Knowra Tropical forest Tropical forest A forest ecosystem in the tropics, encompassing diverse forest types shaped by warm climates and varying rainfall. Its structure and species composition vary with water availability, soils, and disturbance.
Tropical rainforest : A tropical forest with high rainfall throughout the year and a largely closed, multilayered canopy. It is the wettest, most familiar tropical forest type.
Evapotranspiration : The transfer of water to the atmosphere through evaporation and plant transpiration. Forest water release can help sustain regional rainfall.
Deforestation : The conversion of forest to nonforest land through clearing or other sustained removal of tree cover. It is the direct loss of tropical forest area.
Biodiversity : The variety of life across genes, species, and ecosystems, and the ecological relationships among them. Tropical forests contain a large share of Earth's terrestrial species.
Tropical dry forest : A tropical forest with a pronounced dry season, when many trees shed their leaves. Seasonal water scarcity creates a sharply different forest structure.
Nutrient cycle : The movement and transformation of nutrients among organisms, soil, water, and the atmosphere. Rapid nutrient recycling lets many forests thrive on weathered soils.
Forest restoration : The process of assisting the recovery of a degraded or destroyed forest ecosystem. Restoration can rebuild ecological functions in damaged tropical landscapes.
Endemism : The restriction of a species or other taxon to a particular geographic area. Isolation and specialized habitats produce many range-restricted tropical forest species.
Tropical montane forest : A tropical forest growing at elevation, where cooler temperatures and frequent cloud shape its ecology. Elevation adds a major climatic gradient within the tropics.
Carbon sequestration : The capture and storage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in plants, soils, or other reservoirs. Tropical forest growth stores carbon, while clearing releases it.
Show all 24