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Forest Biomes
Forest Mythology is rich and imaginative across all cultures. In Greek mythology, the Dryades and Oreiades were the lovely Nymphs of the trees, groves, woods and mountain forests that could be found near Artemis. They were the ladies of the oaks and pines, poplar, ash, apple, and laurel. For those known as Hamadryades, trees sprung up from the earth at their birth, trees to which their lives were closely tied. While the tree flourished, so did its resident nymph, but when it died she passed away with it.
There were several classes of Dryades associated with a particular types of tree: The Meliai were the Nymphs of the ash-trees. They sprang up from Gaia, the Earth when she was impregnated by the blood of the castrated Ouranos. The Oreiades were the Nymphs of the mountain conifers. The Hamadryades were the Nymphs of oak and poplar trees. These were usually associated with river-side trees and the sacred groves of Artemis. The Maliades, Meliades or Epimelides were Nymphai of apple and other fruit trees. They were also protectors of sheep. The Greek word melas from which their name derives means both apple and sheep. The Daphnaie were Nymphs of the laurel trees. Others include: the Nymphai Aigeiroi (black poplar), Ampeloi (grape vine), Karyai (hazel-nut), Kraneiai (cherry-tree), Moreai (mulberry), Pteleai (elm), and Sykei (fig). Forest Ecosystems  Forest Biomes represent the largest and most ecologically complex systems. They contain a wide assortment of trees, plants, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, insects and micro-organisms which vary depending on the zone's climates. Forests represent a third of the earth's land and are the lungs of the planet (animals breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, trees take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen). 
Temperate DeciduousTemperate deciduous forest can be found in areas with a milder, shorter winter season. In addition to evergreens, trees in the temperate forest include maple, elm, oak, cedar and other trees which shed their leaves in the fall. The temperate forest's soil in richer than that of the boreal forests' and features a larger assortment of forest floor plan life; this is also due to the fact that the forests' canopy is thinner, allowing more light and heat to penetrate, permitting photosynthesis in the forest floor plants, and the survival of smaller, and cold blooded animals such as garter snakes, turtles, and amphibians. Other forests which fall between the boreal and temperate classification include moist evergreen forests, moist evergreen and broad-leaf forests, dry evergreen forests, Mediterranean forests, temperate evergreen forests, and temperate broad-leaf forests. 
Boreal, or Taiga biomes The largest of the land biomes is the boreal, or Taiga biome. Taiga biomes can be found in areas with shorter, warm summers and long winters; there are Taiga Biomes in Europe, Asia, Siberia, and North-America. Due to cold climates, plant life in the boreal forest is sturdy, consisting mainly of evergreens and other resilient vegetation. Because the forests' canopy is dense, forest floor vegetation is thin. Animal life in the boreal forest consists mainly of birds and mammals, such as deer, wolves, and various rodents, and a few reptiles. Most of the boreal forests' creatures are well adapted to the cold climate, and hibernate during the long winters. 
Tropical, or Rainforest The rainforest is the most ecologically rich of the world's biomes. Rainforest occupy only 75 of earth's land areas and are generally found at the equatorial level of the planet. Daylight in the rainforest lasts for 12 hours, there is no winter, and the seasons can best be described as rainy, or dry, with little change in temperature. The rainforest is host to the largest variety of life forms in all of nature, with thousands of different species of trees, plants, flowers, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, invertebrates and micro-organisms. Many of the animals in the rainforest are highly adapted to their highly competitive and diverse environment, having developed camouflage or strong defenses, which are heralded by colorful markings. The other forests which fall into the rainforest category are the seasonal rainforest, with it's very humid tropical area subject to a short dry season, the evergreen rainforest, which does not have a dry season, the monsoon rainforest, where the dry season is prolonged in proportion to the lower amount of rain, and finally, the semi-evergreen rainforest, which is similar to the seasonal rainforest, but has a longer dry season. The rainforest is home to many tribes such as the Yanomamo in South-America, and Pamagirri in Australia. Threats to the rainforest include unsustainable logging, clearcutting, and plant harvesting for pharmaceutical and medicinal use. Close to 80,000 acres of rainforest are destroyed each year, and over 50,000 species of life forms become extinct (Worldbiomes). 
Boreal and rainforest biomes are being cut down at an alarming rate, with hundreds of species of plants and animals disappearing from the planet on a daily basis. HOW TO HELP: RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK. For Forest links: http://www.rain-tree.com/links.htm |
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