evaporation, not even a slight breeze, and the heat of the day does not subside even at night.

Dense vegetation interferes with normal air circulation, and this contributes to the formation of hot and thick, like cotton wool, ground fog. There is a constant damp twilight here, since the dense crowns of trees prevent the penetration of sunlight into the soil and its drying.

As a result of strong putrefactive processes in the fallen leaves, the percentage of carbon dioxide in the surface layers increases sharply. Therefore, there is not enough oxygen in the rainforest, and a person who gets there constantly complains of suffocation.

Ancient evergreen forests are distinguished by their lushness, density, diversity and richness of species composition. The evergreen vegetation of a permanently humid rainforest consists of several layers. The first tier consists of giant trees 30-50 m high with smooth trunks without knots and a wide crown. In the second tier, the trees are 20-30 m high, and the third consists of various palms ranging in height from 10 to 20 m. The fourth tier is an undergrowth of bamboo, shrubs, ferns and lyres. All this entwines an incredible number of intertwined vines, forming a solid green, almost impenetrable net.

Rainforests are classified as primary and secondary. The primary rainforest is quite passable, even though there is a wide variety of woody vegetation and vines. But secondary forests, located along the banks of rivers and in places of frequent fires, form impassable thickets of a chaotic heap of bamboo, grasses, various shrubs and trees intertwined with numerous vines. In the secondary forest, the multi-tiered structure is practically not expressed. Here, huge trees grow at a great distance from each other, which rise above the lower general level of vegetation. Such forests are widespread throughout the humid tropics.

The fauna of the constantly humid evergreen tropical forests is very diverse. From large mammals there are many elephants, hippos, crocodiles. There are a lot of birds and various insects. But still, in each specific tropical zone of different continents, both flora and fauna sometimes differ significantly from each other. Therefore, it is advisable to consider these territories each separately, taking into account their potential danger to a person in an extreme situation.

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Rainforests- biomes, located approximately 10 degrees north and south of the equator. A biome is a biotic environment with homogeneous characteristics, with its own special species of plants, animals and climate. Rainforests are divided into tropical rainforests and dry deciduous tropical forests (subtropics). They are widespread 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. And the average humidity reaches 77% - 80%. The Amazon rainforest is the most famous of the various rainforests in the world. Wet and warm rainforests are home to 80% of all animal and plant species on the planet. These forests in the world are called "the largest pharmacy in the world" because more than a quarter of modern medicines are made from the plants growing in these forests. Undergrowth in the humid tropics is limited in many areas due to the lack of sunlight at ground level. This fact makes 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 a humid climate promotes effective air filtration, due to the condensation of moisture on 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 tree crowns 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 of this layer are home to a large number of animals and birds such as eagles, monkeys, bats, etc.

Upper tier: forms a dense "ceiling" of evergreen trees with broad leaves that grow close to each other. It is because of this layer that sunlight cannot penetrate into the lower levels and to the ground. The growth of trees in this region is 20 to 40 meters. This layer is 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 just 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 grasses, shrubs, trees and woody vines grow here.

And the last one - forest litter. She barely receives sunlight. Hardly 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 many insects inhabit the forest floor.

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

  • Rainforest trees should not have thick bark to prevent moisture loss. Thus, they have a thin and smooth bark.
  • These forests are characterized by a large amount of rainfall and tree leaves have developed a "drip runoff" so that rainwater drains off quickly. These are the grooves of the wax coating on the leaves.
  • The leaves of the trees are wide at lower levels and narrow at higher levels to allow sunlight to pass through to lower levels.
  • There are creepers that climb tree trunks and reach the uppermost layers in search of.
  • There are plants like that that grow directly on trees.
  • Plants in the lower layers of tropical rainforest have spectacular blooms and attract insects for pollination, as there is not much wind at these levels.
  • Carnivorous Plants: Many of the tropical plants get their food by eating animals and insects.

Other commercially important plants: cashews, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coffee, cocoa, mango, bananas, papaya, peanuts, pineapple, nutmeg, sesame seeds, sugarcane, tamarind, turmeric, vanilla are just a few of the many plants with which we have to face in everyday life and which grow precisely in tropical rainforests.

Of the houseplants that are often found here, grow here: monstera, spathiphyllum, stromant, ferns, (dendrobium, cattleya, vanda, oncidium, phalaenopsis, papiopedilum, etc.), anthurium, medinilla, akalifa, selaginella, pineapple, banana, bromelia, vriezia, heliconia, arrowroot, gloriosa, gusmania, dipladenia, dieffenbachia, jacaranda, philodendron, zebrina, ixora, calathea, caladium, ktenanta, clerodendrum, episode, coleria, codiaum, coconut, columnea, costus passionflower, pachystachis, plectranthus, poliscias, saintpaulia, sinningia, scindapsus, Robelen's date, escinanthus. All of them need high air humidity in room conditions.


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About half of all forests on our planet are tropical forests (gileas) that grow in Africa, Southeast Asia, South and Central America. The rainforests are located between latitude 25 ° N and Latitude 30 ° S, where rain showers are frequent. The rainforest ecosystem covers less than two percent of the Earth's surface, but 50 to 70 percent of all life forms on our planet are found here.

The largest rainforests are found in Brazil (South America), Zaire (Africa) and Indonesia (Southeast Asia). Also, the rainforest is found in Hawaii, the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean.

Rainforest climate

The climate in the rainforest is very warm and humid. From 400 to 1000 cm of precipitation falls here annually. The tropics are characterized by a uniform annual distribution of precipitation. There is practically no change of seasons, and the average air temperature is 28 degrees Celsius. All these conditions significantly influenced the formation of the richest ecosystem on our planet.

Soil in the rainforest

The soil of the tropics is poor in minerals and nutrients - there is a lack of potassium, nitrogen and other trace elements. It is usually red and red-yellow in color. Due to frequent precipitation, nutrients are absorbed by the roots of plants or go deep into the soil. That is why the aborigines of the tropical forests used the slash-and-burn farming system: in small areas, all vegetation was cut down, it was subsequently burned, then the soil was cultivated. Ash acts as a nutrient. When the soil begins to turn barren, usually after 3-5 years, the inhabitants of the tropical settlements moved to new areas for farming. It is a sustainable farming method that ensures permanent forest regeneration.

Rainforest plants

The warm, humid climate of the rainforest provides an ideal environment for an immense abundance of amazing plant life. The rainforest is divided into several tiers, which are characterized by their own flora and fauna. The tallest trees in the tropics receive the most sunshine as they grow to a height of over 50 meters. This includes, for example, a cotton tree.

The second tier is a dome. It is home to half of the rainforest wildlife - birds, snakes and monkeys. This includes trees below 50 m in height with wide leaves, hiding sunlight from the lower floors. These are philodendron, poisonous strychnos and rattan palms. Vines usually stretch along them to the sun.

The third tier is inhabited by shrubs, ferns and other shade-tolerant species.

The last tier, the lower one, is usually dark and humid, since the sun's rays hardly penetrate here. It consists of quail foliage, mushrooms and lichens, as well as young growth of plants of higher tiers.

In each of the regions where rainforests grow, there are different types of trees.

Tropical trees of Central and South America:
  • Mahogany (Sweitinia spp.)
  • Spanish cedar (Cedrella spp.)
  • Rosewood and Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa)
  • Purple tree (Peltogyne purpurea)
  • Kingwood
  • Cedro Espina (Pochote spinosa)
  • Tulipwood
  • Guyacan (Tabebuia chrysantha)
  • Tabebuia rosea (Tabebuia rosea)
  • Bocote
  • Jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril)
  • Guapinol (Prioria copaifera)
Tropical trees of Africa:
  • Bubinga
  • Ebony
  • Zebrano
  • Pink tree
Tropical trees of Asia:
  • Malaysian maple

In the rainforest, they are widespread, which feed on captured insects and small animals. Among them should be noted nepentes (Pitcher Plants), sundew, fat, pemphigus. By the way, plants of the lower level with their bright flowering attract insects for pollination, since there is practically no wind in these layers.

Valuable agricultural crops are grown in the areas of clear-cut tropical forests:

  • mango;
  • bananas;
  • papaya;
  • coffee;
  • cocoa;
  • vanilla;
  • sesame;
  • sugar cane;
  • avocado;
  • cardamom;
  • cinnamon;
  • turmeric;
  • nutmeg.

These cultures play an important role in cooking and cosmetology. Some tropical plants are used as raw materials for drugs, in particular, anti-cancer drugs.

Adaptation of tropical plants for survival

Any flora needs moisture. There is never a shortage of water in the rainforest, but there is often too much water. Rainforest plants must survive in areas subject to constant rainfall and flooding. The leaves of tropical plants help fight off raindrops, and some species are armed with a drip tip designed to quickly drain rain.

Plants in the tropics need light to live. The dense vegetation of the upper tiers of the forest lets little sunlight into the lower tiers. Therefore, rainforest plants must either adapt to life in constant twilight, or grow rapidly upward in order to "see" the sun.

It is worth noting that in the tropics, trees grow with thin and smooth bark, which is capable of accumulating moisture. Some plant species in the lower part of the crown have leaves wider than at the top. This helps to allow more sunlight to pass through to the soil.

As for the epiphytes themselves, or aerial plants growing in the rainforest, they receive nutrients from plant debris and bird droppings, which land on the roots and do not depend on the poor soil of the forest. In tropical forests there are such aerial plants as orchid, bromeliad, fern, large-flowered selenicereus and others.

As mentioned, the soil in most rainforests is very poor and lacking in nutrients. To capture nutrients at the top of the soil, most rainforest trees have shallow roots. Others are wide and powerful, as they must support a massive tree.

Rainforest animals

Animals of the rainforest are striking in their diversity. It is in this natural zone that you can find the largest number of representatives of the fauna of our planet. Most of them are in the Amazon rainforest. For example, there are 1,800 species of butterflies alone.

In general, the rainforest is home to most amphibians (lizards, snakes, crocodiles, salamanders), predators (jaguars, tigers, leopards, pumas). All animals of the tropics have a bright color, as spots and stripes are the best camouflage in the dense thicket of the jungle. The sounds of the rainforest are provided by the polyphony of songbirds. In the forests of the tropics, the world's largest population of parrots, among other interesting birds, there are South American harpies belonging to one of fifty species of eagles and which are on the verge of extinction. Peacocks are no less bright birds, the beauty of which has long been legendary.

There are also more monkeys in the tropics: arachnids, orangutans, chimpanzees, monkeys, baboons, gibbons, red-bearded jumpers, gorillas. In addition, there are sloths, lemurs, Malay and sun bears, rhinos, hippos, tarantulas, ants, piranhas and other animals.

The disappearance of tropical forests

Tropical timber has long been synonymous with exploitation and plunder. Giant trees are the target of entrepreneurs who use them commercially. How are forests exploited? The most obvious use of rainforest trees is in the furniture industry.

According to the European Commission, about one fifth of EU timber imports are from illegal sources. Every day, thousands of products from the international wood mafia pass through the store shelves. Tropical timber products are often labeled as “luxury timber”, “hardwood”, “natural timber” and “solid timber”. These terms are commonly used to camouflage tropical timber from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The main exporting countries for tropical trees are Cameroon, Brazil, Indonesia and Cambodia. The most popular and expensive tropical woods sold are mahogany, teak and rosewood.

Inexpensive tropical wood species include meranti, ramin, gabun.

Consequences of deforestation

In most countries with tropical forests, illegal logging is common and a serious problem. Economic losses reach billions of dollars, and environmental and social damage is incalculable.

Deforestation and profound ecological change are implications of deforestation. The rainforests contain the largest in the world. As a result of poaching, millions of species of animals and plants lose their habitat and, as a result, disappear.

More than 41,000 plant and animal species are threatened according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, including great apes such as gorillas and orangutans. Scientific estimates of lost species vary widely, ranging from 50 to 500 species per day.

In addition, forestry equipment used to remove timber destroys the sensitive topsoil and damages the roots and bark of other trees.

Extraction of iron ore, bauxite, gold, oil and other minerals is also destroying large areas of rainforest, for example in the Amazon.

The importance of rainforests

Rainforests play an important role in the ecosystem of our planet. Deforestation of this particular natural zone leads to the formation of the greenhouse effect and, subsequently, to global warming. The largest rainforest in the world - the Amazon forest - plays the most important role in this process. 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to deforestation. The Amazon rainforest alone stores 120 billion tons of carbon.

Rainforests also contain enormous amounts of water. Therefore, another consequence of deforestation is a disrupted water cycle. This in turn can lead to droughts at the regional level and changes in global weather patterns - with potentially devastating consequences.

The rainforest is home to unique flora and fauna.

How to protect rainforests?

To prevent the negative consequences of deforestation, it is necessary to expand forest areas, strengthen control over forests at the state and international levels. It is also important to raise awareness among people of the role forests play on this planet. The reduction, recycling and reuse of forest products should also be encouraged, environmentalists say. Switching to alternative energy sources, such as fossil gas, in turn, can reduce the need to exploit forests for heating.

Deforestation, including tropical deforestation, can be carried out without harming this ecosystem. In Central and South America and Africa, tree felling is carried out selectively. Only trees that have reached a certain age and trunk thickness are cut down, while the young remain untouched. This method causes minimal harm to the forest, because it allows it to quickly recover.