Explain the forest ecosystem

The word forest broadly describes an area that has a large number of trees. There are three general types of forest that exist: temperate, tropical, and boreal. Experts estimate that these forests cover approximately one-third of Earth’s surface. Temperate forests are found across eastern North America and Eurasia. The temperatures of temperate forests vary throughout the year because of the four distinct seasons at these latitudes. Precipitation is abundant and lends to fertile soil that is able to support diverse flora like maples, oak, and birch. Deer, squirrels, and bears are just a few examples of the fauna that call temperate forests home. Tropical forests are common to areas near the equator, such as Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Central America. Temperatures in tropical forests have been reported to range between 20 and 31°C (68 and 88°F). Tropical rainforests are the epitome of biodiversity. Animals include the endangered harpy eagle ( Harpia harpyja)—a large predatory bird—which has become scarce throughout Central and South America, largely due to habitat loss. Bonobos ( Pan paniscus), an ape species that calls the tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa their home, are also endangered. Deforestation and poaching for human sustenance have caused their populations to decline. Tropical mangrove forests, characterized by trees and shrubs that grow in salty or brackish water, are found in the tropics and subtropics. The red mangr...

• Our Work • • Our Priorities • Climate Change • Nature • People & Culture • Waste & Pollution • • How • Sustainable Destination Development • Conscious Business • Responsible Travel • Community Engagement • Carbon Offsets • Road to Net Zero Webinars • Business • Climate Action • Carbon Measurement • Carbon Offsets • Climate Communications • Membership • Individual • Calculate Carbon Footprint • Buy Carbon Offsets • Become a Member • Learn to Travel Better • Become an Ambassador From subalpine conifer forests to lush tropical rainforests, forests cover nearly one-third of the earth’s land surface. But as people burn and chop down massive amounts of trees, this forest coverage is rapidly dwindling. In 2020, a football field-sized area of tropical forest was lost every As our forests disappear, it has a devastating ripple effect on people, wildlife, and the planet. There are so many reasons why we should conserve our forests and keep them standing. Read on to discover 14 of the incredible benefits that forests provide and consider protecting them by offsetting your carbon footprint! 1. Forests provide essential resources Forests provide many of the resources that we use in our daily lives. Just look around your house – how many things are made from wood or other forest products? Many common household items such as furniture and books are derived from forest resources. What about your floors, doors, or siding? Timber is the primary material used to construct homes in many par...

An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life. Ecosystems contain biotic or living, parts, as well as a biotic factors, or nonliving parts. Biotic factors include plants, animals, and other organisms. Abiotic factors include rocks, temperature, and humidity. Every factor in an ecosystem depends on every other factor, either directly or indirectly. A change in the temperature of an ecosystem will often affect what plants will grow there, for instance. Animals that depend on plants for food and shelter will have to adapt to the changes, move to another ecosystem, or perish. Ecosystems can be very large or very small. Tide pools, the ponds left by the ocean as the tide goes out, are complete, tiny ecosystems. Tide pools contain seaweed, a kind of algae, which uses photosynthesis to create food. Herbivores such as abalone eat the seaweed. Carnivores such as sea stars eat other animals in the tide pool, such as clams or mussels. Tide pools depend on the changing level of ocean water. Some organisms, such as seaweed, thrive in an aquatic environment, when the tide is in and the pool is full. Other organisms, such as hermit crabs, cannot live underwater and depend on the shallow pools left by low tides. In this way, the biotic parts of the ecosystem depend on abiotic factors. The whole surface of Earth is a series of connected ecosystems. Ecosystems are often connected in a la...

Forest Ecosystem – An Overview A forest ecosystem is a unique ecology, including a very nice community of flora and fauna. When we heard “forest,” the primary thing that comes to our mind is trees. An area covered with trees making various canopy layers is commonly known as a forest ecosystem. Describing forest ecosystem– A forest ecosystem is a place that provides natural habitat to millions of plant and animal species. The forest ecosystems have been divided into different types based on the All about forest ecosystem in details You can go through this article to know more about such an incredible ecosystem i.e., about forest ecosystem, its climate, characteristics and types of forest ecosystem. Table of Contents • 1 Forest Ecosystem Definition • 2 Types of Forest Ecosystem • 2.1 Tropical Forest Ecosystem • 2.1.1 Evergreen forest • 2.1.2 Seasonal forest • 2.1.3 Dry forest • 2.1.4 Montane forest • 2.1.5 Sub-tropical forest • 2.1.6 Tropical & subtropical coniferous forest • 2.2 Temperate Forest Ecosystem • 2.2.1 Temperate Deciduous Forest • 2.2.2 Temperate Coniferous Forest • 2.3 Boreal Forest Ecosystem • 2.4 Savanna Forest Ecosystem • 3 Characteristics of Forest Ecosystem Forest Ecosystem Definition A natural woodland area making it a suitable place for the survival of biotic and abiotic components, is usually termed as a forest ecosystem. A forest ecosystem consists of various plants, animals, and other micro-organisms, making it a natural habitat for them. The forest ec...

Wildfires are destructive forces, but they can occur naturally. Because of this, certain plants and animals have evolved to depend on periodic wildfires for ecological balance. Prescribed burns can mimic the benefits of wildfires while also lowering the risks associated with larger, uncontrolled fires. Image Karner Blue Caterpillar The food source for the Karner blue butterfly caterpillar (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) is a plant called wild lupine (Lupine perennis). The wild lupine requires fire to reduce overhanging plants that otherwise would outcompete it for needed sunlight. Photograph by Science Stock The year 2019 marked 75 years of Smokey Bear, the advertising icon of the United States Forest Service who encourages visitors and campers to prevent wildfires. Wildfires are destructive forces that can result from natural causes (like lightning), human-caused accidents (like cigarettes and campfires), or deliberate acts of arson. Despite Smokey’s education campaigns, wildfires burned about four million hectares (10 million acres) of land during 2017, and in 2018, a single California wildfire, the “Camp Fire” destroyed nearly 20,000 structures and killed more than 80 people, with insured losses topping $10 billion. However, while these frightening and negative consequences dominate news headlines, forest fires have a positive side. Controlled use of wildland fires for positive environmental effects is common around the world. While a wildfire refers to an unintentional, u...

Protecting, Restoring, and Reforesting the Lungs of the Planet Forests are home to 80% of the species that live on land. From protecting • In the United States, The Nature Conservancy is working to protect the most diverse temperate forests on Earth in the • We are • In the American South, we are working to restore 8 million acres of • In the • In Brazil, in the • In the craggy • Science is critical to inform how we can best achieve healthy forests. Through research and resources such as the Improving Forest Policies and Funding All of these efforts to help the forests that improve our lives can get energized by government engaging with supportive policies and funding. We work around the globe to provide science, know-how, and investments to create better outcomes for citizens and businesses through policy engagement. The Nature Conservancy was instrumental in helping pass the " Forests Offer Our Biggest Natural Climate Solution Climate change is happening all over the world, threatening the well-being of people and wildlife. But nature itself offers a solution. By storing carbon in growing trees, and other natural systems such as farms and coastal wetlands, we can accomplish one-third of the emission reductions needed by 2030 to keep global temperature increases below 1.5°. Forests provide most of that carbon-storage opportunity, and The Nature Conservancy has projects around the world that are putting this solution to work. • The Nature Conservancy is developing new fina...

Forest ecosystems consist of organisms (plants, animals and micro-organisms) and their habitats (the soil and air). The functioning of forest ecosystems is characterised by energy and nutrient flows and cycling, biomass production and the decomposition of dead organic matter. Plants need nutrients and carbohydrates for biomass production and for other vital functions. Carbohydrates are produced by photosynthesis from carbon dioxide, water and nutrients. Autotrophic plants can directly utilise solar energy. Most bacteria, fungi and animals are heterotrophs that use plants as their direct or indirect source of energy. Organisms and their environment are continuously connected via energy and nutrient flows. Keywords • Biomass Production • Fine Root • Forest Ecosystem • Nutrient Cycling • Tree Stand These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves. Cite this chapter Helmisaari, HS. (2000). Structure and Functioning of Forest Ecosystems. In: Mälkönen, E. (eds) Forest Condition in a Changing Environment. Forestry Sciences, vol 65. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9373-1_21 Download citation • • • • DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9373-1_21 • Publisher Name : Springer, Dordrecht • Print ISBN : 978-90-481-5423-4 • Online ISBN : 978-94-015-9373-1 • eBook Packages :

A rainforest is an area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall. Rainforests are Earth’s oldest living ecosystems, with some surviving in their present form for at least 70 million years. They are incredibly diverse and complex, home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species—even though they cover just six percent of Earth’s surface. This makes rainforests astoundingly dense with flora and fauna; a 10-square-kilometer (four-square-mile) patch can contain as many as 1,500 flowering plants, 750 species of trees, 400 species of birds and 150 species of butterflies. Rainforests thrive on every continent except Antarctica. The largest rainforests on Earth surround the Amazon River in South America and the Congo River in Africa. The tropical islands of Southeast Asia and parts of Australia support dense rainforest habitats. Even the cool evergreen forests of North America’s Pacific Northwest and Northern Europe are a type of rainforest. Rainforests’ rich biodiversity is incredibly important to our well-being and the well-being of our planet. Rainforests help regulate our climate and provide us with everyday products. Unsustainable industrial and agricultural development, however, has severely degraded the health of the world’s rainforests. Citizens, governments, intergovernmental organizations, and conservation groups are working together to protect these invaluable but fragile ecosystems. Rainforest Structure Most rainforests are structured...