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Distribution of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests

Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).<ref name=wwf>Template:CC-notice {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

DescriptionEdit

TSMF is generally found in large, discontinuous patches centered on the equatorial belt and between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. TSMF are characterized by low variability in annual temperature and high levels of rainfall of more than Template:Cvt annually. Forest composition is dominated by evergreen and semi-deciduous tree species.<ref name=wwf/>

These forests are home to more species than any other terrestrial ecosystem on Earth: Half of the world's species may live in these forests, where a square kilometer may be home to more than 1,000 tree species. These forests are found around the world, particularly in the Indo-Malayan Archipelago, the Amazon Basin, and the African Congo Basin.<ref name=wwf/>

The perpetually warm, wet climate makes these environments more productive than any other terrestrial environment on Earth and promotes explosive plant growth.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A tree here may grow over Template:Cvt in height in just 5 years. From above, the forest appears as an unending sea of green, broken only by occasional, taller "emergent" trees. These towering emergents are the realm of hornbills, toucans, and the harpy eagle.<ref name=wwf/>

Generally, biodiversity is highest in the forest canopy. The canopy can be divided into five layers: overstory canopy with emergent crowns, a medium layer of canopy, lower canopy, shrub level, and finally understory.<ref name=wwf/><ref name=Webb>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=Tracey>Template:Citation</ref>

The canopy is home to many of the forest's animals, including apes and monkeys. Below the canopy, a lower understory hosts snakes and big cats. The forest floor, relatively clear of undergrowth due to the thick canopy above, is stalked by other animals such as gorillas and deer.<ref name=wwf/>

All levels of these forests contain an unparalleled diversity of invertebrate species, including New Guinea's stick insects and butterflies that can grow over Template:Cvt in length.<ref name=wwf/>

Many forests are being cleared for farmland, while others are subject to large-scale commercial logging. An area the size of Ireland is destroyed every few years.<ref name=wwf/>

TypesEdit

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File:Lifezones Pengo, TSMF.svg
Tropical and subtropical moist forests (TSMF) as shown within the Holdridge Life Zones classification scheme, and includes moist forests, wet forests, and rainforests.Template:Synthesis inline

The biome includes several types of forests:

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  • Montane rain forests are found in cooler-climate mountainous areas. Those with elevations high enough to regularly encounter low-level cloud cover are known as cloud forests.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
  • Flooded forests, including freshwater swamp forests and peat swamp forests.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
  • Manigua a low, often impenetrable dense forest of tangled tropical shrub and small trees. It is usually found in marshy areas but also on dry land in certain places. The term is used in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Colombia.<ref>Pichardo, Esteban. Diccionario provincial casi-razonado de vozes cubanas 3d ed. Havana 1861 p. 172</ref><ref> Cámara Artigas, Rafael; Martínez Batlle, José Ramón; Díaz del Olmo, Fernando. Desarrollo sostenible y medio ambiente en República Dominicana: Medios naturales, manejo histórico, conservación y protección. Sevilla 2012. ISBN 84-00-08392-X, p. 169.</ref><ref>Hernández Aquino, Luis (1993). Diccionario de voces indígenas de Puerto Rico. p. 330.</ref>

Notable ecoregionsEdit

A number of TSMF ecoregions are notable for their biodiversity and endemism:<ref name=wwf/> Template:Div col

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See alsoEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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