forest ecosystems
Wooded natural communities
Forest ecosystems are biological communities where trees are the dominant life form, along with the animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms that interact within them.
The term emphasizes interconnection—nutrient cycles, food webs, and energy flows linking everything from canopy to soil.
Logging disrupts forest ecosystems in ways that take decades to recover.
Different forest types—tropical rainforests, temperate deciduous forests, boreal forests—constitute distinct ecosystems with characteristic species and climate patterns.
- treesWoody plants with trunks
- tree canopyUpper forest layer
- old growthUndisturbed ancient forest
- shrubsLow woody plants
- soilGround matter for planting
food webs · food chain · deforestation · biodiversity · wildlife corridors · natural habitat · photosynthesis · sunlight · humidity · fungi · endemic species · decomposition · wind patterns · carbon sequestration · seed dispersal · microorganisms · keystone species · energy flow
forest ecosystemsurban environments
Built-up populated areas
industrial zones · built environment · agricultural land · cropland · parking lots