tropical forest
Humid jungle biome
A tropical forest is a dense woodland found in regions near the equator where temperatures remain warm year-round and rainfall is abundant.
These forests include rainforests, which receive consistent heavy precipitation, and seasonal tropical forests, which experience distinct wet and dry periods.
Tropical forests harbor extraordinary biodiversity, containing more plant and animal species than any other terrestrial ecosystem.
The tropical forest canopy was so thick that little sunlight reached the ground.
Lush with plants
- denseClosely packed together
- luxuriantAbundantly rich, profuse
- jungleDense tropical forest
- overgrownExcessively covered in vegetation
teeming · profuse · tangled · impenetrable · vibrant · flourishing · wild · untamed
Topmost rainforest zone
- overstoryTopmost forest layer
- understoryForest's lower vegetation tier
- tree crownsUpper foliage masses
- foliagePlant's leafy covering
epiphytes · lianas · arboreal · strata · canopy walkway · treetop · leaf litter · buttress roots
Finest taxonomic rank
- endemicNative to one area
- floraPlants of a region
- faunaAnimal life collectively
- diversityState of varied elements
richness · abundance · wildlife · birds · insects · mammals · reptiles · amphibians
Containing much moisture
- warmModerately heated, or friendly
- equatorialOf Earth's central line
- monsoonSeasonal tropical wind pattern
- wet seasonProlonged rainy period
dry season · precipitation · rainfall · humidity · temperature · microclimate · weather patterns · moisture
CO2 storage reservoir
- nutrient cycleCirculation of essential elements
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- symbiosisInterspecies biological interdependence
- food webInterconnected predator-prey relationships
old-growth · watershed · soil fertility · mycorrhizae · pollination · seed dispersal · ecological balance · biomass
Greek warrior women
- Congo BasinMajor African river watershed
- BorneoSoutheast Asian mega-island
- SumatraIndonesian island, sixth largest
- MadagascarAfrican island republic
New Guinea · Southeast Asia · Central America · West Africa · selva · Mesoamerica
verdant
Lush with plants
overgrown · teeming · profuse · tangled · impenetrable · vibrant · flourishing · wild · untamed · primeval
emergent layer
Topmost rainforest zone
- overstoryTopmost forest layer
- understoryForest's lower vegetation tier
- tree crownsUpper foliage masses
foliage · epiphytes · lianas · arboreal · strata · canopy walkway · treetop · leaf litter · buttress roots · vine
species
Finest taxonomic rank
diversity · richness · abundance · wildlife · birds · insects · mammals · reptiles · amphibians · primates
humid
Containing much moisture
- warmModerately heated, or friendly
- equatorialOf Earth's central line
- monsoonSeasonal tropical wind pattern
wet season · dry season · precipitation · rainfall · humidity · temperature · microclimate · weather patterns · moisture · heat
carbon sink
CO2 storage reservoir
- nutrient cycleCirculation of essential elements
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- symbiosisInterspecies biological interdependence
food web · old-growth · watershed · soil fertility · mycorrhizae · pollination · seed dispersal · ecological balance · biomass · organic matter
Amazon
Greek warrior women
- Congo BasinMajor African river watershed
- BorneoSoutheast Asian mega-island
- SumatraIndonesian island, sixth largest
Madagascar · New Guinea · Southeast Asia · Central America · West Africa · selva · Mesoamerica
- foresttrees, pine, oak, woods, wood
- forestswoods, pine trees, maple trees, spruce trees, grove
- ecologyhabitat, ecosystem, balance, niche, food webs
- ecosystemsrainforest, desert, jungle, ocean, lake
- rainforestscanopy layer, emergent layer, understory, Borneo, Sumatra
- big cat habitatssavanna, jungle, rainforest, grassland, tiger reserve
tropical foresttundra
Frigid treeless biome
boreal forest · taiga · temperate forest · coniferous forest · deciduous forest
tropical forestdesert
To leave behind completely
scrubland · savanna · sand dunes · steppe · badlands
tropical forestcity
Large populated area
industrial zone · concrete jungle · agricultural land · parking lot · plantation