Tropical forests: characteristics, flora and fauna

To begin with, we will explain what tropical forests are with a simple definition. As its name indicates, tropical forests are the forests that are located in the tropics area. However, what does that mean? Well, given the tropical climategeographical conditions and their location have specific characteristics that distinguish them from other ecosystems. On the one hand, throughout the year it is heat, in addition, humidity is usually very high. That is why tropical forests end up having a Flora and fauna similar to that of the junglewith great biodiversity and wealth.

As we have already said, tropical forests are located in Ecuador and their nearby areas. There are different types depending on the concrete area of ​​the planet, for example, there are some of the driest, such as Peruvian, and others of more humid, such as the Monzonic. However, they tend to be very humid, with rainfall ranging from 750 mm per year to 2,000 mm. Temperatures are usually high throughout the year and, although in some types in winter they can lower, freezing temperatures are never reached.

Here we tell you what is the tropical climate and its characteristics in this other post of ecology see and below you can observe its location with a Tropical forests map.

• For its vegetation, these forests They generate huge amounts of oxygen.
• They are great Heat absorbentso they help maintain the global temperature of the planet.
• They act like Hydrographic basin protectors in which they are located.
• Help Avoid pollution storing 50% of the planet CO2, which is stored in plants.
• They are authentic Animal reservessince they have perfect conditions to develop their life. In turn, they are a perfect shelter for many migratory animals. For all this, in tropical forests we find half of the species on Earth.
• They act from soil protectors in the face of rainfall.

In the previous section we have already said that there are different types of tropical forests, then we talk to you in detail about them:

Dry tropical forest

The dry tropical forest is one that suffers dry stations during which a lot of evaporation occurs and whose vegetation must adapt to aridity. In these months, the landscape changes, leaving aside the exuberance and enhancing the most arid vegetation, for example, the grasslands.

These forests appear in those tropical areas in which there is an alternation between rainy stations and dry stations. During the latter, the trees drop their leaves and adapt to the new weather. Normally, these forests have a precipitation less than 2000 mm, being able to exceed 1000 mm.

Rainy forests

The rainy tropical forests, which are popularly known as tropical jungles, unlike the previous ones do not have dry stations. In this type of tropical forest there is a very extensive and exuberant vegetation, so much that only 2% of sunlight reaches the soil. In the rainy tropical forest, as its name says, there are a lot of rainfall. They normally exceed 2000 mm per year, and in some regions you can reach 10,000 mm, making it very difficult to establish a dry or rainy era. Similarly, temperatures remain stable throughout the year, swinging between 12 and 26 degrees Celsius.

Monzonic tropical forest

The monzonic tropical forest, also known under the name of Monzónica Jungle is a type of tropical forest that combines a very rainy station with a very dry season very similar. That is why certain trees lose their leaves if the drought time is especially severe. Precipitation in this type of forest is around 2000 mm per year. It is for all this that is considered the monzonic tropical forest as a transition forest between the dry tropical forest and the rainy.

Unlike the rainy, the many trees lose their leaves but, in turn, unlike the dry, the forest always remains green because the lower layers continue to grow. Likewise, in this type of forest there is a wide variety of plant and animal species, only surpassed by the variety of rain forests.

Here you can read about the Monzones: What are, types and consequences.

Tropical flood forest

Unlike those that we have explained so far, this type of tropical forest does not occur on the mainland, where the soil drains well, but occurs in areas permanently or almost permanently flooded. This causes less plant diversity, since not all trees resist so much water, but they are attracting many more mammals. These are the Tropical Flood Forest Types:

• Flood jungle: It is a type of jungle located in a plain that during the rainy season, when the rivers grow, is flooded.
• Selva Pantanosa: It is always, or almost always, covered by water.
• Mangrove swamp: It occurs in intertidal areas of the tropical coasts.

We also advise you to read these other articles on why the conservation of tropical forests and the different types of forests is important.

As we have repeated throughout the article, the conjunction between a warm climate throughout the year as well as the high humidity makes tropical forests some areas where life is totally lush. In these forests we can find more than 15 million different specieswhich undoubtedly makes some of the world areas with more diversity.

An example of this is that in tropical forests there are 2/3 of the flowers of the world. Taking into account the amount of species we can find, it is not surprising that there is also a great variety. There are areas of the tropical forest in which, in just one hectare, we can find more than 100 trees of different species. There are all types, some with larger leaves, others with defenses against predators, some of greater growth, and all this with a single objective: to survive. As there are a huge number of trees and many are of a huge size, there is a lot of competition to access sunlight. In fact, Only 2% of this light reaches the groundThus, there is great competition to access it among the vegetation that does not arrive so high.

Among the most characteristic flora of tropical forest we find:

• Bananas
• Orchids
• Easter flower
• Rubber tree
• Bromelia
• Cocoa
• Heliconia

If we take into account that there is a clear relationship between the amount of rain and the species that inhabit a specific area, we can already establish that in tropical forests there are a lot of animals. Something curious is that, given the power of the root systems of the trees of these areas of the world through them they rise to the highest water and, thanks to this, there are many animals living in treeson the heights without the need to go to the ground.

On the other hand, there are others animals living on the floor of tropical forestswhere they look for their food. The high degrees of moisture of tropical forests make these areas completely conducive to each large number of insects. Beetles that feed on the sap of the trees, the butterflies that take the nectar of the flowers, the spiders that build large cobwebs or the termites that destroy the trunks. But although the insects are much of the tropical forest fauna, we cannot stop talking about the following groups of animals that also inhabit it.

Reptile animals of tropical forests

In tropical forests they also live a lot of animals belonging to the reptile group:

• Snakes
• Lizards
• Turtles
• Crocodiles

Amphibians of tropical forests

I enter the amphibians that constitute part of the tropical forest fauna are:

• Frogs
• Toads
• Salamandras
• Tritons
• Cecilias

Tropical forests birds

In tropical forests we can find more than 25,000 different birds that are divided between predators and herbivorous or frugivorous. Some more characteristic examples are:

• Falcones
• Vultures
• Arpia eagle
• Parrots
• Tucanes
• Cucos
• Hummingbirds

Tropical forest mammals

Many mammals live in tropical forests, which can live on the ground or at the top of the trees. For example, primates and apes usually live in trees and, eventually, can go down to the ground. On the other hand, rodents usually build burrows on the ground. Another fauna of animal forests are:

• Tiger
• Panther
• PUELCOESPIN
• Ant-eater
• Bat
• Rat
• Antelope

After knowing all this information about these tropical biomesbelow you can see the photos of these animals and below a Tropical forest image gallery.

If you want to read more articles similar to Tropical forests: characteristics, flora and faunawe recommend that you enter our category of ecosystems.