Forest Structure: If you want to know about forests and why they are essential for us, then you are at the right place! Have you ever wondered what makes them so important for living beings?

Fly Life Cycle

Introduction

Food Adulteration

Forest Structure

• The first emergent layer has huge trees with a crown at the peak. The crown is the branchy portion of the tree over the stem. The trees have tiny leaves in the emergent layer, which help them to endure heavy winds. Different varieties of trees show variation in their crowns. Also, based on the tree heights, the crown height differs in the forest.
• Canopy - The branches of tall trees cover that area like a roof spread over the other smaller plants of the forest. This is called a canopy which forms the roofing or shading over other plants and the ground. The trees have broad leaves, bringing the roof effect and allowing the rainwater to flow slowly toward the ground. The canopy receives maximum sunlight and only allows a small amount of light to cross and reach the other layers of the forest land.
• Understory - The crown of smaller trees forms a layer at lower heights. This is called the understory. It includes lower trees and shrubs whose branching is lower. Limited sunlight penetrates the area towards the ground. Therefore, it is mostly dark and humid.
• Ground or Floor - The last layer consists of the microbes and plant debris; the microorganism decomposes the debris and fertilises the soil. The ground is mostly soft and moist, and it is favourable for the growth of plants.

First Human Heart Transplant

Importance and Advantages

• They are a habitat for various plant and animal species.
• They help promote rainfall and maintain the earth's water cycle.
• They clear and purify the air by removing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen from green plants. This also helps keep a check on global warming by removing carbon dioxide.
• These maintain the climatic conditions, bring moisture, and lower the earth's temperature.
• Forests absorb sound and thus help reduce the noise pollution created by human activities.
• They provide ecological balance to the environment.
• They also provide a livelihood to humans through their resources like wood timber, gum, rubber, resins, oils and waxes, spices, medicinal products, and many more.
• Forest trees hold the soil and prevent it from being eroded, keeping the land fertile and soft. It brings protection from flash floods by lowering the water flow.
• They can naturally absorb a massive amount of water and sustain its flow. During heavy rainfall, the rainwater flows through the leaves of the trees without falling directly on the ground. It is slowly absorbed by the roots preventing it from flooding.
• Plants in nature produce enormous seeds. The forest floor is fertile and generally damp, to make it favourable for seed germination and the growth of plants.

Fossils Tracing Evolution

Deforestation and its Effects

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