Forests

From The Encyclopedia of Earth
(Redirected from Forests (main))
Jump to: navigation, search

Forests are one of the most important biomes on earth. They provide a wide range of “ecosystem services,” from watershed protection and carbon absorption to renewable energy and timber production.

Important reservoirs of plant and animal biodiversity in locations ranging from China to Latin America and many places in between, forests provide key components of the environmental, social and economic well-being of societies around the world.

Epidemiological1 NSF-SI.jpg
Climate Change Effects on Forests "Epidemiological" Study Demonstrates Climate Change Effects on Forests Study of 27,000 trees shows early spring warming, summer drought as major... More »


Veracruzleadimage.PNG
Veracruz moist forests The Veracruz moist forests is an ecoregion widely acknowledged as a place of great importance for many... More »


Big Cone Douglas-fir.jpg
Douglas-fir (Forests) The Douglas-fir (scientific name: Pseudotsuga) is a genus of tree that includes ar least five species found in North America and Asia: Scientific... More »


ForestUrban USFS.jpg
Urban forest loss New Orleans, Albuquerque, and Houston are among U.S. urban areas that are losing their trees. Nation’s urban forests losing ground National results indicate that... More »


Churchillblckapruceforests2515fullsled.jpg
Southern Hudson Bay taiga The Southern Hudson Bay taiga ecoregion within Canada extends along the lowlands adjacent to Hudson Bay... More »


Banff National Park.jpg
Alberta Mountain forests The Alberta Mountain forests ecoregion lies entirely within Canada and almost fully within the province... More »


Aedes aegypti female CDC-JamesGathany.jpg
Yellow Fever (Forests) Introduction Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Yellow fever is a viral disease that is transmitted to humans... More »


Screenshot 2014-04-14 15.21.38.png
Madagascar ericoid thickets The fragile montane habitats of the Madagascar ericoid thickets of Madagascar are naturally isolated zones which are threatened mostly by man-made fires to expand cattle pasture. Located on the upper slopes of Madagascar's four major mountain massifs, the ericoid thickets have only recently been explored biologically. There is presently much to be discovered about the biodiversity of this region and how it relates to Madagascar's original forest cover. However, it is established that similar to other ecoregions on Madagascar there are a number of narrowly distributed endemic species and recent biological inventories of the ericoid thicket has identified further endemic species. The Madagascar ericoid thickets is within the Montane grasslands and shrublands biome in the Afrotropics Realm. This... More »


Screenshot 2014-04-11 14.08.16.png
Madagascar lowland forests The Madagascar lowland forests include a narrow strip of humid forests along the east coast of Madagascar, low-elevation forests (from sea level up to 800 metres). Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world, has been isolated for 150 to 180 million years from any continental landmass. This prolonged isolation is the major factor that led to extremely high levels of endemism of plant and animal species. Endemism within the island is approximately 80 to 90 percent for all groups, and endemic families and genera are commonplace. It is estimated that 85 percent of the island's 12,000 species of flowering plants are found nowhere else in the world. This unique biodiversity has led to the recognition of Madagascar, which is roughly twice the size of Arizona, as a "living laboratory" and the... More »


Red buffalo (Syncerus cafer nanus) in Kissama National Park, Angola.jpg
Angolan scarp savanna and woodlands The Angolan scarp savanna and woodlands ecoregion is a complex area where several major African ecological zones meet, and where topographical features have resulted in a high diversity of vegetation types and significant levels of endemism. Biologically, the most important portion of the ecoregion is the west-facing scarp that supports rainforest at higher altitudes. This forest holds a significant number of endemic birds, and some other endemic animals and plants. The long period of insurrection, foreign mercenary activity and civil instability in Angola have contributed to the outcome that these forests and other parts of the ecoregion have never been adequately surveyed biologically, and hence more endemics can be expected with further study. However, the highly unstable civil war means that all biological... More »


Nwmadagascarmangroves.jpg
Madagascar mangroves (Forests) Shielded from monsoon winds by the Central Highlands of Madagascar, Madagascar mangroves occupy a wide range of environmental and climatic conditions, and chiefly occur at the western coastline along the Mozambique Channel of the Indian Ocean. Although the ecoregion’s species richness is low, it is noteworthy in supporting certain endemic tree species; for example, thre are only 163 vertebrate taxa found in the entire ecoregion. The Madagascar mangroves are within the Mangroves biome of the Afrotropic Realm. These mangroves also shelter highly diverse mollusk and crustacean communities, while capturing sediment that threatens coral reefs and seagrass beds. Dugongs, birds and sea turtles utilise mangroves, as do the native Malagasy people. Rice farming, shrimp aquaculture as well as stockpiling of... More »


East Caprivi, Namibia.jpg
Zambezian Baikiaea woodlands The Zambezian Baikiaea woodlands lie along a zone where deep Kalahari sands occur in a wide belt along the Angolan-Namibian border across to Zimbabwe, supporting dry deciduous forest dominated by Baikiaea plurijuga. The hot, semi-arid climate and nutrient-poor soils mean that this region is not suitable for farming, and thus it has retained some of its natural vegetation. Over 160 mammal species are found here, including ungulates and large predators. However, human settlements occur along the Kunene, Kwando and Zambezi rivers, and the valuable Baikiaea plurijuga is sought after for the timber trade. The instability promoted in Angola by Soviet financed Cuban troops, and hostilities between Angola and Namibia in the Caprivi Strip have contributed to the degradation of this ecoregion. This ecoregion is a... More »