Forests & Grasslands

Forests

The forest is a complex ecosystem consisting mainly of trees that buffer the earth and support numerous life forms. The trees help in creating a special environment which, in turn, affects the kinds of animals and plants that can exist in the forest.

They are of following types -

Tropical Evergreen Forests

• An evergreen forest is a forest consisting entirely or mainly of evergreen trees that retain green foliage all year round.
• They occupy about seven per cent of the Earth's land surface and harbor more than half of the earth's terrestrial plants and animals.
• Such forests are found in equatorial and tropical region with more than 200cms annual rainfall and having a temperature of 15 °C to 30 °C. Trees are evergreen as there is no period of drought or frost.
• Ex- Red wood, pine etc.

Tropical Semi Deciduous Forests

• They lose old foliage as new growth begins.
• Such forests receive rainfall less than 150cms.
• Ex-swagman, saal, bamboo etc.

Temperate Mixed Forests or Taiga

• These are evergreen forests.
• They have straight trunk, conical shape with relatively short branches and small needle like leaves.
• Ex- pine, fir etc.

Tundra Forests

There are three types of tundra

1. Arctic tundra
2. Alpine tundra
3. Antarctic tundra

• In a tundra, the vegetation is composed of dwarf shrubs, sedges and grasses, mosses, and lichens.
• Here tree growth is mired because of low temperature & short growing seasons.
• Such forests are covered with snow.

Mountain Forests

• Vegetation varies according to altitude.

PASTURES (OR GRASSLANDS)

Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses, however sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica.

Tropical Pastures

They have different names in different countries–

1. Savanna in - Africa
2. Campos - in Brazil
3. Llanos - in Venezuela and Columbia.

Temperate Pastures

They are known by the following names–

1. Prairies in USA and Canada
2. Pampas in Argentina
3. Veldt in South Africa
4. Downs in Australia
5. Steppes in Eurasia (Ukraine, Russia)