Are you interested in the different forest types in the world?
Forests are made of large areas of land covered with a dense collection of trees and undergrowth.
The features of such forests are largely determined by their location, climatic factors, and whether they shed their leaves or not. These and several other factors will be used in determining the different forests types.
Irrespective of type, all forests have one similar feature; lots of vegetation is found in such areas. Which part of the world do you live in?
As you read on, you might discover one or more forest types closest to your region. Without further delay, we’ll begin right away by pointing out and discussing the different forest types.
Planted and Natural Forests
Before we get into specifics, it’s important to state the fact that there are planted and natural forests.
These are broad types and as suggested by the names, planted forests involve the intervention of humans while natural forests appeared or grew naturally.
There are lots of examples to illustrate each forest type (planted & natural). Our focus is mostly on other types which may include both planted and natural.
As we discuss further, the variations that set one forest type apart from the other become clearer.
Different Forest Types
Different forest types are ranging from tropical, temperate, boreal, and so on. Examples of tropical forests are mangrove forests, evergreen rainforests, tropical dry forests, and tropical moist forests.
For temperate forests, the different types include temperate rainforests, deciduous forests, and coniferous forests.
Forest types under boreal forests include closed canopy boreal and open canopy boreal.
Other forest types to be discussed below are montane wet temperate forests, tropical scrub forests, semi-evergreen forests, and montane dry temperate forests.
Freshwater swamp forests and montane moist temperate forests are additional types to consider.
The littoral and swamp forest is another we’ll be discussing. We’ll proceed by taking a look at each type as mentioned above.
i. Mangrove Forests
Starting with the mangrove forest, these types of forests are mostly found around coastal areas of tropical regions. With brackish and changing water levels, mangrove forests are havens for a variety of aquatic species.
ii. Evergreen Rainforests
As the name suggests, evergreen forests are indeed evergreen.
This is due to the high level of the wetness they’re known for. Such wetness can be attributed to the high rainfall volumes received each year.
iii. Tropical Dry Forests
Unlike evergreen rainforests, tropical dry forests receive low levels of rainfall per year. Such rain mostly lasts only a short period (between 4 to 6 months) in a year.
The scarcity of rainfall means these forests aren’t evergreen.
iv. Tropical Moist Forests
Even though there’s less rainfall in tropical moist forests, they are moist and still blossom though not as much as evergreen rainforests would.
Due to their geographical location which means they’re farther from the equator, more variations in seasons exist.
v. Temperate Rainforests
For temperate rainforests, a lot of rainfall is also observed. Unlike tropical rainforests, temperate rainforests have moderate temperatures.
vi. Deciduous Forests
As is common with deciduous trees, deciduous forests have a shedding season when leaves are lost. This mostly occurs when the cold season begins.
vii. Coniferous Forests
As suggested by the name, coniferous forests are home to conifers. These are evergreen trees having a rich constitution of evergreens.
viii. Closed Canopy Boreal Forests
These forest types usually consist of denser tree stands. This is why sunlight hardly hits the forest floor. Closed canopy boreal forests are usually among those with a rich diversity of animal species.
Also common to such forests are the rich soils they have.
ix. Open Canopy Boreal Forests
In contrast to closed-canopy boreal forests, open canopy boreal forests have less species diversity and are mostly located in higher altitude areas. As suggested by the name, they’re more open.
x. Montane Wet Temperate Forests
These temperate wet forests are mostly found on natural elevations like mountains.
They’re wet and have an average humidity of around 80%. As expected, a decrease in temperature occurs the higher up they are hence they’re being considered temperate forests.
xi. Tropical Scrub Forests
Tropical scrub forests are largely dominated by dense underbrush. These are also considered scrub land due to the characteristics of the area they’re mostly found in.
Such areas are mostly open with low rainfall being a key characteristic. The soil condition in tropical scrub forests is also poor.
xii. Semi-Evergreen Forests
The name tells a lot about this type of forest. They consist of a mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees. Semi-evergreen forests are mostly found in tropical and subtropical regions like Asia.
They appear evergreen and consist of a variety of tree species.
xiii. Montane Dry Temperate Forests
Montane dry temperate forests are characterized by harsh climates and are mostly found in mountainous areas.
Animal species found within such forests are well adapted to the weather conditions.
xiv. Freshwater Swamp Forests
Similar to mangrove forests, freshwater swamp forests are home to a wide range of tree species that thrive in water. The difference here is the presence of fresh water.
Such forests are home to a wide range of animal and plant species. They’re mostly found around rivers and lakes.
xv. Montane Moist Temperate Forests
Another forest you’d find in tropical climates is the montane moist temperate.
These are mostly found on elevations like mountains which give them some form of temperate climatic weather conditions. Their moist and have a rich collection of assorted plants and vegetation in addition to trees.
xvi. Littoral & Swamp Forests
Ever heard of a wetland forest? This isn’t anything like mangrove or freshwater swamp forests. You’ll mostly find these close-to-shore areas of rivers, lakes, or oceans.
These forests thrive around such regions and tend to be evergreen trees.
Wherever you live, any of these forests may be found close to your location. The good thing with these is that they offer many benefits to the environment, to animal species as well as to humans.
Plus, the climatic conditions, as well as location, may affect their development.
These are the different types of forests spread across the world. We’ve seen how climate, as well as location, plays a role in how these forests develop.