Forest

An area which is homogenous with regard to climate, soil and natural vegetation is called a natural region. In other words, a natural region is an area of the earth throughout which there are similarities il) conditions of temperature, rainfall, relief and vegetation.

Classification of world climatic regions and soils has already been dealt with in two separate chapters. In this £hapter, we will discuss the natural vegetation on the earth.

FOREST

CLASSIFICATION There are tropical as well as temper­ate types.
Equatorial and Tropical Evergreen Forest These for­ests are characterised by closely set trees forming a canopy shading ground and lower layers; tall trees with buttress roots; tree ferns, lianas (e.g., rattan) and epiphytes (e.g., orchids) form middle layers; floor is sparsely foliated due to dense shade; bacterial action reduces humus leading to laterisation; trees are large and evergreen; large number of species co-exist.

Location These forests are located close to the equator­Amazon and Zaire Basin, West African coastlands, Malaysia, coastal Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, New Guinea.

Examples of trees Mahogany, ebony, rosewood; in coastal swamps mangrove trees form dense forests.

Tropical Monsoon Forest Smaller number of species than in the case of tropical evergreen forest. Most trees are deciduous; tall trees are as high as 30 m (but less than in equatorial forests) and not as closely set together; under­growth is dense; bamboo thickets are common.
Locatio/1 They are located in Myanmar, Thailand, Cam­bodia, Laos, North Vietnam, parts of India, North Australia, east Java. Examples of trees Teak, bamboo, sal, sandalwood, [ianas, acacia, eucalyptus.

Temperate Evergreen Forest Plant growth goes on all year as these regions have rain throughout with winter temperatures often over lOoC; trees are broad leaved evergreens; some deciduous trees, too.

Location Located chiefly on the eastern sides of land masses in warm temperate latitudes (which is why it is also called warm mid-latitude east margin region). Areas are South China, South Japan, South-east Australia, Natal coastlands (Africa), South Brazil and South-eastern United States.

Examples of trees Evergreen oak, magnolia (China and USA); camphor and bamboo (China); eucalyptus (Austra­lia); Parana pines, quebracho (Brazil); walnut, hickory (USA); blackwood, ironwood, chestnut, wattle (S.E. Africa).

Mediterranean Summers are hot and dry, but plants have adapted themselves by storing water from winter rains. Either leaves are waxy or spiny, or like the grape­vine, plants have long roots. In drier parts grow scrub-like vegetation-herbs and shrubs like lavender, rosemary, thyme and oleander. Coniferous trees grow in wetter parts.
Location This type occurs on the western sides of landmasses in the warm temperate latitudes: low lands around the Mediterranean Sea, south-west Australia, south­west Africa, central Chile, central California.

Examples of trees Evergreen oak, cork oak, eucalyptus, jarrahs, (S.W. Australia), cedars, cypress and sequoia or redwood (California). It may be noted that this region had forest vegetation originally but much of it has been destroyed. The scrub vegetation that has risen in its place is the secondary type of vegetation-called maquis in France and chaparral in California.

Cool Temperate Also called cool mid-latitude east margin region, most of its places have below 6"C tempera­ture in winters. Deciduous trees predominate; many of them occurring in pure stands and being of great economic value.
Location Regions include west and central Europ eastern USA, N. China, N. Japan, Korea, S. Chile and Sou Island (New Zealand).
Examples of trees Oak, beech, hazel, elm, chestm poplar, walnut, hickory, maple, and conifers like cedar ar spruce in N. America.

Coniferous Forests (Taiga) Most trees are evergr~ and coniferous, adapted to the long, cold and often sno\' winters-the needle-like leaves to save water and conic shape with flexible branches allowing snow to slide 0 shallow roots, widely spread, to collect water from tJ topsoil, above the permafrost layer. Undergrowth is abse as the soil is frozen for many months each year.

Location This type of forest is most extensive in hil latitudes and on high mountains. There are two ma belts-(i) across Eurasia extending from the Atlantic to t Pacific; (ii) across North America, coast to coast. It between the mid-latitude grassland and the Polar Tund in the north.

Examples of trees Pine, spruce, hemlock; in the Me! terranean regions there are cypress and cedar. The conifers are exceedingly important, for their soft wood required for the paper, match, synthetic fibre industry