Tropical Rainforest

A tropical rainforest is a luxuriant and lush forest cover found in wet tropical uplands and lowlands around the equatorial region of the earth. They are dominated by broad-leaved trees that comprise the dense upper canopy and encapsulate a wide range of vegetation and other life forms. It is noteworthy to mention that the tropical rainforest biome is the world’s largest life zone. The scientific community is of the assertion that half of the world’s plants and animal species reside in tropical rainforests at the moment. The biome of tropical rainforest produces 40 percent of the earth’s oxygen.

Moreover, the floral diversity in the tropical rainforest is the world’s most decadent, and scientists have counted the presence of about 100 to 300 species of plants. Likewise, 70 percent of plants in tropical rainforests are trees, and approximately one-fourth of all the medicines that we utilize are sourced from rainforests. Now that we have briefly deliberated upon – what is tropical rainforest – let us dovetail into its many nitty-gritty.

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But, unfortunately, rainforests now merely cover 6 percent of the world’s total land surface.

Origin and Distribution of Tropical Rainforest. It is enticing to note that tropical rainforests embody the world’s most archaic vegetation types that still thrive on terrestrial earth. The tropical forest location is dispersed across three central areas –

• The Malesian Botanical subkingdom extends from Myanmar to Fiji and encapsulates entire Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, The Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, and parts of Indochina and tropical Australia.

• Tropical South and Central America, particularly the Amazon Basin

• West and Central Africa

The primordial pockets of tropical deciduous forests or monsoon forests are in India, Vietnam, Myanmar, eastern Brazil, etc. There exist smaller regions and pockets of tropical rainforests across the tropics. Thus, we can adequately answer the question – what is tropical rainforest - in detail.

Tropical Rainforest Characteristics

1. Tropical Rainforest Vegetation - The various tropical rainforest trees include rubber tree, cecropia, kapok, banana tree, ceiba, rubber tree, strangler fig, giant red cedar, and cathedral fig, and likewise. The tropical rainforest represents a hot, moist biome where there is rain throughout the year. The dense canopies of vegetation form three different layers. The top layer has giant trees that grow up to 250 feet tall or more. On the contrary, the forest floors of tropical rainforests receive only 2 percent sunlight. Only plants that are adaptable to low-light environments can grow in this region.

2. Rainfall – Two words aptly describe a tropical rainforest: ‘wet’ and ‘hot.’ The mean tropical rainforest rainfall is no less than 66 inches and can exceed 390 inches at times. The high precipitation levels result in poor soils due to the leaching of soluble nutrients in the ground.

3. Climate of Tropical Rainforest – The average monthly temperatures of tropical rainforests exceed 64 degrees Fahrenheit during all months of the year. As the tropical rainforests are situated around the equator, their climate is known as the equatorial climate. The tropical rainforest weather, thus, is symbolic of high rainfall, warm temperatures, and the presence of distinct dry seasons.

4. Soil – The fundamental characteristic of tropical soils is leaching and poor nutrients. But, some tropical soils are fertile. There are two broad classifications of tropical soils –ultisols and oxisols. The former is characterized by well-weathered, acidic red clay soil deficient in crucial nutrients like calcium, potassium, and so forth. The latter – oxisols – is an acidic, old red soil that is intensely leached and weathered.

Interesting Facts about Tropical Rainforests

• Tropical rainforest soils are reddish due to the presence of heavy heat and moisture that form oxides of iron and aluminum that are insoluble in water.

• The diversity of tropical rainforests is immaculate. All 40 to 75 percent of biotic species of earth and indigenous to rainforests. 

• More than two-thirds of the world’s flowering plants are found in rainforests.

• Tropical rainforests are known as the world’s largest pharmacy.

• A single hectare of tropical rainforests may contain up to 42000 different species of insects, more than 800 trees of 300 species, and 1500 species of higher plants.

• The Tropical rainforest ecosystem comprises 7 percent of the earth’s landmass.

In conclusion, tropical rainforests are indispensable for the wellbeing of the earth and all creatures on earth. The hour’s need is to take care of them so that they are not reduced to minuscule proportions.