TSMF is generally found in large, discontinuous patches centered on the equatorial belt and between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, TSMF are characterized by low variability in annual temperature and high levels of rainfall of more than 2,000 mm (79 in) annually. Forest composition is dominated by evergreen and semi-deciduous tree species.[1]
These forests are home to more species than any other terrestrial ecosystem on Earth: Half of the world's species may live in these forests, where a square kilometer may be home to more than 1,000 tree species. These forests are found around the world, particularly in the Indo-Malayan Archipelago, the Amazon Basin, and the African Congo Basin.[1]
The perpetually warm, wet climate makes these environments more productive than any other terrestrial environment on Earth and promotes explosive plant growth.[2] A tree here may grow over 23 m (75 ft) in height in just 5 years. From above, the forest appears as an unending sea of green, broken only by occasional, taller "emergent" trees. These towering emergents are the realm of hornbills, toucans, and the harpy eagle.[1]
In general, biodiversity is highest in the forest canopy. The canopy can be divided into five layers: overstory canopy with emergent crowns, a medium layer of canopy, lower canopy, shrub level, and finally understory.[1][3][4]
The canopy is home to many of the forest's animals, including apes and monkeys. Below the canopy, a lower understory hosts to snakes and big cats. The forest floor, relatively clear of undergrowth due to the thick canopy above, is prowled by other animals such as gorillas and deer.[1]
Many forests are being cleared for farmland, while others are subject to large-scale commercial logging. An area the size of Ireland is destroyed every few years.[1]
Tropical and subtropical moist forests (TSMF) as shown within the Holdridge Life Zones classification scheme, and includes moist forests, wet forests, and rainforests.[improper synthesis?]
The biome includes several types of forests:
Lowland equatorial evergreen rain forests, commonly known as tropical rainforests, are forests which receive high rainfall (tropical rainforest climate with more than 2000 mm, or 80 inches, annually) throughout the year.[5] These forests occur in a belt around the equator, with the largest areas in the Amazon basin of South America, the Congo basin of central Africa, the Wet Tropics of Queensland in Australia and parts of the Malay Archipelago. About half of the world's tropical rainforests are in the South American countries of Brazil and Peru. Rainforests now cover less than 6% of Earth's land surface. Scientists estimate that more than half of all the world's plant and animal species live in tropical rainforests.
Montane rain forests are found in cooler-climate mountainous areas. Those with elevations high enough to regularly encounter low-level cloud cover are known as cloud forests.[10]
Manigua a low, often impenetrable dense forest of tangled tropical shrub and small trees. It is usually found in marshy areas but also on dry land in certain places. The term is used in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Colombia.[12][13][14]
^ abcdefghi This article incorporates text available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license. World Wide Fund for Nature. . Archived from the original on 2011-04-01. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
^Webb, Len (1 Oct 1959). "A Physiognomic Classification of Australian Rain Forests". Journal of Ecology. British Ecological Society : Journal of Ecology Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 551-570. 47 (3): 551–570. doi:10.2307/2257290. JSTOR 2257290.
^Beard, J.S.; Keneally, K.F. (1987), 'Rainforests of Western Australia'. In 'The rainforest legacy: Australian national rainforests study'. Special Australian heritage publication series 7(1), pp. 289–304
^Russell-Smith, Jeremy; Dunlop, Clyde (1987), The status of monsoon vine forests in the Northern Territory: a perspective. In 'The rainforest legacy: Australian national rainforests study. Special Australian heritage publication series 7(1)
^Stanton, J.P.; Fell, David. G. (2005). "The rainforests of Cape York Peninsula". Rainforest CRC – via National Library of Australia.
^Pichardo, Esteban. Diccionario provincial casi-razonado de vozes cubanas 3d ed. Havana 1861 p. 172
^ Cámara Artigas, Rafael; Martínez Batlle, José Ramón; Díaz del Olmo, Fernando. Desarrollo sostenible y medio ambiente en República Dominicana: Medios naturales, manejo histórico, conservación y protección. Sevilla 2012. ISBN 84-00-08392-X, p. 169.
^Hernández Aquino, Luis (1993). Diccionario de voces indígenas de Puerto Rico. p. 330.
^Terborgh, J; Winter, B (1983). "A method for siting parks and reserves with special reference to Colombia and Ecuador". Biological Conservation. 27: 45–58. doi:10.1016/0006-3207(83)90005-8.
^Whitmore, TC; Prance, GT, eds. (1987). Biogeography and Quaternary history in tropical America. Oxford Monographs on Biogeography. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press.
^Borhidi, A (1991). Phytogeography and vegetation ecology of Cuba. Budapest, Hungary: Akadémiai Kiadó.
^Review of the protected areas system in the Afrotropical Realm. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN/UNEP. 1986a.
^Kingdon, J (1989). Island Africa: the evolution of Africa's rare animals and plants. Princeton, New Jersey, USA: Princeton University Press.
^Hamilton, AC; Bensted-Smith, R (1989). Forest conservation in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.
^Lovett, JC; Wasser, SK, eds. (1993). Biogeography and ecology of the rain forests of eastern Africa. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
^Preston-Mafham, K (1991). Madagascar: A natural history. Oxford, UK: Facts on File.
^World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). . WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^Mittermeier, R.A.; Werner, T.B.; Lees, A. (1996). "New Caledonia – a conservation imperative for an ancient land". Oryx. 30 (2): 104–112. doi:10.1017/s0030605300021487.
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NASA picture of the afforestation of the earth in the year 2002
October 19, 2023
tropical, subtropical, moist, broadleaf, forests, tropical, evergreen, forest, redirects, here, tropical, evergreen, coniferous, forests, tropical, subtropical, coniferous, forests, tsmf, also, known, tropical, moist, forest, subtropical, tropical, forest, hab. Tropical evergreen forest redirects here For the tropical evergreen coniferous forests see tropical and subtropical coniferous forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests TSMF also known as tropical moist forest is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature 1 Distribution of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Contents 1 Description 2 Types 3 Notable ecoregions 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksDescription Edit nbsp Moist broadleaf forest in Mudumalai National Park nbsp Congolian rainforest dominated by Gilbertiodendron dewevrei near IsiroTSMF is generally found in large discontinuous patches centered on the equatorial belt and between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn TSMF are characterized by low variability in annual temperature and high levels of rainfall of more than 2 000 mm 79 in annually Forest composition is dominated by evergreen and semi deciduous tree species 1 These forests are home to more species than any other terrestrial ecosystem on Earth Half of the world s species may live in these forests where a square kilometer may be home to more than 1 000 tree species These forests are found around the world particularly in the Indo Malayan Archipelago the Amazon Basin and the African Congo Basin 1 The perpetually warm wet climate makes these environments more productive than any other terrestrial environment on Earth and promotes explosive plant growth 2 A tree here may grow over 23 m 75 ft in height in just 5 years From above the forest appears as an unending sea of green broken only by occasional taller emergent trees These towering emergents are the realm of hornbills toucans and the harpy eagle 1 In general biodiversity is highest in the forest canopy The canopy can be divided into five layers overstory canopy with emergent crowns a medium layer of canopy lower canopy shrub level and finally understory 1 3 4 The canopy is home to many of the forest s animals including apes and monkeys Below the canopy a lower understory hosts to snakes and big cats The forest floor relatively clear of undergrowth due to the thick canopy above is prowled by other animals such as gorillas and deer 1 All levels of these forests contain an unparalleled diversity of invertebrate species including New Guinea s stick insects and butterflies that can grow over 30 cm 1 ft in length 1 Many forests are being cleared for farmland while others are subject to large scale commercial logging An area the size of Ireland is destroyed every few years 1 Types EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed March 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message nbsp Tropical and subtropical moist forests TSMF as shown within the Holdridge Life Zones classification scheme and includes moist forests wet forests and rainforests improper synthesis The biome includes several types of forests Lowland equatorial evergreen rain forests commonly known as tropical rainforests are forests which receive high rainfall tropical rainforest climate with more than 2000 mm or 80 inches annually throughout the year 5 These forests occur in a belt around the equator with the largest areas in the Amazon basin of South America the Congo basin of central Africa the Wet Tropics of Queensland in Australia and parts of the Malay Archipelago About half of the world s tropical rainforests are in the South American countries of Brazil and Peru Rainforests now cover less than 6 of Earth s land surface Scientists estimate that more than half of all the world s plant and animal species live in tropical rainforests Tropical seasonal forests also known as moist deciduous monsoon or semi evergreen mixed seasonal forests have a monsoon or wet savannah climates as in the Koppen climate classification receiving high overall rainfall with a warm summer wet season and often a cooler winter dry season Some trees in these forests drop some or all of their leaves during the winter dry season These forests are found in South Florida parts of South America in Central America and around the Caribbean in coastal West Africa parts of the Indian subcontinent Northern Australia and across much of Indochina 6 7 8 9 Montane rain forests are found in cooler climate mountainous areas Those with elevations high enough to regularly encounter low level cloud cover are known as cloud forests 10 Flooded forests including freshwater swamp forests and peat swamp forests 11 Manigua a low often impenetrable dense forest of tangled tropical shrub and small trees It is usually found in marshy areas but also on dry land in certain places The term is used in Cuba the Dominican Republic Puerto Rico and Colombia 12 13 14 Notable ecoregions EditA number of TSMF ecoregions are notable for their biodiversity and endemism 1 Southwest Amazon moist forests in Brazil Peru and Bolivia Atlantic Forest in Brazil Argentina and Paraguay Choco Darien moist forests in Colombia and Panama The Wet Tropics of Queensland in Australia 15 Northwestern Andean montane forests of Colombia and Ecuador 16 Guayanan Highlands moist forests 17 Cuban moist forests 18 Veracruz moist forests in Mexico Congolese rainforests 19 Upper Guinean forests 20 Albertine Rift montane forests from Uganda to Burundi 21 Eastern Arc forests of Kenya and Tanzania 22 Coastal forests of eastern Africa from Somalia to Mozambique 23 Madagascar subhumid forests 24 Puerto Rican moist forests 25 Sri Lanka lowland rain forests Peninsular Malaysian peat swamp forests Borneo peat swamp forests New Caledonia rain forests 26 Western GhatsSee also Edit nbsp Environment portal nbsp Ecology portal nbsp Earth sciences portalTropical dry broadleaf forest Tropical coniferous forests Center for Tropical Forest Science CTFS International Tropical Timber Organization ITTO List of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregions Monodominance Trees of the world Tropical vegetation Cloud forestReferences Edit a b c d e f g h i nbsp This article incorporates text available under the CC BY SA 3 0 license World Wide Fund for Nature Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forest Ecoregions Archived from the original on 2011 04 01 Retrieved 2019 05 29 Basic Biology 2016 Forest Webb Len 1 Oct 1959 A Physiognomic Classification of Australian Rain Forests Journal of Ecology British Ecological Society Journal of Ecology Vol 47 No 3 pp 551 570 47 3 551 570 doi 10 2307 2257290 JSTOR 2257290 Tracey J G John Geoffrey 1982 The Vegetation of the Humid Tropical Region of North Queensland pp 13 20 Tracey J G John Geoffrey 1982 The Vegetation of the Humid Tropical Region of North Queensland pp 13 20 Beard J S Keneally K F 1987 Rainforests of Western Australia In The rainforest legacy Australian national rainforests study Special Australian heritage publication series 7 1 pp 289 304 Webb L J Leonard James Tracey J G John Geoffrey 1982 An ecological survey of the monsoon forests of the north western region of the Northern Territory Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service Russell Smith Jeremy Dunlop Clyde 1987 The status of monsoon vine forests in the Northern Territory a perspective In The rainforest legacy Australian national rainforests study Special Australian heritage publication series 7 1 Stanton J P Fell David G 2005 The rainforests of Cape York Peninsula Rainforest CRC via National Library of Australia Tracey J G John Geoffrey 1982 The Vegetation of the Humid Tropical Region of North Queensland pp 34 38 Tracey J G John Geoffrey 1982 The Vegetation of the Humid Tropical Region of North Queensland pp 20 25 Pichardo Esteban Diccionario provincial casi razonado de vozes cubanas 3d ed Havana 1861 p 172 Camara Artigas Rafael Martinez Batlle Jose Ramon Diaz del Olmo Fernando Desarrollo sostenible y medio ambiente en Republica Dominicana Medios naturales manejo historico conservacion y proteccion Sevilla 2012 ISBN 84 00 08392 X p 169 Hernandez Aquino Luis 1993 Diccionario de voces indigenas de Puerto Rico p 330 Tracey J G John Geoffrey 1982 The Vegetation of the Humid Tropical Region of North Queensland pp 13 70 Terborgh J Winter B 1983 A method for siting parks and reserves with special reference to Colombia and Ecuador Biological Conservation 27 45 58 doi 10 1016 0006 3207 83 90005 8 Whitmore TC Prance GT eds 1987 Biogeography and Quaternary history in tropical America Oxford Monographs on Biogeography Oxford UK Clarendon Press Borhidi A 1991 Phytogeography and vegetation ecology of Cuba Budapest Hungary Akademiai Kiado Kingdon J 1997 African mammals San Diego California USA Academic Press ISBN 9780124083554 Review of the protected areas system in the Afrotropical Realm Gland Switzerland IUCN UNEP 1986a Kingdon J 1989 Island Africa the evolution of Africa s rare animals and plants Princeton New Jersey USA Princeton University Press Hamilton AC Bensted Smith R 1989 Forest conservation in the East Usambara Mountains Tanzania Gland Switzerland IUCN Lovett JC Wasser SK eds 1993 Biogeography and ecology of the rain forests of eastern Africa Cambridge UK Cambridge University Press Preston Mafham K 1991 Madagascar A natural history Oxford UK Facts on File World Wildlife Fund ed 2001 Puerto Rican moist forests WildWorld Ecoregion Profile National Geographic Society Archived from the original on 2010 03 08 Retrieved 2010 11 17 Mittermeier R A Werner T B Lees A 1996 New Caledonia a conservation imperative for an ancient land Oryx 30 2 104 112 doi 10 1017 s0030605300021487 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Facts about the world s tropical rainforests from The Nature Conservancy NASA picture of the afforestation of the earth in the year 2002 BBC video clips and details of the species found here Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests amp oldid 1176371735, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
