Secondary 1 Geography - Chapter 5: Spatial Distribution of Tropical Rainforest
escribe the characteristics of tropical rainforests and mangroves;
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describe the distribution of tropical rainforests and mangroves;
describe the conditions for the growth of tropical rainforests and mangroves;
explain the adaptations of tropical rainforests and mangroves; (Optional for NA)
compare the adaptations between tropical rainforests and mangroves. (Optional for NA)
What is Natural Vegetation?
● Natural vegetation refers to plant life which covers particular parts of the world’s land areas and
develops without human interference.
● Several different types of natural vegetation exist, but each of them can be found only in certain
parts of the world.
● This is because the climate of a given location determines the type of natural vegetation found
there.
What is the Tropical Climate?
● (DEFINITION) Climate refers to the average weather conditions of a place over a long period
of time, usually more than 30 years.
● The climate experienced by many areas found within the tropics, the part of the world located in
between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, is correspondingly known as the tropical
climate.
○ The tropical climate is also characterized by high total annual rainfall of about 2,000
millimeters on average, but can go up to as high as 4,500 millimeters in some areas.
● There is rainfall throughout the year. There is no month in which rainfall is very low or
absent. In addition, temperatures are high throughout the year.
Climograph of Singapore - Example of Tropical Equatorial Climate
econdary 1 Geography - Chapter 5: Characteristics of Tropical Vegetation
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What types of vegetation are found in the tropical climate and environment?
● Tropical rainforests and mangroves are the main natural vegetation found in tropical climates
What Are Tropical Rainforests and Where Are They Found?
● The tropical rainforest is the main type of natural vegetation found in parts of the world which
experience the tropical climate. Most of these tropical areas are located very close to the Equator.
● Tropical rainforests can be found in Central and South America, West and Central Africa, as well as
South and Southeast Asia.
What Are the Characteristics of Tropical Rainforests?
● Plants require sunlight and water, among other things, in order to survive and grow.
● Areas that experience the tropical climate receive abundant sunlight and high rainfall throughout the
year, making them very suitable for plant growth.
○ As a result, the vast majority of tropical rainforest plants are evergreen.
○ This means that they do not shed all of their leaves at particular times of the year.
● Tropical rainforest plants are evergreen because they continuously grow new leaves to replace
older ones that die and fall off, thus maintaining a constantly green appearance.
○ This is unlike the trees of temperate deciduous forests in Europe and North America, for
example, which shed their leaves before each winter season to conserve water.
● The suitable climatic conditions also explain why tropical rainforests contain a very large variety of
plant species, more than any other type of ecosystem in the world.
○ Furthermore, no particular rainforest plant species is significantly more than others.
○ This means that a person can walk hundreds of meters inside a tropical rainforest without
finding more than one tree that belongs to the same species.
he intense competition for sunlight among tropical rainforest plants causes them to grow as tall as
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possible. Granted, not all plants can grow to the same height.
● This gives the tropical rainforest a distinct vertical forest structure, comprising three main layers:
○ Emergent Layer
○ Canopy Layer
○ Undergrowth Layer
The Emergent Layer
● Most tropical rainforest trees grow to about 20–30 meters in height.
● The tallest trees in the tropical rainforest are able to grow to 30 meters or more in height.
● The crowns of these trees form the emergent layer, which protrudes above the dense, lush canopy
The Canopy Layer
● For most of the trees that grow very close to one another, their crowns interlock to form a thick and
near-continuous mass of branches and leaves known as the canopy layer.
● It prevents 97–98 per cent of the sunlight that the top of the tropical rainforest receives from passing
through to reach the forest floor.
The Undergrowth Layer
● The undergrowth layer is found beneath the canopy layer at the understorey of the forest trees.
● Very little sunlight is able to reach this layer. Thus, not many plants are able to grow here, except
smaller ones that are able to grow in the shade and the seedlings of taller trees.
● The amount of vegetation growing near the ground surface is thus relatively sparse, except where
there are gaps in the canopy, such as near riverbanks or where a canopy tree has fallen down.
● When gaps in the canopy appear, a lot of sunlight is suddenly able to reach the undergrowth layer.
