The Plant Kingdom - Types of Forests

Forests are those areas of the land where plants and trees and found in abundance. Though the grass is less in the forests, animals are present in large numbers. Forests are of the following three main types.

Tropical Rain Forests

Such forests are found in hot and humid tropical areas. Most of these forests are present around the equator. These areas remain hot through out the year and receive high rainfall. Most of the trees of these forests are evergreen, with broad leaves. The world’s maximum biomes, or plants and animals, are found in these forests. Only in the Amazon forests about 2,500 varieties of trees are found. These forests exist extensively in southern Mexico, Central America and Amazon and orinco rivers of South America land mason and orinco rivers of South America. More than 50% of the world’s rain forests are found in Brazil, Zaire and Indonesia. These are found in Africa and a few parts of Asia and in the islands of southern Pacific Ocean also. Tropical deer, monkey, snake and giant lizards are found in the rain forests. One third part of South America is covered with rain forests. Besides these, a number of birds such as parrots, kites, vultures, humming birds etc. are also found in these types of forests.

Temperate Forests

These forests are found in comparatively colder and drier areas than the rain forests. The trees of these forests shed their leaves in the cold and dry season once in a year. Oak, beach, chestnut, elm, mopil and tulip trees are common in these forests. Animals like grey fox, Virginia deer, squirrel, raccoon, bear, etc. are also found in these forests in large numbers. Here, we can find a lot of birds, who eat flesh of animals.

In most parts of north western America, such forests occur. These deciduous forests are also found in central and northern Europe, some parts of Africa, South America, etc.

Coniferous Forests

Coniferous forests are found in cold areas. Most of the trees of these forests are evergreen gymnosperm trees like pine, spruce, fir, hemlock, etc.

In the USA, coniferous forests are found in the mountainous ranges of mid and northern California and the north western pacific region. In these western coniferous forests, various varieties of trees as pine, Douglas fir, redwood, western hemlock, etc. are found. Animals like the lynx, deer, sheep, bear, goat, etc. are also found. In these forests, we can find owls, squirrels, rabbit, etc.

These forests also exist in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and New England, in some parts of Europe and Asia and in a few islands of southern pacific.