WHAT ARE FORESTS Forest biomes are areas with large numbers of trees covering the land Trees are the giants of the plant kingdom The trunk of this giant sequoia tree towers above the other trees in Kings Canyon National Park in California A large tree can lift 100 gallons 380 liters of water out of the ground in just one day Trees in all shapes and sizes Trees grow in forests worldwide but only in places with enough rainfall so their roots can take up enough water to survive They range from enormous redwoods and sequoias which are the biggest living things on Earth down to slender birch trees They can have tiny leaves shaped like needles or giant flat leaves But however different they have two things in common They all have big tough woody stems that support them and they can live for many years 4 Amazing Adaptation Adaptations are special features or body parts that living things develop over time to help them survive in a biome Trees get energy for growing so big from food Like other green plants they are adapted for making their own food by photosynthesis Inside tree leaves energy from sunlight is used to turn carbon dioxide gas from the air and water supplied through its roots into sugary food
Forest life Forests are not just about trees Many living things have adapted to life in the forest biome Plants such as ferns and orchids grow on the branches and fungi grow on the forest floor Some animals such as insects and monkeys eat tree leaves and fruit and others including wild boar and deer eat fallen nuts Many predators such as jaguars and chameleons survive by catching forest prey Vital resource During photosynthesis plants release oxygen Nearly all living things on Earth need oxygen to survive as it is used to release energy from food in a process called respiration Two-thirds of the total leaf area of all land plants in the world is found in forests so forests are essential oxygen factories supporting life on our planet Chameleons are lizards that use branch gripping feet to move through forests They have long tongues to catch insect prey they have spotted with their swiveling eyes Fact Focus Biome or Habitat Biomes are regions of the world such as deserts forests rivers oceans tundra and grassland that have a similar climate plants and animals A biome may be made of several habitats A habitat is the specific place in a biome where a plant or animal lives 5
TYPES OF FORESTS Forests can be divided into four main types taiga deciduous temperate rain forest and tropical rain forest Each type has distinct characteristics and is composed of specific kinds of trees Amazing Adaptation Many coniferous trees have needle leaves see page 10 They have a small surface area so they do not lose much water by evaporation Holding on to water is important for trees when there is limited water in the soil Needles also have a wax layer on the surface that protects them from cold and snow Boreal Forest The boreal forest or taiga is found in the coldest parts of Earth where there is just enough water in the soil which is not frozen for trees to survive Taiga has mostly coniferous trees such as pine spruce and fir which make seeds in cones These trees have leaves all year and grow close together so little light reaches the forest floor Deciduous forest Deciduous trees including oak beech maple and chestnut have leaves that change color and fall to the ground in autumn The trees remain bare through dark winters surviving on stored food in their trunks Then in spring new leaves appear and begin to make food In a deciduous forest leaves turn yellow red orange purple and brown as they lose chlorophyll the chemical that gives leaves their green color and carries out photosynthesis 6
Rain forest Some forests grow in places where the annual rainfall exceeds 80 inches 200 cm This abundant moisture allows trees to grow very tall Most of the tallest rainforest trees form a continuous canopy or roof over the forest These plants get the most light Beneath the canopy smaller trees and other plants such as shrubs survive using the light that filters through from above The damp branches of trees are covered in epiphytes which are plants that grow on other plants These include mosses orchids and ferns Vines reach the light by twisting upward around tree trunks Tropical or temperate There are two types of rain forest Tropical rain forests grow in places that are hot all year round and are very humid as water on the ground evaporates Typical trees include figs mahogany kapok and eucalyptuses Temperate rain forests grow in cooler places and typical trees include cedars redwoods and cypresses In tropical rain forests some tall trees such as this fan palm grow wide surface roots at ground level These roots act as stabilizers to support the tree’s great height 7
