{"id":6518,"date":"2024-04-02T12:09:12","date_gmt":"2024-04-02T18:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/?p=6518"},"modified":"2024-04-08T10:57:30","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T16:57:30","slug":"different-types-of-forests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/different-types-of-forests\/","title":{"rendered":"Different Types of Forests"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Forests are the lungs of our planet and make up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fao.org\/state-of-forests\/en\/\">31% of the world\u2019s land area<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also come in diverse forms, each with unique ecosystems that provide a sanctuary for a large number of birds and animals, many of them endangered.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re also home to more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/biodiversity\">80% of terrestrial species<\/a> and absorb <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/agenda\/2023\/01\/mapping-worlds-forests-green-globe-climate-change\">roughly 15.6 billion tons<\/a> of carbon dioxide annually.<br><br>Along the Pacific coast of Central America, these ecosystems face threats. Preserving these natural habitats are at the heart of what we do at Paso Pacifico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join <a href=\"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/our-team\/\">our team<\/a> as we explore the different types of forests in the world and why their conservation is imperative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Understanding the Different Types of Forests in the World<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While forests can be classified by geographical regions, their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tutorchase.com\/answers\/ib\/ess\/how-do-latitude-and-climate-influence-biome-types\">latitudes and climates<\/a> are what influence humidity, precipitation, temperature, and wind, ultimately shaping the diversity of the plants and animals that thrive in them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on this distinction, the three main types of forests are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Boreal Forests&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Also known as taiga, <a href=\"http:\/\/ibfra.org\/about-boreal-forests\/\">boreal forests<\/a> are the largest terrestrial pool of biomes. They occupy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/taiga\">17% of the earth\u2019s land area<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/unece.org\/forests\/boreal-forests\">27% of the total forest area<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two types of boreal forests:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open canopy boreals cover 11% of the land surface area. They have cold and dry climates (45\u00b0 to 70\u00b0 latitude), lesser diversity of species, and short growing seasons.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Closed canopy boreals are located at lower altitudes. They have warmer climates, rich diversity of species, a long growing season, and a canopy cover of over 20%.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These forests are found in eight countries, including Sweden, Russia, Canada, and Japan. They <a href=\"https:\/\/smap.jpl.nasa.gov\/system\/internal_resources\/details\/original\/519_Freeze_Thaw_The_Breathing_Boreal_Forest_3.5.14.pdf\">act as carbon sinks<\/a> by storing carbon in <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/bies.202100010\">tree biomass and soil organic matter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are home to 300 species of birds (and over three million migratory birds), 32,000 insect species that act as pollinators and decomposers, and more than 85 species of mammals like elk, moose, wolves, and lemmings.\u00a0Additionally, they provide a safe habitat to many endangered and threatened species like grizzly bears, northern flying squirrels, polar bears, whooping cranes, wolverines, and woodland caribou.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, almost <a href=\"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/1748-9326\/aad74e\">80% of the world\u2019s forests<\/a> are on top of <a href=\"https:\/\/climatekids.nasa.gov\/permafrost\">permafrost<\/a> which, due to climate change, is thawing at an unnaturally rapid rate. The accelerated thawing poses significant risks, including damage to infrastructure, landslides, ground collapse, geological instability, and rising sea levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tropical Forests&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Found along the equator in regions like Central and South Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and South America, tropical forests cover <a href=\"https:\/\/rainforests.mongabay.com\/\">about 12% of the Earth\u2019s land surface<\/a>. They are warm throughout the year, and their abundant cloud cover (which extends&nbsp;to over 8,700 yards ) restricts heat loss, preventing temperatures from dropping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Popular types of tropical forests include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oceanservice.noaa.gov\/facts\/mangroves.html\">Mangrove forests<\/a>, where trees grow in low-oxygen soil and brackish water. They stabilize the coastline, offering\u00a0protection from currents and storms.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/earth-and-planetary-sciences\/evergreen-forest\">Evergreen rainforests<\/a> receive over 79 inches&nbsp;of rain annually. They have warm humid conditions and the most diverse terrestrial systems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eolss.net\/sample-chapters\/c20\/E6-142-TB-05.pdf\">Moist tropical forests<\/a> exhibit low variability and less rainfall.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.natureandculture.org\/wild-places\/tropical-dry-forests\">Tropical dry forests<\/a> receive very little rain and are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK219281\/\">the most endangered major tropical ecosystems<\/a>. Long dry seasons are followed by heavy rain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/earth-and-planetary-sciences\/cloud-forest\">Cloud forests<\/a> are found in high altitudes. They have a low-level cloud cover which makes the crowns of trees appear as if they\u2019re bathed in mist. They also host an abundant collection of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.konacloudforest.com\/how-and-why-air-plants-grow-in-cloud-forests\/\">epiphytes<\/a> or air plants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Tropical forests contain about <a href=\"https:\/\/education.nationalgeographic.org\/resource\/rain-forest\/\">half of all terrestrial life<\/a>. They are extremely dense with diverse varieties of flora and fauna. These forests are home to species on the brink of extinction, including the yellow-naped amazon parrot, which is on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/\">IUCN Red List<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Temperate Forests&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Temperate forests are positioned between boreal and tropical forests. They are located at mid-latitudes of around 25\u00b0 to 50\u00b0 across North America and Eurasia, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/temperate-forest\">covering more than&nbsp; 10.7 trillion square feet<\/a>. They experience four seasons, receive around 20 to 60 inches of annual precipitation, and support diverse plant growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Temperate forests are usually classified into three types:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/earthobservatory.nasa.gov\/biome\/bioconiferous.php\">Coniferous forests<\/a> are terrestrial biomes with cold climates marked by conifers, which grow needles and cones instead of leaves and flowers.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/biologydictionary.net\/deciduous-forest\/\">Deciduous forests<\/a> are broad-leaf areas that lose their foliage each winter as they enter dormancy. They are <a href=\"https:\/\/kids.nceas.ucsb.edu\/biomes\/temperateforest.html\">classified into five zones<\/a> based on the height of their trees.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.plantlife.org.uk\/protecting-plants-fungi\/temperate-rainforest\">Temperate rainforests<\/a> receive heavy rain and are influenced by the sea.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Temperate forests are home to endangered species like the European mink, Vanzolini\u2019s spiny-chest frog, and the mountain caribou that thrive alongside a wide variety of plants, vegetation, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lyricbirdfood.com\/birding-hub\/basics\/what-does-passerine-mean\/\">passerine<\/a> birds, and wildlife thanks to the distinctive seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Plight of the Most Endangered Forests<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Tropical rainforests are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/environment\/article\/rainforest-threats\">one of the most threatened ecosystems<\/a> as they face immense destruction from logging, deforestation, and agricultural expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once covering over 14% of the Earth\u2019s land, they <a href=\"https:\/\/education.nationalgeographic.org\/resource\/rain-forest\/\">now make up only 6%<\/a> of its surface! And if deforestation continues, they will <a href=\"https:\/\/education.nationalgeographic.org\/resource\/local-and-global-effects-deforestation-amazon\/\">lose 5% to 10% of their species each decade<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, tropical dry forests are the most endangered. While they\u2019re known to be resilient, they are no match for the consequences of human interference, climate change and <a href=\"https:\/\/environment-review.yale.edu\/case-conserving-tropical-dry-forests\">man-made fires<\/a> designed to clear large forest areas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consequently, they\u2019ve shrunk from 5.9 trillion square feet&nbsp;in the 1500s to 5.2 billion square feet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;We now have only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/339987894_Global-Overview-of-Tropical-Dry-Forests\">0.09% of the original forested area<\/a> left.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Rich Biodiversity in Rainforests and Dry Forests<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rainforests have the most diverse and complex ecosystems. They contain over half of the animal species in the world. This includes over 5,000 bird species like the curl-crested ara\u00e7ari, harpy eagle, resplendent quetzal, and sun parakeet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re also home to over 50% of known plant species and hundreds of mammals like anteaters, antelopes, capybaras, elephants, gorillas, jaguars, tigers, and orangutans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dry forests, on the other hand, host a range of migratory and aquatic\/shore birds. They have an astonishing diversity of trees, most of which are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/agricultural-and-biological-sciences\/dry-forest\">deciduous during the arid season<\/a> to conserve water.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re home to the black-eared opossum, green iguana, guanay cormorant, northern tamandua , Peruvian booby, Peruvian pelican, roseate spoonbill, Sechuran fox, snowy plover, southern flamingo, the South American sea lion, and the Tumbesian tegu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nine out of <a href=\"https:\/\/worldrainforests.com\/10hot_spots.htm\">25 biodiversity hotspots<\/a> identified contain dry forest areas. Thanks to dry forests\u2019 climatological conditions,&nbsp; they are a refuge for thousands of endemic species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance, the <a href=\"https:\/\/datazone.birdlife.org\/eba\/factsheet\/47\">Tumbesian region<\/a>, an area in west Ecuador and northwest Peru, has 58 restricted-range birds. Twenty-three of them are threatened\/endangered, like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oiseaux-birds.com\/card-white-winged-guan.html\">white-winged guan<\/a>. That\u2019s why 9 out of <a href=\"https:\/\/worldrainforests.com\/10hot_spots.htm\">25 biodiversity hotspots<\/a> identified contain dry forest areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rainforests vs. Dry Forests<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rainforests are characterized by high rainfall, dense vegetation, and unparalleled biodiversity. They\u2019re mostly found in the tropics. These regions receive more direct solar radiation, contain about 25% of the world\u2019s carbon, and help regulate global temperatures.<br><br>In contrast, dry forests often endure prolonged droughts, with flora and fauna that have adapted and survived its contrasting extremes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They cover around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.aam6527#core-R1\">41.5%<\/a> of Earth\u2019s land surface. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0960982218303154\">Up to a third of the world\u2019s population<\/a> lives in and around these areas. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cifor.org\/publications\/pdf_files\/articles\/ADjoudi1502.pdf\">Millions of people<\/a> rely on dry forests for their livelihoods, making their <a href=\"https:\/\/whatcanyoudo.earth\/tellus-blog\/conservation-of-forest-and-wildlife\/\">conservation critical<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Types of Forests on the Pacific Coast of Central America<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Pacific coast of Central America has a variety of ecosystems, including coastal forests, tropical forests, mangroves, and cloud forests. These habitats absorb carbon, provide clean water and air, and are home to threatened and endangered animals like tapirs, black-handed spider monkeys, and Cyanoptera macaws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sadly, the majority of these forests are under threat from unprecedented wildfires, clearing of land for agriculture, extensive timber harvesting, and other extractive uses of their natural resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Paso Pac\u00edfico\u2019s Conservation Efforts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Paso Pac\u00edfico operates on the Pacific coast of Central America. With initiatives like reforestation projects, preservation of wildlife corridors, and community engagement for sustainable land use, we are dedicated to conserving and restoring critical habitats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also work to prevent the extinction of various endemic species like spider monkeys, sea turtles, stingless bees, yellow-naped amazon parrots, jaguars, and migratory birds. <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.givelively.org\/donate\/paso-pacifico\">Donate today<\/a> to help us restore habitats and safeguard our future.<\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Forests are the lungs of our planet and make up 31% of the world\u2019s land area. They also come in diverse forms, each with unique ecosystems that provide a sanctuary for a large number of birds and animals, many of them endangered.&nbsp; They\u2019re also home to more than 80% of terrestrial species and absorb roughly [&hellip;]<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6519,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[211],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6518","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environmental-conservation","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6518"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6518"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6518\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6533,"href":"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6518\/revisions\/6533"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pasopacifico.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}