Biodiversity of Threatened Landscapes

Biodiversity of Threatened Landscapes

Places where biodiversity is experiencing some of the greatest impacts and threats.

Forests

Areas with greater than 10% tree coverage.

Most remaining forests

Most remaining forests are in boreal or tropical forests.

Boreal Forests

Forests found around 50–60° latitude.

Boreal Forest climate

Cold climate; most precipitation falls as snow.

Boreal Forest vegetation

Dominated by conifers, which are woody trees with pine-like features.

Tropical Forests

Forests that occur near the equator.

Tropical Forest seasons

Tropical forests have two seasons: wet and dry.

Tropical Forest precipitation

High annual precipitation, greater than 80 inches.

Tropical Forest temperature

Warm with little seasonal temperature variation.

Tropical Forest biodiversity

Tropical forests have high biodiversity.

Which has more animal diversity?

Tropical forests have more animal diversity than boreal forests.

Primary Forests (Old Growth Forests)

Forests composed primarily of native species with little indication of human activity.

Primary Forests: human activity

They show no clearly visible indications of human activity and ecological processes are not significantly disturbed.

Primary Forests: biodiversity

They contain much of the world's biodiversity.

Primary Forests: Indigenous societies

They are important to many Indigenous societies.

Why preserve primary forests?

To protect biodiversity and support Indigenous societies.

Native species

Species that naturally occur in a particular area.

Conifers

Woody trees with pine-like features that dominate boreal forests.

Boreal vs. Tropical Forests

Boreal forests are cold and snowy; tropical forests are warm, wet, and highly diverse.