Wet equatorial forests are often called the lungs of the entire planet, and there is a considerable share of truth in this. A huge number of green plants due to the process of photosynthesis every minute convert carbon dioxide into oxygen necessary for all living things. What explains the riot of vegetation observed in these places?
One of the reasons is the large annual amount of precipitation (more than 2000 mm) and favorable temperature conditions - from +25 to +28 degrees Celsius. Although in many countries in the summer the thermometer’s column often rises above 30 degrees, due to the high humidity level of +25 in the equatorial forests it is subjectively perceived as extremely uncomfortable and hot weather.
Once wet equatorial forests posed a serious question for botanists: why, with such a variety of vegetation, are local soils relatively poor in humus? But the answer was found. It turned out that due to frequent rains, the fertile layer cannot accumulate indefinitely - it is washed off into the rivers by streams of water. In addition, the plants themselves immediately absorb the remaining trace elements.
Currently, many environmental organizations are warning: if the wet equatorial forests continue to cut down at the same speed as now, then people of the next generation may not see all the beauties of evergreen forests. Just a hundred years ago, these forests occupied at least 12% of the total land area, and now this figure barely exceeds 5%. It is easy to calculate that, while maintaining the same intensity, after 60–70 years, only grass will remain on the felling instead of trees. And since the amount of rainfall is determined by the evaporation of moisture from the forests, even grass can become a rarity with the disappearance of rain. Climate and plants form a very complex interdependent system, so thoughtless human intervention can lead to tragic consequences. You can familiarize yourself with the results of studies of environmental organizations in more detail on their websites or in print media.
The humid equatorial forests of Africa extend in the central part of the continent, as well as in the area along the equator. However, it would be a mistake to assert that such forests are the prerogative of only Africans. The wetter equatorial forests of South America are much more extensive. Here they occupy almost 30% of the land area.
What makes rainforests so attractive to scientists? The answer lies in the tremendous diversity of life forms. So, in forests with a temperate climate on an area of one hectare you can count relatively few species of trees. For example, pine forest (pine prevail), birch grove, etc. Everything is completely different with respect to moist forests - over 80 species coexist in the same area. Their life cycles are so closely intertwined that even distinguished rainforest researchers acknowledge that a full understanding of all the relationships is still a long way off. Of course, diversity is not limited to plants alone. Such forests are home to many arthropods, reptiles and mammals. After all, the abundance of plants guarantees food by a variety of herbivores. Here is an example: if you take the area of the equatorial forest with a side of a square of 10 square meters. km, then on it you can count over 100 species of butterflies, more than 120 species of mammals and at least 400 species of birds.
In the portion of air that enters our lungs with each breath, there is a part of the oxygen “born” in the equatorial “green lungs” of the planet. How to protect them from cutting down? Of course, simply organizing demonstrations and rallies is ineffective, but ancient wisdom claims that the long road begins with only one small step. The same applies to forests: respect for nature in their places of residence is the same small step.