66Forests
Trees are the biggest plants on the planet. Forests of them
cover large areas of land and provide shelter for other
plants and animals. They will flourish anywhere that is
warm and wet enough during their growing season.
RAIN FOREST
There are two types of rain forest—
temperate and tropical. Both are
found in areas of very high rainfall,
which helps the trees grow tall and
fast. Rain forests are full of animals
and plants. In fact, about half of
all species on the planet live in rain
forests. Despite all the plant
material, the soils in these regions
are thin and poor in nutrients.BOREAL FOREST
Boreal forests are found in northern
countries that have long, snowywinters. Most of the trees that grow
here are conifers, such as pine,
spruce, and larch. Instead of flat
leaves they have thin needles that
help them save water and resist
strong winds. Their branches slope
downward so that snow slides off.TEMPERATE FOREST
Mixed, mainly broadleaf woodlands
grow in regions that have long, warm
summers and cool, frosty winters.
They drop their leaves in winter,
which allows flowering plants
such as bluebells and aconites to
grow in early spring before it gets
too shady. The leaves break down to
form a deep, rich soil. Many of these
forests have been cleared for farming. LEAVES fall from deciduous trees
in the fall when light levels and the
temperature drop. This allows trees to save
energy and conserve water over the winter.TELL ME MORE...
The Amazon rain forest in South
America covers an area almost as
big as Australia. An area of
2.5 acres (1 hectare) may
contain more than 750 types of
tree and 1,500 other plants.
Almost a sixth of all flowering
plants and one-seventh of all
bird species live there. The trees
keep their leaves all year long. DYING LEAVES
turn brown in
the fall.ENVIRONMENTAND ECOLOGY
(c) 2012 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.(c) 2012 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.