Indispensable for life on Earth, tropical forests are in serious danger , mainly due to deforestation. On June 22, the World Day of Tropical Forests is celebrated around the world, with the idea of raising awareness about its precarious situation, as well as highlighting its importance for life.
Tropical forests are home to a great diversity of living things, they provide us with oxygen, and they provide food and work for thousands of people . In addition, they are one of our best weapons to face climate change since, together with the oceans, they have the ability to absorb the dreaded greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere. They also regulate climate and temperature on a planetary level, cool local microclimates and reduce the Earth’s albedo, that is, radiation, mainly from the sun, which is reflected on the planet’s surface. Next, we tell you 8 curiosities about them.
1. Tropical forests emit more carbon than they absorb
According to a study published in Science in 2017, tropical forests, which in the past absorbed carbon, are now emitting it more than absorbing it, as a consequence of deforestation and the loss of forest mass as a result of human activity. As the Rainforest Alliance points out in their official blog in Spanish, we must restore them and regain their capacity to sequester carbon in order to fight the planetary climate crisis.
2. In them you can find more than 15 million species
As a consequence of the warm climate that prevails all year round and the high humidity that occurs in them, tropical forests are home to enormous biodiversity. Life in them is exuberant, so much so that two thirds of the flowers that exist in the world grow in them and more than 100 trees of different species have been found in one hectare of land.
3. More than half of the terrestrial animals live in the tropical forest
Tropical forests occupy slightly less than 3% of the planet , however, they are home to more than half of all land animals. Some of them are bengal tigers, mountain gorillas, jaguars, orangutans, etc. Unfortunately many of these species, essential for maintaining the balance of forest ecosystems, are in serious danger of extinction.
4. Only 2% of the light that passes through them reaches the ground
The reason is that the lush vegetation of the tropical forest actively struggles to live, that is, it has to get the sun to shine on it. The giant trees that are in it have it much easier than the vegetation that does not reach that high.
5. Help maintain fresh water supply
This is so because the plants of these forests, when photosynthesizing , release water from their leaves and this travels to the atmosphere, where it will later become rain. The loss of tropical forest often leads to drought. They also act as anti-pollution filters, preventing it from flowing into the water supply.
6. Plants from tropical forests are used to make medicines
According to a study published in the International Journal of Oncology , more than 60% of the drugs used to fight cancer come from natural sources, including plants that grow in tropical forests. They are also used in drugs against malaria, for heart disease, bronchitis, diabetes, arthritis, glaucoma … and a long etcetera.
7. Forests the size of Bangladesh are lost every year
Every year the Earth loses tropical forests the size of Bangladesh, according to Global Forest Watch. As the Rainforest Alliance collects on its official blog in Spanish, in 2017 alone, 15.8 million hectares of tropical forests were lost. In total, humans have wiped out almost half of the planet’s original forest cover .
8. There are different types of tropical forests
Tropical forests are classified as dry, rainy, monsoon, and flood tropical forests. All of them are located in the tropics, with warm temperatures throughout the year and high humidity. However, there are differences between the different types of tropical forests depending on the specific geographical area in which they are found.
