SCIENCE PROJECT GROUP NO.

4
Forests occupy one third of the Earths !and area and are found on a!!
corners of the "!o#e. $hi!e there are a fe% different types of forests& a!!
forests ha'e trees as the do(inant p!ant type.
Forests are di'ided into three different !ayers) the forest f!oor& the
understory and the canopy. *+ The forest f!oor is co(prised of soi!& dead p!ants
and ani(a!s and s(a!! p!ants such as "rasses and %i!df!o%ers. ,+ The
understory contains s(a!! trees or #ushes and is a!so ca!!ed the shru# !ayer. -+
The canopy is (ade up of the !ea'es and #ranches of the trees that do(inate the
forest.
.ore than t%o thirds of the %or!ds p!ant species are found in the tropica!
rainforests) p!ants that pro'ide she!ter and food for rainforest ani(a!s as %e!! as
ta/in" part in the "as e0chan"es %hich pro'ide (uch of the %or!ds o0y"en
supp!y.
FAST FACTS
Assuming it lives at least 50 years, a tree exhales 6,000
pounds of oxygen in its life, or about 10 pounds per year!
Rainforest p!ants !i'e in a %ar( hu(id en'iron(ent that a!!o%s an enor(ous
'ariation rare in (ore te(perate c!i(ates) so(e !i/e the orchids ha'e #eautifu!
f!o%ers adapted to attract the profusion of forest insects.
.ost Forest1s are found a!! o'er the "!o#e2 in 3sia "reat forest in Eastern
4i(a!ayas& 5orneo and Su(atra& 6an"t7e In 3frica2 .ada"ascar& Greater
.e/on"& Na(i#ia& Con"o 5asin& and in South 3(erica2 in Southern
Chi!e& & 3(a7on&3(ur84ei!on"&
Co(petition at "round !e'e! for !i"ht and food has !ead to e'o!ution of
p!ants %hich !i'e on the #ranches of other p!ants& or e'en stran"!e !ar"e trees to
fi"ht for sur'i'a!.
The aeria! p!ants often "ather nourish(ent fro( the air itse!f usin" so8ca!!ed air
roots2. The hu(idity of the rainforest encoura"es such adaptations %hich %ou!d
#e i(possi#!e in (ost te(perate forests %ith their (uch drier conditions.
The /ind of ani(a!s that !i'e in the forest are %i!d and free. 5ears& deer& (oose&
raccoons& and insects are found in the forest. The forest is a "reat p!ace to see
ani(a!s in their ha#itat.
The forest is the !ife of the earth in other %ords it is the 9un"s of the %or!d
%ithout the forest hu(ans ani(as and p!ant %i!! ne'er sur'i'e
Today our forest is in dan"er of #ein" e0tinction& #ecause it is destroyed
#y)
a+ I!!e"a! !o""in" ) I!!e"a! !o""in" occurs around the %or!d& and in so(e
p!aces& i!!e"a! !o""in" is (ore co((on than the !e"a! 'ariety. This
destruction threatens so(e of the %or!d1s (ost fa(ous and 'a!ua#!e
forests& inc!udin" rainforests in the 3(a7on& Con"o 5asin& Indonesia and
the forests of the Russian Far East. I!!e"a! !o""in" a!so depresses the
price of ti(#er %or!d%ide& disad'anta"in" !a%8a#idin" co(panies& and
depri'in" "o'ern(ents of re'enues nor(a!!y "enerated #y duties and
ta0es. Poor co((unities near forests are often 'u!nera#!e %hen outsiders
try to "ain contro! o'er the ti(#er near#y& %hich can !ead to repression
and hu(an ri"hts 'io!ations.
#+ FIRESForest on fire in the 3(a7on& 5ra7i!. Fires are a natura! and
#eneficia! part of the forest !andscape& #ut they can #e a pro#!e( %hen
they occur in the %ron" p!ace& at the %ron" fre:uency or at the %ron"
se'erity. Each year& (i!!ions of acres of forest around the %or!d are
destroyed or de"raded #y fire. The sa(e a(ount is !ost to !o""in" and
a"ricu!ture co(#ined. Fire is often used as a %ay to efficient!y and
ine0pensi'e!y c!ear !and for other uses such as p!antin" crops. These fires
not on!y a!ter the structure and co(position of forests& #ut they can a!so
open up the forests to in'asi'e species& threaten #io!o"ica! di'ersity& a!ter
%ater cyc!es and soi! ferti!ity& and destroy the !i'e!ihoods of the peop!e %ho
!i'e in and around the forests.
c+ FUE9$OO; 43R<ESTING $ood is sti!! a popu!ar fue! choice for coo/in"
and heatin" around the %or!d& and a#out ha!f of the i!!e"a! re(o'a! of
ti(#er fro( forests is thou"ht to #e for use as fue!%ood.
d+ CON<ERSION TO 3GRICU9TURE 3s the hu(an popu!ation continues
to "ro%& there is an o#'ious need for (ore food. In addition& a"ricu!tura!
products& such as soy and pa!( oi!& are used in an e'er8increasin" !ist of
products& fro( ani(a! feed to !ipstic/ and #iofue!s. Risin" de(and has
created incenti'es to con'ert forests to far(!and and pasture !and. Once a
forest is !ost to a"ricu!ture& it is usua!!y "one fore'er=a!on" %ith (any of
the p!ants and ani(a!s that once !i'ed there.
.any different types of Indi"enous peop!e !i'e deep in the rainforests. .any of
these peop!e sur'i'e #y huntin"& /eepin" !i'estoc/ and "ro%in" crops. $ith the
destruction of trees& ani(a!s and p!ants& (ost of these peop!e ha'e #een forced
to either (o'e out of the forest or face star'ation.
PEOPLE DEPEND ON FORESTS
.i!!ions of peop!e around the %or!d depend on forests for huntin"& "atherin" and
(edicine& forest products such as ru##er and rattan& and s(a!!8sca!e a"ricu!ture.
;eforestation can disrupt the !i'es of !oca! co((unities& so(eti(es %ith
de'astatin" conse:uences. Forests pro'ide a 'ast array of resources to a!! of us&
inc!udin" food& %ood& (edicine& fresh %ater& and the air %e #reathe. $ithout the
trees& species can disappear& the natura! %ater #a!ance can #eco(e disrupted
and the ecosyste( that supports the hu(an popu!ation can fa!! apart.