What is the difference between a tropical rainforest and a temperate rainforest?

What is the difference between a tropical rainforest and a temperate rainforest?

There are two types of rainforests, tropical and temperate. Tropical rainforests are found closer to the equator where it is warm. Temperate rainforests are found near the cooler coastal areas further north or south of the equator. The tropical rainforest is a hot, moist biome where it rains all year long.

How long do tropical rainforest trees live?

Recent reports indicate that trees can survive to be 1000 years old in the Amazonian rain forest. This appears to contradict the idea that tropical rain forests are highly dynamic systems. However, there is very little information on how common these ancient trees are.

What trees live in the temperate rainforest?

Common coastal temperate rainforest plants include:

• western red cedar.
• western hemlock.
• sitka spruce.
• grand fir.
• sword fern.
• deer fern.
• salal.
• evergreen huckleberry.

What’s the difference between a rainforest and a forest?

As nouns the difference between rainforest and forest is that rainforest is a forest in a climate with high annual rainfall and no dry season while forest is a dense collection of trees covering a relatively large area larger than woods.

What makes a temperate rainforest?

Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain. The moist conditions of temperate rain forests generally support an understory of mosses, ferns and some shrubs and berries.

How old are trees in forests?

Authentic records do indicate, however, that at least some individuals reach the age of 2,000 years. The average age of mature trees of this species is from about 800 to 1,500 years. Sierra Redwood—the world’s oldest trees.

What is in a temperate rainforest?

A temperate rainforest is a forest in a temperate climate with ample annual rainfall. These types of rainforests can include both coniferous trees (which do not shed their foliage) and deciduous trees (which lose their leaves on an annual basis).

How are tropical rainforests and temperate forests similar?

Both tropical and temperate rainforests are very lush and wet. Rainfall falls regularly throughout the year. The tropical rainforest receives 80-400 inches of rainfall per year. Tropical rainforests are warm and moist; while temperate rainforests are cool.

How are woodland forest trees different from trees in the rainforest?

The difference between woods and forests comes down to canopy cover and tree density. While forests are known for thicker canopy cover (the amount of land covered by the tops of trees), woods usually have a more open canopy and sparser tree density, keeping the soil drier and unshaded.

What makes a temperate forest?

Temperate forests are characterized as regions with high levels of precipitation, humidity, and a variety of deciduous trees. Deciduous trees are trees that lose their leaves in winter. Thus, these trees shed their leaves in fall and bud new leaves in spring when warmer temperatures and longer hours of daylight return.

Why are temperate rainforests cooler than tropical rainforests?

Temperatures change from 80°F in summer down to near freezing in winter. The cooler temperatures mean that temperate rainforests have less diversity than tropical rain forests. (This means that there are fewer types of animals and plants found there.)

Which is the tallest tree in the temperate rainforest?

Most of the precipitation occurs in winter, similar to Mediterranean climates, but in summer, fog moisture is extracted by the trees and produces a fog drip keeping the forest moist. The Northern California coastal forests are home to the Coast Redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens ), the world’s tallest tree.

How are trees adapted to survive in the tropical rainforest?

Thick bark which can protect a tree from cold weather and help limit water loss is not needed in the hot and humid rainforest. Although most of the trees in the tropical rainforest reach up to the canopy and emergent layers some shorter trees have adapted to survival in the dark understory layer of the forest.

Are there deciduous trees in the tropical rainforest?

There is also temperate rainforest, where deciduous trees are common. However, there is also seasonal (eg monsoon) tropical rainforest, which have many/mostly decidious trees.