RAINFOREST INFORMATION

By Rhett A. Butler Last updated Aug 14, 2020

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE RAINFOREST Rainforests are forest ecosystems characterized by high levels of rainfall, an enclosed canopy and high species diversity. While tropical rainforests are the best-known type of rainforest and the focus of this section of the web site, rainforests are actually found widely around the world, including temperate regions in Canada, the United States, and the former Soviet Union. Tropical rainforests typically occur in the equatorial zone between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, latitudes that have warm temperatures and relatively constant year-round sunlight. Tropical rainforests merge into other types of forest depending on the altitude, latitude, and various soil, flooding, and climate conditions. These forest types form a mosaic of vegetation types which contribute to the incredible diversity of the tropics. The bulk of the world's tropical rainforest occurs in the Amazon Basin in South America. The Congo Basin and Southeast Asia, respectively, have the second and third largest areas of tropical rainforest. Rainforests also exist on some the Caribbean islands, in Central America, in India, on scattered islands in the South Pacific, in Madagascar, in West and East Africa outside the Congo Basin, in Central America and Mexico, and in parts of South America outside the Amazon. Brazil has the largest extent of rainforest of any country on Earth. Rainforests provide important ecological services, including storing hundreds of billions of tons of carbon, buffering against flood and drought, stabilizing soils, influencing rainfall patterns, and providing a home to wildlife and indigenous people. Rainforests are also the source of many useful products upon which local communities depend. While rainforests are critically important to humanity, they are rapidly being destroyed by human activities. The biggest cause of deforestation is conversion of forest land for agriculture. In the past subsistence agriculture was the primary driver of rainforest conversion, but today industrial agriculture — especially monoculture and livestock production — is the dominant driver of rainforest loss worldwide. Logging is the biggest cause of forest degradation and usually proceeds deforestation for agriculture. Organization of this site The rainforest section of Mongabay is divided into ten "chapters" (the original text for the site was a book, but has since been adapted for the web), with add-on content in the form of special focal sections (e.g. The Amazon, the Congo, REDD, New Guinea, Sulawesi, Forests in Brazil, etc), appendices, and other resources. There is also a version of the site geared toward younger readers at kids.mongabay.com.

Tropical rainforest in Borneo. Photo by Rhett A. Butler

ABOUT THE RAINFOREST (SUMMARY) Chapter 1:

RAINFOREST DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS Each rainforest is unique, but there are certain features common to all tropical rainforests. Location: rainforests lie in the tropics.

Rainfall: rainforests receive at least 80 inches (200 cm) of rain per year.

Canopy: rainforests have a canopy, which is the layer of branches and leaves formed by closely spaced rainforest trees some 30 meters (100 feet) off the ground. A large proportion of the plants and animals in the rainforest live in the canopy.

Biodiversity: rainforests have extraordinarily highs level of biological diversity or “biodiversity”. Scientists estimate that about half of Earth's terrestrial species live in rainforests.

Ecosystem services: rainforests provide a critical ecosystem services at local, regional, and global scales, including producing oxygen (tropical forests are responsible for 25-30 percent of the world's oxygen turnover) and storing carbon (tropical forests store an estimated 229-247 billion tons of carbon) through photosynthesis; influencing precipitation patterns and weather; moderating flood and drought cycles; and facilitating nutrient cycling; among others. The global distribution of tropical rainforests can be broken up into four biogeographical realms based roughly on four forested continental regions: the Afrotropical, the Australiasian, the Indomalayan/Asian, and the Neotropical. Just over half the world's rainforests lie in the Neotropical realm, roughly a quarter are in Africa, and a fifth in Asia. Map showing the world's rainforests, defined as primary forests in the tropics. Click to enlarge. These realms can be further divided into major tropical forest regions based on biodiversity hotspots, including: Amazon: Includes parts of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela Congo: Includes parts of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo Australiasia: Includes parts of Australia, Indonesian half of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea Sundaland: Includes parts of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore Indo-Burma: Includes parts of Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam Mesoamerica: Includes parts of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama Wallacea: Sulawesi and the Maluku islands in Indonesia West Africa: Includes parts of Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo Atlantic forest: Includes parts of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay Choco: Includes parts of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama Dozens of countries have tropical forests. The countries with the largest areas of tropical forest are: Brazil Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Indonesia Peru Colombia Other countries that have large areas of rainforest include Bolivia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ecuador, Gabon, Guyana, India, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Congo, Suriname, and Venezuela. Cover and loss by rainforest region Primary forest extent Tree cover extent Rainforest region 2001 2010 2020 2001 2010 2020 Amazon 556.7 543.5 526.2 673.4 658.6 628.9 Congo 173.7 172.2 167.6 301.2 300.3 287.7 Australiasia 61.8 65.4 64.4 76.3 91.3 89.1 Sundaland 39.9 57.3 51.0 67.7 121.6 103.1 Indo-Burma 15.3 42.6 40.1 37.8 153.0 139.1 Mesoamerica 43.7 17.4 16.0 160.3 54.3 49.8 Wallacea 18.1 15.2 14.6 56.2 26.1 24.5 West Africa 9.8 10.9 10.2 15.6 48.5 41.8 Atlantic forest 11.1 9.7 9.3 49.3 96.3 89.0 Choco 10.0 8.5 8.4 99.8 15.9 15.6 PAN-TROPICS 1,029.6 1,006.5 969.1 2,028.3 1,959.4 1,839.1 Primary forest loss Tree cover change 2002-09 2010-19 2002-09 2010-19 Rainforest region M ha (%) M ha (%) M ha (%) M ha (%) Amazon -13.18 (-2.4%) -17.28 (-3.2%) -14.7 (-2.2%) -29.8 (-4.5%) Congo -1.46 (-0.8%) -4.68 (-2.7%) -0.8 (-0.3%) -12.7 (-4.2%) Australiasia -0.29 (-0.5%) -0.86 (-1.3%) 0.2 (0.2%) -1.4 (-1.5%) Sundaland -2.22 (-5.5%) -3.67 (-6.4%) -1.5 (-2.3%) -9.5 (-7.8%) Indo-Burma -1.62 (-10.5%) -2.14 (-5.0%) -0.6 (-1.6%) -6.4 (-4.2%) Mesoamerica -1.10 (-2.5%) -2.51 (-14.4%) -7.3 (-4.6%) -13.9 (-25.6%) Wallacea -0.66 (-3.6%) -1.36 (-8.9%) -1.9 (-3.3%) -4.6 (-17.5%) West Africa -0.30 (-3.1%) -0.50 (-4.6%) -0.1 (-0.8%) -1.2 (-2.4%) Atlantic forest -0.24 (-2.1%) -0.62 (-6.4%) -0.7 (-1.5%) -6.8 (-7.0%) Choco -0.33 (-3.3%) -0.35 (-4.1%) -3.5 (-3.5%) -7.3 (-46.0%) PAN-TROPICS -23.11 (-2.2%) -37.34 (-3.7%) -68.9 (-3.4%) -120.3 (-6.1%)

Bar chart showing the world's largest rainforests as defined by the area of primary forest cover according to Hansen / WRI 2020.

Bar chart showing the world's largest rainforests as defined by the area of primary forest cover according to Hansen / WRI 2020.

Tropical primary forest cover and tree cover by country in 2020

Tropical forest cover and loss by country

Units: million hectares Primary forest extent Tree cover extent

2001 Country 2001 2010 2020 2001 2010 2020 Brazil 343.2 331.9 318.7 516.4 498.1 468.2 DR Congo 104.6 103.4 99.8 198.8 198.5 188.0 Indonesia 93.8 90.2 84.4 159.8 157.7 141.7 Colombia 54.8 54.2 53.3 81.6 81.7 79.3 Peru 69.1 68.5 67.2 77.9 78.6 76.5 Bolivia 40.8 39.9 38.1 64.4 62.7 58.9 Venezuela 38.6 38.5 38.1 56.4 57.3 56.1 Angola 2.5 2.4 2.3 49.7 48.3 46.8 Central African Republic 7.4 7.3 7.2 46.9 47.1 46.6 Papua New Guinea 32.6 32.4 31.9 42.9 42.9 41.9 Mexico 9.2 9.0 8.6 43.3 42.5 40.3 China 1.7 1.7 1.7 42.8 41.1 38.5 Myanmar 14.0 13.8 13.5 42.8 40.9 38.2 India 10.2 10.1 9.9 35.1 31.4 30.2 Cameroon 19.1 19.0 18.5 30.6 29.7 28.7 Republic of Congo 21.2 21.1 20.8 26.4 26.6 26.0 Argentina 4.4 4.2 4.0 30.9 27.6 24.9 Gabon 22.7 22.6 22.4 24.7 24.7 24.4 Malaysia 15.9 15.0 13.3 29.1 28.6 23.8 Mozambique 0.1 0.1 0.1 26.6 25.0 23.1 Tanzania 0.7 0.7 0.7 21.8 20.6 19.3 Guyana 17.3 17.3 17.2 19.0 19.1 18.9 Ecuador 10.6 10.6 10.5 18.3 18.5 18.1 Thailand 5.9 5.9 5.8 19.8 19.0 17.7 Philippines 4.6 4.5 4.4 18.3 18.1 17.4 Paraguay 3.5 3.0 2.5 23.9 20.2 16.6 Zambia 0.3 0.3 0.3 18.5 17.4 16.6 Laos 8.3 8.1 7.5 19.1 17.9 15.4 Suriname 12.8 12.7 12.6 13.9 14.0 13.9 Rest of the tropics 59.6 58.0 53.9 210.1 203.5 183.3 Grand Total 1,029.6 1,006.5 969.1 2,009.7 1,959.4 1,839.1

Primary forest loss Tree cover change 2002-09 2010-2019 2002-09 2010-2019 Country M ha (%) M ha (%) M ha (%) M ha (%) Brazil -11.37 (-3.3%) -13.15 (-4.0%) -18.25 (-3.5%) -29.93 (-6.0%) DR Congo -1.16 (-1.1%) -3.67 (-3.5%) -0.37 (-0.2%) -10.50 (-5.3%) Indonesia -3.63 (-3.9%) -5.85 (-6.5%) -2.09 (-1.3%) -15.98 (-10.1%) Colombia -0.54 (-1.0%) -0.96 (-1.8%) 0.17 (0.2%) -2.43 (-3.0%) Peru -0.60 (-0.9%) -1.37 (-2.0%) 0.68 (0.9%) -2.10 (-2.7%) Bolivia -0.90 (-2.2%) -1.84 (-4.6%) -1.67 (-2.6%) -3.75 (-6.0%) Venezuela -0.15 (-0.4%) -0.33 (-0.9%) 0.86 (1.5%) -1.14 (-2.0%) Angola -0.03 (-1.2%) -0.09 (-3.8%) -1.37 (-2.8%) -1.51 (-3.1%) Central African Republic -0.05 (-0.6%) -0.11 (-1.5%) 0.15 (0.3%) -0.49 (-1.0%) Papua New Guinea -0.19 (-0.6%) -0.55 (-1.7%) 0.04 (0.1%) -1.05 (-2.4%) Mexico -0.20 (-2.1%) -0.40 (-4.4%) -0.81 (-1.9%) -2.22 (-5.2%) China -0.03 (-1.9%) -0.04 (-2.4%) -1.67 (-3.9%) -2.66 (-6.5%) Myanmar -0.19 (-1.4%) -0.38 (-2.8%) -1.90 (-4.4%) -2.70 (-6.6%) India -0.13 (-1.2%) -0.20 (-2.0%) -3.67 (-10.5%) -1.18 (-3.8%) Cameroon -0.11 (-0.6%) -0.50 (-2.6%) -0.96 (-3.1%) -1.02 (-3.4%) Republic of Congo -0.07 (-0.3%) -0.25 (-1.2%) 0.28 (1.0%) -0.60 (-2.2%) Argentina -0.19 (-4.4%) -0.21 (-5.0%) -3.31 (-10.7%) -2.69 (-9.8%) Gabon -0.08 (-0.3%) -0.16 (-0.7%) 0.02 (0.1%) -0.29 (-1.2%) Malaysia -0.98 (-6.2%) -1.65 (-11.0%) -0.47 (-1.6%) -4.84 (-16.9%) Mozambique 0.00 (-1.6%) -0.01 (-7.5%) -1.60 (-6.0%) -1.95 (-7.8%) Tanzania -0.01 (-0.9%) -0.02 (-2.8%) -1.21 (-5.5%) -1.31 (-6.3%) Guyana -0.03 (-0.2%) -0.09 (-0.5%) 0.07 (0.3%) -0.14 (-0.8%) Ecuador -0.05 (-0.5%) -0.12 (-1.2%) 0.20 (1.1%) -0.43 (-2.3%) Thailand -0.07 (-1.2%) -0.05 (-0.9%) -0.75 (-3.8%) -1.31 (-6.9%) Philippines -0.05 (-1.1%) -0.09 (-2.1%) -0.18 (-1.0%) -0.80 (-4.4%) Paraguay -0.46 (-13.3%) -0.53 (-17.7%) -3.69 (-15.4%) -3.60 (-17.8%) Zambia 0.00 (-1.0%) -0.02 (-6.5%) -1.07 (-5.8%) -0.77 (-4.4%) Laos -0.23 (-2.7%) -0.55 (-6.8%) -1.15 (-6.0%) -2.58 (-14.4%) Suriname -0.02 (-0.2%) -0.10 (-0.8%) 0.05 (0.4%) -0.14 (-1.0%) Rest of the tropics -1.59 (-2.7%) -4.04 (-7.0%) -6.59 (-3.1%) -20.17 (-9.9%) Grand Total -23.11 (-2.2%) -37.34 (-3.7%) -50.27 (-2.5%) -120.27 (-6.1%)

Chapter 2:

RAINFOREST STRUCTURE Rainforests are characterized by a unique vegetative structure consisting of several vertical layers including the overstory, canopy, understory, shrub layer, and ground level. The canopy refers to the dense ceiling of leaves and tree branches formed by closely spaced forest trees. The upper canopy is 100-130 feet above the forest floor, penetrated by scattered emergent trees, 130 feet or higher, that make up the level known as the overstory. Below the canopy ceiling are multiple leaf and branch levels known collectively as the understory. The lowest part of the understory, 5-20 feet (1.5-6 meters) above the floor, is known as the shrub layer, made up of shrubby plants and tree saplings.

Chapter 3:

RAINFOREST BIODIVERSITY Tropical rainforests support the greatest diversity of living organisms on Earth. Although they cover less than 2 percent of Earth’s surface, rainforests house more than 50 percent of the plants and animals on the planet. why rainforests are so diverse . Some important factors are: Climate: because rainforests are located in tropical regions, they receive a lot of sunlight. The sunlight is converted to energy by plants through the process of photosynthesis. Since there is a lot of sunlight, there is a lot of energy in the rainforest. This energy is stored in plant vegetation, which is eaten by animals. The abundance of energy supports an abundance of plant and animal species. Canopy: the canopy structure of the rainforest provides an abundance of places for plants to grow and animals to live. The canopy offers sources of food, shelter, and hiding places, providing for interaction between different species. For example, there are plants in the canopy called bromeliads that store water in their leaves. Frogs and other animals use these pockets of water for hunting and laying their eggs. Competition: while there is lots of energy in the rainforest system, life is not easy for most species that inhabit the biome. In fact, the rainforest is an intensively competitive place, with species developing incredible strategies and innovations to survive, encouraging specialization. There are several reasons. Some important factors are:

Chapter 4:

THE RAINFOREST CANOPY In the rainforest most plant and animal life is not found on the forest floor, but in the leafy world known as the canopy. The canopy, which may be over 100 feet (30 m) above the ground, is made up of the overlapping branches and leaves of rainforest trees. Scientists estimate that more than half of life in the rainforest is found in the trees, making this the richest habitat for plant and animal life. The conditions of the canopy are markedly different from the conditions of the forest floor. During the day, the canopy is drier and hotter than other parts of the forest, and the plants and animals that live there have adapted accordingly. For example, because the amount of leaves in the canopy can make it difficult to see more than a few feet, many canopy animals rely on loud calls or lyrical songs for communication. Gaps between trees mean that some canopy animals fly, glide, or jump to move about in the treetops. Meanwhile plants have evolved water-retention mechanisms like waxy leaves. Scientists have long been interested in studying the canopy, but the height of trees made research difficult until recently. Today the canopy is commonly accessed using climbing gear, rope bridges, ladders, and towers. Researchers are even using model airplanes and quadcopters outfitted with special sensors — conservation drones — to study the canopy.





Chapter 5:

The rainforest floor The rainforest floor is often dark and humid due to constant shade from the leaves of canopy trees. The canopy not only blocks out sunlight, but dampens wind and rain, and limits shrub growth. Despite its constant shade, the ground floor of the rainforest is the site for important interactions and complex relationships. The forest floor is one of the principal sites of decomposition, a process paramount for the continuance of the forest as a whole. It provides support for trees responsible for the formation of the canopy and is also home to some of the rainforest's best-known species, including gorillas, tigers, tapirs, and elephants, among others.

Rainforest in Tangkoko National Park, North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia in 2017. Photo by Rhett A. Butler

Chapter 6:

Rainforest waters Tropical rainforests support some of the largest rivers in the world, like the Amazon, Mekong, Negro, Orinoco, and Congo. These mega-rivers are fed by countless smaller tributaries, streams, and creeks. For example, the Amazon alone has some 1,100 tributaries, 17 of which are over 1,000 miles long. Although large tropical rivers are fairly uniform in appearance and water composition, their tributaries vary greatly. Rainforest waters are home to a wealth of wildlife that is nearly as diverse as the biota on land. For example, more than 5,600 species of fish have been identified in the Amazon Basin alone. But like rainforests, tropical ecosystems are also threatened. Dams, deforestation, channelization and dredging, pollution, mining, and overfishing are chief dangers.

Chapter 7:

Rainforest people Tropical rainforests have long been home to tribal peoples who rely on their surroundings for food, shelter, and medicines. Today very few forest people live in traditional ways; most have been displaced by outside settlers, have been forced to give up their lifestyles by governments, or have chosen to adopt outside customs. Of the remaining forest people, the Amazon supports the largest number of indigenous people living in traditional ways, although these people, too, have been impacted by the modern world. Nonetheless, indigenous peoples' knowledge of medicinal plants remains unmatched and they have a great understanding of the ecology of the Amazon rainforest. In Africa there are native forest dwellers sometimes known as pygmies. The tallest of these people, also called the Mbuti, rarely exceed 5 feet in height. Their small size enables them to move about the forest more efficiently than taller people. There are few forest peoples in Asia living in fully traditional ways. The last nomadic people in Borneo are thought to have settled in the late 2000's. New Guinea and the Andaman Islands are generally viewed as the last frontiers for forest people in Asia and the Pacific.

Chapter 8:

Deforestation Every year an area of rainforest the size of New Jersey is cut down and destroyed, mostly the result of human activities. We are cutting down rainforests for many reasons, including: wood for both timber and making fires; agriculture for both small and large farms; land for poor farmers who don’t have anywhere else to live; grazing land for cattle (the single biggest driver of deforestation in the Amazon); plantations, including wood-pulp for making paper, oil palm for making palm oil, and rubber; road construction; and extraction of minerals and energy. In recent decades there has been an important shift in deforestation trends. Today export-driven industries are driving a bigger share of deforestation than ever before, marking a shift from previous decades, when most tropical deforestation was the product of poor farmers trying to put food on the table for their families. There are important implications from this change. While companies have a greater capacity to chop down forests than small farmers, they are more sensitive to pressure from environmentalists. Thus in recent years, it has become easier—and more ethical—for green groups to go after corporations than after poor farmers. Rainforests are also threatened by climate change, which is contributing to droughts in parts of the Amazon and Southeast Asia. Drought causes die-offs of trees and dries out leaf litter, increasing the risk of forest fires, which are often set by land developers, ranchers, plantation owners, and loggers.

Tropical primary forest cover and tree cover by country in 2020