Geographical location of permanently humid forests. African equatorial rainforests (hylaea)
Equatorial forests are located in the equatorial regions of the earth. They are located in the following corners of the planet:
- Africa - in the river basin Congo;
- Australia – East End continent;
- Asia - Greater Sunda Islands;
- South America - in the Amazon River basin (selva).
Climatic conditions
Mostly forests of this type are located in an equatorial climate. Here high humidity and it's warm all the time. These forests are called wet because more than 2,000 millimeters of precipitation falls here per year, and up to 10,000 millimeters on the coast. Precipitation falls evenly throughout the year. In addition, equatorial forests are located near the coasts of the oceans, where warm currents. All year round, the air temperature varies from +24 to +28 degrees Celsius, so there is no change in seasons.
Types of flora
In climatic conditions equatorial belt Evergreen vegetation is formed, which grows in forests in several tiers. The trees have fleshy and large leaves, grow up to 40 meters in height, tightly adjacent to each other, forming impenetrable jungle. Crown upper tier plants protects the lower flora from the ultraviolet rays of the sun and excessive evaporation of moisture. The trees in the lower tier have thin foliage. Feature of trees equatorial forests is that they do not completely shed their leaves, remaining green all year round.
The diversity of plant species is approximately as follows:
- the uppermost tier - palm trees, ficus, ceiba, hevea brasiliensis;
- lower tiers - tree ferns, bananas.
The forests contain orchids and various vines, cinchona and chocolate trees, Brazil nuts, lichens and mosses. In Australia, eucalyptus trees grow, the height of which reaches hundreds of meters. In South America largest area equatorial forests on the planet, when compared with this natural zone of other continents.
Fauna of equatorial forests
Scientists believe that equatorial forests are home to about two-thirds of the planet's animal species. They live in tree canopies and are therefore difficult to study. Thousands of fauna species are not yet known to people.
Sloths live in South American forests, and koalas live in Australian forests. There is great amount birds and insects, snakes and spiders. Large animals are not found in these forests, since it would be difficult for them to move here. However, in the jungle you can find jaguars, pumas, and tapirs. Since the zone of moist equatorial forests is little explored, many species of flora and fauna of this natural zone will be discovered in the future.
Equatorial rainforests
This is a natural (geographical) zone stretching along the equator with some displacement south of 8° N latitude. to 11° S The climate is hot and humid. All year round, average air temperatures are 24-28 C. The seasons are not defined. At least 1500 mm of precipitation falls, since this region low blood pressure(cm. Atmosphere pressure), and on the coast the amount of precipitation increases to 10,000 mm. Precipitation falls evenly throughout the year.
Such climatic conditions in this zone contribute to the development of lush evergreen vegetation with a complex layered forest structure. The trees here have few branches. They have disc-shaped roots, large leathery leaves, tree trunks rise like columns and only spread their thick crown at the top. The shiny, as if varnished surface of the leaves saves them from excessive evaporation and burns from the scorching sun, from the impacts of rain jets during heavy downpours. In plants lower tier the leaves, on the contrary, are thin and tender.
The equatorial forests of South America are called selva (port. - forest). This zone here occupies much large areas than in Africa. The selva is wetter than African equatorial forests and richer in plant and animal species.
The soils under the forest canopy are red-yellow, ferrolitic (containing aluminum and iron).
The equatorial forest is home to many valuable plants, such as the oil palm, from the fruits of which they obtain Palm oil. The wood from many trees is used to make furniture and large quantities exported. These include ebony, the wood of which is black or dark green. Many plants of equatorial forests provide not only valuable wood, but also fruits, juice, bark for use in technology and medicine.
Elements of equatorial forests penetrate the tropics along the coast Central America, to Madagascar.
The bulk of equatorial forests are located in Africa and South America, but they are also found in Eurasia, mainly on the islands. As a result of significant deforestation, the area under them is sharply reduced.
Equatorial forests
Moist evergreen forests are located in narrow stripes and spots along the equator. “Green Hell” - this is what many travelers of past centuries who visited here called these places. Tall multi-tiered forests stand as a solid wall, under the thick crowns of which darkness, monstrous humidity, constant heat, there is no change of seasons, rainfalls regularly fall with an almost continuous stream of water. The forests of the equator are also called permanent rain forests. The traveler Alexander Humboldt called them “hyleia” (from the Greek hyle - forest - note from geoglobus.ru). Most likely, this is what the humid forests of the Carboniferous period looked like with giant ferns and horsetails. Subequatorial forests differ in that among evergreens There are also those that shed their leaves for several weeks a year.
Life in the rain forest is located “vertically” - plants and animals occupied different “high floors” of this amazing world, adapting to its conditions. Such forests can have up to five similar levels.
The upper floors are at a height of up to 45 m and do not have a closed cover. As a rule, the wood of these trees is the strongest. Below, at a height of 18-20 m, there are tiers of plants and trees, forming a continuous closed canopy and almost preventing sunlight from passing down to the ground. The rarer lower zone is located at an altitude of about 10 m. Shrubs and herbaceous plants, such as pineapples and bananas, and ferns, grow even lower. Tall trees have thickened, overgrown roots (they are called plank-shaped), which help the gigantic plant maintain a strong connection with the soil.
What plants grow in equatorial forests?
Such plants are called “epiphytes”, i.e. living "at a distance". Such are, for example, orchids. Their exquisite flowers with an intoxicating aroma are nothing more than an attempt at tough competition attract insects and birds for pollination and thereby support your later life. In the depths of the forest, in constant dampness, the largest flower on the planet, Rafflesia Arnoldi, blooms, emitting a heavy smell of rotting meat. Its flower reaches 1 m in diameter.
In warm and humid climate The decomposition of dead plants occurs very quickly. From the resulting nutritional composition, substances for the life of the gyl plant are taken.
The rain forests of South America are called "selvas". In terms of its species composition (the number of plant species is 2500-3000), the Amazon jungle ranks first in the world. Not much, but still inferior to it are the African equatorial forests. The earth in the rain forest is the kingdom of mosses, mushrooms, algae, plants with wide leaves that catch and retain moisture, insects, including poisonous ones. To survive in the jungle, travelers need knowledge local residents who build houses on stilts and sleep in hammocks.
All ordinary life is concentrated “between heaven and earth,” on wide tree branches intertwined with vines. Among such landscapes flow the most deep rivers of our planet - the Amazon in the rural areas of South America, the Congo in Africa, the Brahmaputra in Southeast Asia.
The Amazon selva, like the equatorial forests of Congo, Guinea, Uganda, the forests of the equatorial islands of Oceania, reaching sea coasts, create amazing natural communities in the ebb and flow zone - mangrove forests. The aerial roots of plants in such a forest are themselves impenetrable thickets. Numerous aerial roots catch every opportunity to get air, making their way from wet sand and liquid mud, and at high tides - from sea water. The width of such a mangrove border can reach 10-20 meters.
The equatorial forests of our planet are often called its lungs. Indeed, a huge number of Hylea trees release such an amount of oxygen into the atmosphere that their removal threatens humanity with a significant deterioration in the composition of the air. Partially rain forests already mixed. In their place, people cultivate various crops, including coffee, oil palms and rubber palms.
Flora and fauna Tropical Africa
The vegetation in Africa is rich and varied. Its nature is determined by the amount of precipitation and the duration of the wet season due to the flat terrain and the position of the continent between the tropics. In the equatorial climatic zone Evergreen multi-story forests rich in species grow. Herbaceous vegetation predominates in subequatorial belts. IN tropical zones vegetation is poor in species, sparse or absent altogether.
Equatorial climate zone
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Plants of equatorial forests. Features and meaning
Plants of equatorial forests cannot but arouse increased interest not only among specialists, but also among ordinary inquisitive travelers from all over the world. And this is not surprising.
Agree, many of us strive to visit overseas countries precisely for these exotic representatives of the flora. For example, the plants of the equatorial forests of South America or Africa are very different from the grasses, flowers, trees and shrubs that we are used to seeing outside our window. hometown. They look, smell and bloom completely differently, which means they evoke mixed emotions. You want to take a closer look at them, touch them and photograph them.
Plants of equatorial forests are a topic that can be discussed endlessly. This article is aimed at introducing readers to the most characteristic properties and the living conditions of these representatives of the flora world.
general information
First of all, let's try to define the concept of humid equatorial forests. Plants whose habitats are regions with pronounced equatorial, subequatorial and tropical climate, inhabit this type natural area. It is worth paying attention to the fact that in this case various kinds Representatives of the flora include not only grasses, but also numerous trees and shrubs.
At first glance, it’s hard to even imagine, but here there is up to 2000, or even 10,000 mm of precipitation per year.
These areas of land are characterized by enormous biodiversity; it is here that 2/3 of all plants and animals on our planet live. By the way, not everyone knows that millions of species are still undescribed.
On the lower tier in wet tropical forests there is not enough light, but the undergrowth, as a rule, is weak, so a person can easily move through it. However, if for some reason the deciduous canopy is missing or weakened, the lower tier can quickly become covered with impenetrable thickets of vines and intricately woven trees. This is called the jungle.
Equatorial forest climate
Animals and plants of equatorial forests, as we have already said, are diverse. This is due to the current climate, which means we need to talk about it in more detail.
This zone stretches along the equator with a shift to the south. The average temperature all year round is 24-28 degrees. The climate is quite hot and humid, although the seasons are not clearly defined.
This territory belongs to an area of low pressure, and precipitation falls evenly here. whole year. Such climatic conditions contribute to the development of evergreen vegetation, which is characterized by the so-called complex forest structure.
Video on the topic
Flora of the equatorial territories of the planet
As a rule, moist evergreen forests, located in narrow stripes or peculiar spots along the equator, are diverse and contain a huge number of species. It is difficult to imagine that in the Congo Basin and on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea alone there are currently more than a thousand of them.
Plants of the equatorial forests of the upper tier are represented by giant ficuses and palm trees, of which there are over 200 species. In the lower ones, mainly bananas and tree ferns grow.
Most large plants often entwined with vines and blooming orchids. By the way, it is worth noting that sometimes in equatorial forests there are up to six tiers. Among the plants there are also epiphytes - mosses, lichens, ferns.
But in the depths of the forest you can find the largest flower on our planet - Rafflesia Arnoldi, the transverse diameter of which reaches 1 meter.
Fauna of the equatorial forest
It is unlikely that anyone will be surprised if we note that the fauna of equatorial forests is, first of all, rich in monkeys. Monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, howler monkeys and bonobos are especially common here and in huge quantities.
From terrestrial inhabitants You can often find small ungulates; for example, in Africa, tourists often admire okapi, African deer and other unusual animals. The most common predators of the South American jungle, of course, are the jaguar and the puma. But in the African tropics, the owners are fast leopards and huge tigers.
Thanks to wet conditions The environment in the equatorial forests is home to many frogs, lizards and insects. The most common birds are hummingbirds, parrots and toucans.
As for reptiles, who doesn’t know about the pythons of Africa and Asia or the anaconda from the Amazon jungle? In addition, in equatorial forests they are common Poisonous snakes, alligators, caimans and others no less dangerous representatives world of fauna.
What happens if you destroy the plants of equatorial forests?
During the deforestation of the equatorial forest, people, sometimes without realizing it, destroy the habitat of many animals and take food from termites. Besides, this forest It also restrains the onset of deserts that are destructive to all living things.
But that's not all. The fact is that humid equatorial forests, although they occupy relatively little most The lands are so-called green lungs of our planet. It is here that about 1/3 of the Earth's oxygen is produced, so the destruction of the equatorial forest will cause irreversible environmental consequences, including increasing the content carbon dioxide. The latter, in turn, will lead to an increase average temperature, will increase the likelihood of melting glaciers, which means it will entail the subsequent flooding of many fertile lands.
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These interesting plants, so readily bred because of the beauty of their originally constructed flowers and familiar to everyone, also primarily belong to the tropics. Most often they are found in the mountains of the equatorial belt; there you can always find several representatives of the countless forms of orchids. They grow along trunks, branches, along the branches of branches, developing especially luxuriantly on fallen trunks, covering rocks and cliffs from top to bottom; some, like our northern species, grow on the ground, between other herbs. Many trees, the bark of which is especially conducive to the growth of orchids, are completely covered with them and thus form, as it were, natural orchid gardens. Some orchids are especially fond of rotted petioles of palm leaves and tree ferns. Many prefer to grow near water, while others, on the contrary, need the air and light of high tree tops. Everyone knows the original diversity of the structure of orchids and the beautiful tones of their flowers, but our richest orchid collections do not give any complete idea of the whole variety of their species found in the tropics; however, many of them have flowers too inconspicuous to be worth breeding. More than 30 years ago, Lindley estimated the number of orchid species known at that time at approximately 3000; Bentham and Hooker in Genera plantarum estimate them at 5000; it is very likely that in our time the number known species orchids reaches 6000.
Vegetation of equatorial forests
But no matter how large the number of species already collected and described, the number still to be discovered must be colossal.
Orchid Grammatophyllum speciosum (Java)
In contrast to ferns, individual species orchids have a relatively small distribution; therefore, for an exhaustive acquaintance with all the species belonging to only one more or less extensive area, for example, an island the size of Java, would require many years of work by a good botanist. It is very possible that this remarkable family will eventually prove to be the most species-rich of all flowering plants.
Despite the fact that any orchid can be recognized by its peculiar appearance even not during flowering, both their size and appearance are extremely diverse. Some small climbing species are not larger than moss, but the large Grammatophyllum from the island of Borneo, growing in the forks of tree branches, have trunks covered with dense foliage up to 10 feet long; some terrestrial species, for example, American Sobraliae, reach the same size. Most orchids look extremely unique thanks to their fleshy aerial roots, which often hang far down, crawl along rocks, or are slightly attached to the bark of a tree; They feed on falling rain and atmospheric moisture in general. Despite so many different types of orchids in the equatorial forests, their flowers are relatively inconspicuous. This happens partly because in many orchids they are generally inconspicuous, and partly because the flowering time of each species lasts only a few weeks and in different species falls on different months. In addition, the very type of growth of orchids, which are found in most cases separately, in individual specimens or in groups, rarely reaching a large size and therefore do not stand out among the surrounding mass of plants, also has an influence. Only rarely does a traveler find himself in an area where orchids remind him of the beauty of our orchid greenhouses and exhibitions. Slender golden Oncidiae of flooded forests upper Amazon, magnificent Cattleya of drier forests, swamp Caelogynae, and finally, the wonderful Vanda lowii of the wooded hills of Borneo - these are the main examples of beautiful orchids, especially etched in the memory of the author of these lines during his 12 years of wanderings through tropical forests. The above-mentioned Vanda stands out distinctly from all orchids: from its comparatively small tuft of foliage protrudes numerous pedicels, hanging down like cords up to 8 feet in length, and completely dotted with large star-shaped red-mottled flowers.
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Tropical forests are overflowing with flora and fauna. Representatives of ancient groups of mammals have been preserved here - the most primitive marsupials - opossums and woolly wings. There is also a wide variety of monkeys and prosimians (lemurs, lorises) in the forests. Old World lizards and armadillos and anteaters live in tropical forests. Among the birds that live in the crowns, there are many that do not fly very well, but mostly jump and climb (toucans, turacos, hornbills, birds of paradise). And Nicobar pigeons, crowned pigeons, bowerbirds are excellent flyers, and parrots (cockatoos, macaws, Amazons, African Grays) both climb and fly well. Animals that live in trees can be divided into two groups: gliding animals, which have a well-developed flight membrane (large flying possum, woolly wing, spiny tail) and climbing ones, which, in addition to strong and dexterous paws, have a tenacious tail, used as a fully-fledged fifth. limbs (kinajous, anteaters, howler monkeys, pangolins). Among them there are leaf-eating (sloths, colobus), frugivorous forms (gulda, kalong, small flying fox, kinkajou) and animals with a wider range plant food(monkeys, ratufa, woolly wing, kangaroo, spiny tail). Others, such as the gorilla, mandrill, and porcupine, although they can climb trees, are often found on the ground. Insects, gulda, kalong, small flying fox, some birds are pollinators of tropical forest flowers. There are also the most large inhabitants tropics, which control the number of animals - these are jaguars, leopards and tigers. The boa constrictor, which can swallow its prey whole, is also very dangerous. It could be like big monkey, and a little hippopotamus.
Trees in tropical rainforests have several general characteristics, which are not observed in plants of less humid climates.
The base of the trunk in many species has wide, woody projections. Previously it was assumed that these protrusions help the tree maintain balance, but now it is believed that along these protrusions there is water with dissolved nutrients flows down to the roots of the tree. Broad leaves are also common on trees, shrubs and grasses in lower forest floors. Tall young trees that have not yet reached the top tier also have wider foliage, which then decreases with height.
Plants of equatorial forests. Equatorial rainforests
Wide leaves help plants better absorb sunlight under the edges of the trees of the forest, and they are protected from the wind from above. The leaves of the upper tier, forming a canopy, are usually smaller in size and heavily grooved to reduce wind pressure. On the lower floors, the leaves are often narrowed at the ends so that this facilitates the rapid drainage of water and prevents the growth of microbes and moss on them, which destroy the leaves.
The tops of trees are often very well connected to each other with the help of vines or plants - epiphytes, attached to them.
Other characteristics of tropical rainforest may include unusually thin (1-2 mm) tree bark, sometimes covered with sharp thorns or thorns; the presence of flowers and fruits growing directly on tree trunks; big variety juicy fruits that attract birds, mammals and even fish that feed on the sprayed particles.
In tropical rainforests, edentates (families of sloths, anteaters and armadillos) are found, broad-nosed monkeys, a number of families of rodents, bats, llamas, marsupials, several orders of birds, as well as some reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. Many animals with prehensile tails live in trees - prehensile-tailed monkeys, pygmy and four-toed anteaters, opossums, prehensile-tailed porcupines, sloths. There are a lot of insects, especially butterflies (one of the richest fauna in the world) and beetles; many fish (as many as 2,000 species - this is approximately one third of the world's freshwater fauna).
Equatorial forests are considered one of the most ancient natural zones. They are common in the equatorial regions of Africa, which is where they got their name. Except African continent, equatorial forest is found in the Indonesian islands, the Amazon, northern Australia and southern regions Malacca Peninsula, and covers 6% of the entire Earth's surface.
Wet equatorial forests on the World map.
Wet equatorial forests grow in peculiar “spots”, most often in lowland areas. Their main feature is the absence of seasonal changes, that is, the weather here is stable - hot, humid and rainy all year round. Because of this, the second name for equatorial forests is rain forests.
Climate of equatorial forests
The climate of equatorial forests is characterized by high humidity, usually 85%, approx. same temperature air and intense precipitation. The average daytime temperature is around 28ºC; at night temperatures can drop below 22ºC.
There are two main seasons in this natural area: the dry season and the heavy rainy season. The dry season lasts from July to September. During the year, the equatorial forest receives from 250 cm to 450 cm of precipitation. Strong gusts of wind are almost never observed in the equatorial forest.
Such climatic conditions of the equatorial forest led to the rapid growth of vegetation, due to the density of which the equatorial forests are still difficult to navigate and poorly explored.
Answering the question of what contributes to the formation of such a climate, we can say that the main factor is location. The equatorial forest is located in the intertropical convergence zone. This is an area with relatively low atmospheric pressure and weak winds of variable directions.
Besides, Feedback between convection processes and high level soil moisture, along with the interception of precipitation from dense vegetation cover, leads to transpiration. This feedback leads to a daily repeating climate pattern: hot wet air, dry but foggy mornings, evening showers and convective storms.
Plants of equatorial forests
Life in equatorial forests is distributed “vertically”: plants populate the space on several levels, the number of so-called floors can reach four. Photosynthesis in the humid equatorial forest zone occurs without interruption all year round.
The flora of the equatorial forest is mainly represented by trees that reach a height of 80 meters and have wide roots that serve not only for support, but also for maximum absorption of nutrients from poor soil. Trees in rain forests, although deciduous, are mainly classified as .
In addition to trees, equatorial forests contain many woody vines - climbing plants that can climb to any height in pursuit of sunlight. Lianas twine around trunks, hang on branches, spread from tree to tree, like snakes crawl along the ground in wide coils or lie on it in tangled balls. Some vines of equatorial forests have thin, smooth, aerial-like roots, others are rough and knotty. Often the vines are woven together like real ropes. Woody vines have a long lifespan and have an almost limitless ability to grow in length.
Being so varied in length, thickness, hardness and flexibility, the vines of the equatorial forest are widely used by the natives in their Everyday life. Almost all rope products are woven from vines. Some vines do not rot in water for a long time and therefore are widely used in the manufacture of ropes, twine for attaching fishing nets and wooden anchors.
In addition to the many species of trees and vines that mainly make up the equatorial forests, there are also widespread different kinds palm trees The middle and lower floors are represented by herbs, mushrooms and lichens, with reeds appearing in places. Rain forest plants have a lot of foliage, but the taller they are, the smaller the leaves become. Where forests are located near the coast, you can find swamps covered with.
Below is a short list of the most famous plants equatorial forest:
- cocoa tree;
- Hevea brazilica is a source of rubber from which rubber is made;
- banana tree;
- a coffee tree;
- oil palm, which is a source of palm oil used in the manufacture of soap, ointments, creams, as well as candles and margarine;
- fragrant tsedrela, from the wood of which cigarette cases are made;
- ceiba. Oil necessary for soap making is extracted from the seeds of this plant, and cotton is obtained from the fruits, which serves as a filler. soft toys and furniture, and is also used for sound and heat insulation.
Animals of the equatorial forests
The fauna of the equatorial forest, like the plant world, is located in several tiers. The lower floor is a habitat for insects, including butterflies, small rodents, small ungulates, as well as predators - reptiles and wild cats.
The moist equatorial forests of Africa are inhabited by leopards and African elephants, jaguars live in South America, and in India - Indian elephants, which are smaller and more mobile than their African counterparts. The rivers and lakes are home to crocodiles, hippos and water snakes, including the largest snake on our planet - the anaconda.
Among the diversity of fauna of equatorial forests, a large number of birds can be distinguished. These include toucans, sunbirds, banana eaters, turacos, and hummingbirds. Parrots of various species are traditionally considered one of the most famous inhabitants of rain forests. All feathered birds of the equatorial forests are united by exotic beauty and bright plumage. Among all this beauty, the birds of paradise stand out the most - their multi-colored crests and tails reach a length of 60 cm.
Next to the birds, sloths and monkeys live on the treetops: monkeys, howler monkeys, orangutans and others. Tree crowns are their main place of residence, as there is a lot of food in this layer - nuts, berries and flowers. In addition, this tier provides protection from terrestrial predators and winds. The forest canopy is so dense that it serves as a “superhighway” for arboreal mammals. Large primates - chimpanzees and gorillas - inhabit the lower tier of equatorial forests, where they feed on fruits that have fallen from trees, as well as young shoots and roots of plants.
Soil of equatorial forests
Due to the high content of aluminum and iron, the soils of equatorial forests have acquired a red-yellow color.
Although the equatorial forest is a habitat a myriad of plant species, the soils of this zone are relatively infertile and poor. The reason for this is the hot climate, due to which plants quickly decompose under the influence of bacteria, which in turn prevents the formation of a fertile (humus) layer. High precipitation in turn leads to leaching, the process of water washing away soluble salts and minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Over millions of years, weathering and heavy rainfall have caused the soil to lose nutrients. Also Negative influence The process of deforestation, which has worsened over the past few decades, has a significant impact on the rapid leaching of elements necessary for plants.
What is the significance of equatorial forests?
The importance of the equatorial forest, both for humanity and for nature as a whole, cannot be assessed. Equatorial forests are called “the lungs of our planet”, as they absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and in return release huge amounts of oxygen, on which the survival of all living organisms depends.
While the problems of the equatorial forests may seem remote, these ecosystems are critical to our well-being. Equatorial forests stabilize the climate, provide habitat for countless plants and wildlife, and create and influence precipitation across the planet.
The role of equatorial rain forests:
- help stabilize the world's climate;
- provide a home for many plants and animals;
- maintain the water cycle, protect against floods, droughts and erosion;
- are a source of medicines and food;
- support for the population of indigenous tribes of the equatorial forests;
- and also they are interesting place for visiting and relaxation of tourists from all over the world.
Zone humid equatorial forests covers the coast of the Gulf of Guinea north of the equator and the Congo River basin, stretching 1600 km from north to south and 5000 km from west to east. This natural area is original and unique. There are practically no seasons here: in winter and summer the air temperature is the same and is approximately +24 °C. More than 2000 mm of precipitation falls per year. It rains every day, usually in the afternoon. Water and heat create ideal conditions for the development of all living things, which is why moist equatorial rain forests grow here - Hylaea(from Greek "frailer" - forest). From an airplane they resemble a green sea (Fig. 57).
In the zone of moist equatorial forests, rivers are always full of water. During floods, they often flood low banks, and the water covers vast areas.
In the conditions of the equatorial forest, red-yellow ferrallite soils(from lat. « ferrum"- iron; Grays. « litos"- stone). It is the iron compounds that give them their red color. These soils are very poor in nutrients, since organic residues under moisture and heat are quickly decomposed by microorganisms, and nutrients are quickly absorbed by plants. Therefore, deforestation here leads to real environmental disaster. The soil in bare areas is washed away by rain, and the sun turns the surface of the earth into a dry crust where nothing can grow.
In the equatorial forests of Africa there are over 25,000 species of plants, and about 1,000 species of trees alone. These forests are always stuffy, humid and dark. The forest is so dense that it is impossible to see anything close to you; everything around is obscured by bushes, vines that entwine trees, fallen and oxen giant trees. The equatorial forest has two characteristics: It is evergreen and multi-tiered.
Evergreen the forest is due to the fact that plants never completely shed their leaves. Warm and humid weather throughout the year allows the leaves to survive on the shoot for 2-3 years. The leaves, of course, change, but one by one.
Layering is the distribution of plants by height according to the need for light, water and nutrition. In forests temperate zone there are 3-4 tiers of plants, in hylia there are 6-8 of them (Fig. 58). At the very bottom is the kingdom of shade-loving mosses and creeping plants. Shrubs and young trees, which do not require light, rise higher. There are many tree ferns, bananas The third tier consists of trees 15-20 m high, which need more light. There are many among them valuable species, such as red, ebony, sandalwood, yellow trees. They also meet bread, nutmeg trees. They reign even higher ficus and various types palm trees The tallest are light-loving ones, up to 60-80 m high, ceibas with spreading crowns. Because of their extraordinary height, they are called "upstart trees." Such tall trees the leaves are very hard and evaporate little water, because raising it to such a height is difficult even for the most powerful root system. Wide support roots help keep the trunk upright (Fig. 59).
Rice. 59. Supporting roots of giant trees |
The branches of the trees of the lower tier are so densely intertwined that because of them the crowns of the trees of the upper tier are not visible. At the very surface of the earth there is complete darkness. Only 1/120th of the sunlight gets here, so there is no grass at all. Instead, they rise from the ground vines- trees with a flexible and long (up to 300 m) stem, which, entwining the trunks, bring their leaves and flowers to the light. Making your way through such a forest without a path is a difficult and dangerous task.
African Hylea is the birthplace of valuable economic tree species: coffee tree, oil palm, cocoa.
Rice. 61. Chimpanzee |
The fauna of humid equatorial forests is rich and diverse. All layers of the forest are inhabited. Great apes live here - gorillas and chimpanzees. A real giant is the two-meter gorilla (fig. 60) with thick black fur. She's different big physical strength, spends most of its life on the ground, although from time to time it climbs trees. Chimpanzee (Fig. 61) smaller than a gorilla (height up to 1.5 m), has big brain, stands out for its complex behavior, lives in trees. Of other monkeys known monkeys And baboons.
Numerous birds flutter between the trees: fruit pigeon, different types parrots, hornbills, woodpeckers, sunbirds (Fig. 62), banana-eaters.Material from the site
Rice. 62. Sunbird |
A lot of insects: termites, mosquitoes, beetles, butterflies, bees, dragonflies, scorpions, spiders.
Many insects are dangerous to human health: malaria mosquitoes carry pathogens of tropical fever, tsetse fly- sleeping sickness.
Common among terrestrial animals lizards, shrews, earth vipers, pythons, cysteuches And forest pigs, African pygmy deer height 40 cm, forest antelopes. An amazing creation of nature is okapi. When this animal was first seen, it was mistaken for a zebra due to its striped hind limbs. However, it turned out that this is a dwarf giraffe, which is three times shorter than its tall relative. Occasionally occurs pygmy hippopotamus. It weighs 10-12 times less than an ordinary hippopotamus.
Like a giant chain of humid equatorial forests covers the zone from the north and south variable- rain forests. This - transition zone from humid equatorial forests to grassy savannas. It has much in common with the flora and fauna of the equatorial forest. But the rhythm of life of these forests depends on the season. Variably humid forests are more developed by humans than equatorial forests.
The population living near or in variable-moist forests is small. Local tribes engage in hunting and fishing. Nowadays, large areas of forests are cut down for valuable tree species. Animals die along with the forest.
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- animals of the equatorial rain forests
- forest gilea africa
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- message about the equatorial forests of Africa
I. Equatorial rainforests.
This is a natural (geographical) zone stretching along the equator with some displacement south of 8° N latitude. to 11° S The climate is hot and humid. All year round, average air temperatures are 24-28 C. The seasons are not defined. At least 1500 mm of atmospheric precipitation falls, since here is an area of low pressure (see Atmospheric pressure), and on the coast the amount of atmospheric precipitation increases to 10,000 mm. Precipitation falls evenly throughout the year.
Such climatic conditions in this zone contribute to the development of lush evergreen vegetation with a complex layered forest structure. The trees here have few branches. They have disc-shaped roots, large leathery leaves, tree trunks rise like columns and only spread their thick crown at the top. The shiny, as if varnished surface of the leaves saves them from excessive evaporation and burns from the scorching sun, from the impacts of rain jets during heavy downpours. In plants of the lower tier, the leaves, on the contrary, are thin and delicate.
The equatorial forests of South America are called selva (port. - forest). This zone occupies much larger areas here than in Africa. The selva is wetter than African equatorial forests and richer in plant and animal species.
The soils under the forest canopy are red-yellow, ferrolitic (containing aluminum and iron).
The equatorial forest is home to many valuable plants, such as the oil palm, from the fruits of which palm oil is obtained. The wood from many trees is used to make furniture and is exported in large quantities. These include ebony, the wood of which is black or dark green. Many plants of equatorial forests produce not only valuable wood, but also fruits, juice, and bark for use in technology and medicine.
Elements of equatorial forests penetrate the tropics along the coast of Central America, to Madagascar.
The bulk of equatorial forests are located in Africa and South America, but they are also found in Eurasia, mainly on the islands. As a result of significant deforestation, the area under them is sharply reduced.