Forest
- This article is about forests as a massing of trees. For other uses of the word, see Forest (disambiguation).
A
forest is an area with a high density of
trees (or, historically, an area set aside for
hunting). Forests can be found in all regions capable of sustaining tree growth, at altitudes up to the
tree-line, except where rainfall is too low, or natural fire frequency too high. Forests generally contain a large number of different tree species growing to different heights, combined with an
understory, which makes efficient use of sunlight. A forest in its natural form is home to many animal and plant species, and
biomass per unit area is high compared to most other biomes.
In ecological terms, a forest may be differentiated from a woodland: a forest is considered to have a more or less closed canopy, where the branches and foliage of trees meet or interlock; a woodland is considered to have an open canopy, where some sunlight penetrates between the trees (see also: savanna).
Numerous types of forests exist. Among the ecological types are:
The science of studying and managing forests, with a goal of sustainable extraction, is called
forestry.
Ecologists study forests.
See also