Equatorial forests - the lungs of our planet

Many travelers who have visited the impenetrable tropical forests , amicably called them "green hell." Constant twilight, crazy humidity, impassable paths, crawling with creeping reptiles and poisonous insects - all this is considered quite a familiar phenomenon for the equator. Without a stick, a sharp knife and a gun, surviving here is problematic, because in this locus of traveler at every step awaits danger.

Equatorial forests live their amazing life, and many living beings are used to it. In this area there is a constant high temperature, almost every day there is a heavy downpour. Plants and animals are located at different levels, the number of which sometimes reaches five. At the very top are the giant trees, reaching 40-50 m in height. They have very strong wood and powerful spreading roots, which allow them to maintain their weight.

At the second level are located 20-meter trees, forming a dense crown and not allowing the sun to pass into the equatorial forests. Slightly less often grow plants 10 meters high, and then go shrubs and grass. On the trunks of giants, wandering plants, wading closer to the sunlight, plant parasites. Many vines do not even touch the ground, but feed on air roots. Epiphytes include beautiful orchids, attracting with their fragrant flowers birds and insects, which help them survive in these difficult conditions.

The first place in the species composition (about 3 thousand species) is occupied by the selva of South America, the equatorial forests of Africa are slightly behind, but not much. This area is full of greenery, there are no variegated flowers that come across at every step, only one creeper, thickets of bushes, tall grass. Even tree trunks are green, they either acquired this color because of the constant humidity, or are covered with mosses and creeping parasitic plants.

The kingdom of mushrooms, mosses, algae, huge plants with wide leaves, poisonous and not very insects - that's what a tropical forest is like. The rain here creates a high humidity, but animals and locals are used to this climate. It is difficult for a traveler to survive in such harsh conditions even for one day without certain knowledge, so when traveling to such places it is important to take with them conductors from local residents who thoroughly know the laws of gills.

Equatorial forests are home to a large army of monkeys, elephants, wild boars, exotic birds, rhinoceroses, tapirs, tigers, sun bears, leopards, various insects, lizards, snakes and many other living things. Here reigns its own special world, the inhabitants of which live by their own laws.

Equatorial forests are also called the lungs of our planet. This is really so, because plants release a huge amount of oxygen. Their destruction will lead to a significant deterioration in air quality. Many environmentalists are alarmed by the cutting down of trees and the transformation of the forest into coffee, rubber or oil plantations. People were so carried away by the conquest of new lands that they completely forgot about the consequences that can be caused by the destruction of the flora and fauna of our planet.