FOREST ECOSYSTEM: CHARACTERISTICS, FLORA, FAUNA, EXAMPLES - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

A forest ecosystem is an extension where biotic (living beings) and abiotic (climate, soil, water) elements interact, with the tree biotype predominant in its plant component. In these the trees predominate over the other forms of life in the ecosystem in density, frequency and coverage.

Among the forest ecosystems are tropical forests, both seasonal, and humid tropical forests. Likewise, Mediterranean forests, temperate forests, mixed forests, coniferous forests, as well as forest plantations and fruit orchards, are forest ecosystems.

Forest ecosystem. Source: Malene Thyssen / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

These ecosystems require a minimum of environmental conditions, related to the requirements of the biological tree form. Among these conditions are adequate soil depth, water availability and temperatures above 10 ºC at least in one period of the year.

The arboreal element determines a series of characteristics of forest ecosystems such as the distribution of light in the vertical gradient of the ecosystem and the relative humidity. For all this, they are considered the terrestrial ecosystems with the greatest biological diversity, which increases with latitude.

Thus, forest ecosystems in the tropics are more biodiverse and biological diversity decreases in temperate forests and even more so in boreal forests. In addition, this biodiversity gives them a complex structure with various strata and plants climbing or living on trees.

Features of the

Environmental requirements

The establishment of forest ecosystems requires a minimum of conditions that allow the growth of trees. Limiting factors include soil depth and temperatures, since at recurring temperatures below 10 ° C trees do not thrive.

On the other hand, the availability of water is also a determining factor for the existence of a forest ecosystem. Therefore, there are no forest ecosystems around the 70º parallel of north or south latitude, above 3,500 to 4,000 meters above sea level or in areas with shallow and very stony soils.

Likewise, these types of ecosystems cannot develop in soils that are very poor in nutrients or with prolonged water deficit.

Plant structure

Forest ecosystems present a complex plant structure with several strata that include an understory and two to five levels of woody vegetation. The understory is the lower part where herbs and shrubs grow, as well as juveniles of tree species.

The simplest plant structure of this type of ecosystem occurs in the boreal forest, with a sparse understory, one or two tree strata and little specific diversity. Trees can reach from 30 to 60 m in height and belong to a few species.

Structure of the forest ecosystem. Source: German Robayo / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

For its part, the warm tropical rainforest is the most complex forest ecosystem in structure, such as the Amazon. In this there is an understory of scattered shrubs, grasses and juvenile trees, a series of up to 5 strata and abundant climbing plants, lianas and epiphytes.

Influence on the environment

Forest ecosystems transform the physical environment where they develop, by becoming generators of organic matter and receivers of water. In this sense, the soil is enriched with organic matter from the litter and a complex underground ecosystem is established.

Oxygen and water

It is generally pointed out that forest ecosystems such as the Amazon are the lungs of the world, but this is not correct. Thus, the Amazon rainforest consumes almost all the oxygen it generates.

However, both the Amazon and any other forest ecosystem play a determining role in the water cycle. They form a barrier that intercepts the humid winds and condenses the water generating precipitation.

On the other hand, forest ecosystems regulate water runoff and infiltration, filter it through their metabolism and return it to the atmosphere by evapotranspiration.

The rhizosphere

In the soil of forest ecosystems there is a complex relationship between roots and soil fungi. These fungi are called mycorrhizae and live in close symbiotic bond with the roots.

Symbiosis is an ecological relationship in which both participating organisms benefit. In this sense, fungi receive nutrients from the roots and, in turn, increase the tree's absorption capacity for water and minerals.

Niches and biodiversity

The complex structure that tree communities build, as well as their high primary productivity, are the foundation of the forest ecosystem. This is thanks to the high number of ecological niches they generate, which enables the development of a great diversity of other organisms.

Tree with epiphytes. Source: Avenue / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

A tree in the upper canopy of the rainforest could be interpreted as an ecosystem because a large number of other plants live on it. Likewise, bacteria, fungi, mosses, lichens, insects, birds and mammals are present interacting with its microclimate.

Flora

This is characterized by the abundance of tree species, which vary depending on the climatic zone. The greatest diversity of trees is found in tropical forest ecosystems, especially in rainforests.

For its part, in the taiga (subarctic forest ecosystem), the diversity of species is low but the number of trees is very large. In such a way that the taiga represents the most extensive forest ecosystem on the planet.

Temperate and cold forest ecosystems

Conifers are the most important plant group in the forests of the northern and southern hemispheres, represented by pinnaceae and cupresaceae in the former and by araucaria in the south. Thus, this group of plants dominate the forest ecosystems of the boreal forest or taiga and the coniferous forests.

Temperate forest. Source: Josué Goge / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

Similarly, angiosperm species, such as oaks, beech and others, are frequent in temperate deciduous forests, temperate rain forests and Mediterranean forests. Some cultivated species such as laurel and olive trees have their origin in the Mediterranean forests.

Tropical forest ecosystems

In these diverse species of arboreal angiosperms predominate and conifers are scarce. The dominant families are legumes, as well as anacardiaceae, moraceae and lauraceae.

Various fruit trees today cultivated in orchards are native to tropical forests, such as mango (India), cacao (South America) and breadfruit (Africa).

Fauna

In forest ecosystems the fauna is very diverse and, like the flora, varies depending on the geographic location of the ecosystem.

Temperate and cold forest ecosystems

In temperate forests and coniferous forests there are bears, elk, deer, wild boar and wolves. Birds such as owls, cuckoos, crows and various songbirds also abound in these forests.

Tropical forest ecosystems

The American rainforests are home to the jaguar, collared peccary, deer and tapir, and birds such as the harpy eagle, the quetzal, and the guacharaca. Among the primates are the araguato and the spider monkey, in addition to abundant species of poisonous snakes of the genera Bothrops and Lachesis.

Collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) Source: en: User: Cburnett / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

On the other hand, in the forest ecosystems of Africa the diversity of anthropoid primates such as the chimpanzee and the gorilla stands out. In addition, the leopard and the jungle elephant live in these forests, while in Southeast Asia there are the orangutan, the tiger and the Hindu elephant.

Examples of

The seasonal tropical rainforest of the Colombian-Venezuelan plains

These are jungles subjected to two seasons a year, one rainy with abundant rainfall and the other warm dry. Trees overcome the dry season losing foliage in different proportions, which defines two types of seasonal forests.

The so-called deciduous or deciduous forest is characterized by a water deficit in the extreme dry season, so that more than 80% of the trees lose their foliage. On the other hand, in the semi-deciduous forest, only half or less of the trees are deciduous, because they take advantage of underground water reserves.

Flora

Trees 30 to 40 m high are found in the semi-deciduous forests of the Colombian-Venezuelan plains. In these forests you can find the mijao (Anacardium excelsum), the crawling (Astronium graveolens), the naked Indian (Bursera simaruba) and the ceiba (Ceiba pentandra).

Likewise, there are fine wood trees such as American cedar (Cedrela odorata), mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and linnet (Cordia alliodora).

Fauna

The jaguar (Panthera onca), the caramerudo deer (Odocoileus virginianus apurensis) and a diversity of birds, snakes and insects inhabit these forests.

The mediterranean forest

There are 5 Mediterranean forest regions in the world, the main one in the Mediterranean Sea basin. In addition, in the southern cone of Africa, in southwestern Australia, in California (USA and Mexico) and on the Pacific coast in Chile.

These forest ecosystems are characterized by a climate with warm autumns, mild and rainy winters, variable springs, and dry summers (hot or temperate).

Flora

The Mediterranean forest of the south of the Iberian Peninsula is a vegetal formation of medium-sized trees with hard leaves and thick bark. Common species include cork oak (Quercus suber), oak (Quercus coccifer), holm oak (Quercus ilex) and laurel (Laurus nobilis).

Mediterranean forest. Source: Eleagnus ~ commonswiki / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

In the undergrowth there are abundant ericaceae (heather) and lipped shrubs such as rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), as well as boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) shrubs. Gymnosperms such as Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) and juniper bushes (Juniperus spp.) Are also found.

Fauna

The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), the fox (Vulpes vulpes), the wild boar (Sus scrofa) and the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) live here.

Forest plantation

A forest plantation for the production of wood or paper pulp is a forest ecosystem designed and controlled by humans. Generally it is a monoculture (a single species) plantation or in the best of cases a small number of species with a high forest value.

Uverito Forest

An example is the plantation of Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea) of Uverito, in the savannas of the Guanipa table, in Venezuela. It is the most extensive forest plantation in the world, with nearly 600,000 hectares.

Originally it was a savanna where Trachypogon grasses dominated, where these Central American pines were planted. The objective of the plantation is the production of pulp for the production of paper and wood, so the forest ecosystem is simplified with a high degree of human intervention.

The plantation was established in 1961 and has stabilized as an ecosystem product of human activity. In this way, the climate and soil of the area has changed, preventing the region from turning into a desert.

References

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2. Hernández-Ramírez, AM and García-Méndez, S. (2014). Diversity, structure and regeneration of the seasonally dry tropical forest of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Tropical biology.
3. Izco, J., Barreno, E., Brugués, M., Costa, M., Devesa, JA, Frenández, F., Gallardo, T., Llimona, X., Prada, C., Talavera, S. And Valdéz, B. (2004). Botany.
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6. Rangel, JO (Ed.) (2008). Colombia. Biotic diversity VII. Vegetation, palynology and paleoecology of the Colombian Amazon. National university of Colombia.
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8. World Wild Life (Seen on March 12, 2020). Taken from: worldwildlife.org/biomes/