Forests are a rich source of food, medicine and many other products. Most people benefit from some of the other aspects of the forest. We all need to eat, and forests provide the food. We use wood for building, and forests provide a wide variety of wood products.

The value of forests is difficult to estimate. Forests are the foundation of the environment and the world. Forests provide safe havens to wild animals and other living organisms. 

Forests

Forests are a major source of renewable energy. More than 75 percent of the Earth’s surface was covered by forests, but unfortunately at the present, the number seems to be declining. Forests are the largest source of renewable energy in the world. The use of forest products has a significant influence on the environment and the economy. The forest lands contribute 75% of the Gross Primary Product GPP of the Earth’s surface. 

Forests can have a big number of tree species in a short area (just like in tropical rainforests and temperate deciduous forests) or a short number of species spread out across a wide region (for example- coniferous forests). Forests are frequently home to a diverse range of wildlife, and their biomass per unit area is significant when compared to other vegetation types. A large portion of this biomass is found beneath the earth in the rhizosphere and as partially degraded plant detritus. The hardwood portion of a forest comprises lignin, which decomposes more slowly than other organic compounds such as cellulose or glucose.

Different Categories of Forests

Tropical Forests

Tropical rain forests develop in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia around the equator. They boast the world’s largest species variety per area, with millions of distinct species. Despite covering only a small portion of the planet, they are home to at least the majority of all species. The temperature is constant throughout the year, hovering at about 27°C (60°F). As the name implies, it rained heavily in these woodlands. Every year, many tropical forests receive an additional 200 cm (80 inches) of rain. Tropical woods often have two seasons: wet and dry.

The different subcategories of Coniferous, Dry, Subtropical, Deciduous, and Evergreen forests exist under the category of tropical forests.

Temperate Forests 

This zone has different seasons, which include winter. The temperatures typically fluctuate from -30 to 30°C (-22 to 86°F), and the woodlands get 75-150 cm (30-60 in) of rainfall every year. In contrast to certain spruce like pines and firs, autumnal or leaf shedding trees make up a significant amount of the vegetation diversity. Temperate woods may be found in the secondary latitude band, as well as in locations such as North-Eastern Asia, North America, and Europe.

Differences between Tropical Evergreen and Tropical Deciduous forests

Tropical Evergreen forests

• Tropical evergreen forests(also called rainforests) are often found in locations with much more than 200 cm of rainfall precipitation and temperatures ranging from 15 to 30 degrees Celsius
• Tropical evergreen forests cover around 7% of the earth’s land area and are home to the majority of the world’s flora and animals 
• The tropical evergreen woodlands are mainly found around the equatorial regions
• The tropical evergreen forests are home to a diverse range of vegetation and wildlife populations
• Since there is no dryness, all the trees in the forests are termed evergreen
• They are usually tall and the trees are of solid wood variety
• The leaves are wide and expel surplus water by evaporative cooling or by transpiration

Evergreen forests are predominant in India on the western edge of the Western Ghats in parts of Kerala and Karnataka. They may be located throughout the Khasi and Jaintia Hills as well. Sandalwood, ebony, Bamboo, and mahogany are among the trees abundant in the Indian Tropical Forests.

Tropical Deciduous Forests

• Tropical deciduous forests grow in sunny conditions for a part of the year and with hundreds of millimetres of rain every year
• Though the tropical deciduous forests are found in areas that are warm all year and may get hundreds of millimetres of precipitation per year, these forests often have an extensive drought that lasts several months and varies depending on geographic location
• Tropical deciduous forests can be found in drier locations in northern and southern of the tropical rainforest zone, as well as central and southern of sub temperate deserts, in two bands: one between mid-northern latitude and the other between upper southern latitude 
• The world’s most diversified tropical deciduous forests may be found in southern Mexico and the southern midlands of Bolivia
• The lush woods of tropical deciduous forests shelter most of the endangered species of wildlife present on the earth

The tropical deciduous forests, During the wet seasons, are lush with foliage, but during the dry wintertime, while most trees drop their leaves to prevent losing their storage water to the atmosphere, they transform into  a dramatically contrasting dry biomass

Conclusion 

Forests are also a major supplier of timber, fibres, and medicines, as well as providing environmental services such as climate regulation, wildlife habitat, and soil formation. Forests are places where life is abundant, animals live, and the air is clean. They also provide a source of income for the people who manage them and they play a critical role in the global ecology.