View source for Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests

{{Short description|Habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature}}
{{Redirect|Tropical evergreen forest|the tropical evergreen coniferous forests|tropical and subtropical coniferous forests}}

[[File:Biome map 01.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|Distribution of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests]]

'''Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests''' ('''TSMF'''), also known as '''tropical moist forest''', is a [[subtropics|subtropical]] and [[tropical forest]] [[habitat]] type defined by the [[World Wide Fund for Nature]] (WWF).<ref name=wwf>{{CC-notice|bysa3}} {{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110401124509/http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/about/habitat_types/selecting_terrestrial_ecoregions/habitat01.cfm|archive-date=2011-04-01|url=http://wwf.panda.org:80/about_our_earth/ecoregions/about/habitat_types/selecting_terrestrial_ecoregions/habitat01.cfm|title=Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forest Ecoregions|author=World Wide Fund for Nature|access-date=2019-05-29|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Description ==
[[File:Hidden Beauty of Nilgiris 03.jpg|thumb|Moist broadleaf forest in [[Mudumalai National Park]]]]
[[File:Forest dominated by Gilbertiodendron dewevrei 02.jpg|thumb|[[Congolian rainforests|Congolian rainforest]] dominated by ''[[Gilbertiodendron dewevrei]]'', near [[Isiro]]]]

TSMF is generally found in large, discontinuous patches centered on the equatorial belt and between the [[Tropic of Cancer]] and [[Tropic of Capricorn]]. TSMF are characterized by low variability in annual temperature and high levels of rainfall of more than {{cvt|2000|mm}} annually. Forest composition is dominated by [[evergreen]] and [[semi-deciduous]] tree species.<ref name=wwf/>

These forests are home to [[Species richness|more species]] than any other terrestrial [[ecosystem]] on Earth: Half of the world's species may live in these forests, where a square kilometer may be home to more than 1,000 tree species. These forests are found around the world, particularly in the [[Indo-Malayan Archipelago]], the [[Amazon Basin]], and the African [[Congo Basin]].<ref name=wwf/>

The perpetually warm, wet climate makes these environments more productive than any other terrestrial environment on Earth and promotes explosive plant growth.<ref>{{Cite web | author= Basic Biology | date= 2016 | title= Forest | url=https://basicbiology.net/environment/land/forest}}</ref> A tree here may grow over {{cvt|75|ft|m|order=flip}} in height in just 5 years. From above, the forest appears as an unending sea of green, broken only by occasional, taller "emergent" trees. These towering emergents are the realm of [[hornbill]]s, [[toucan]]s, and the [[harpy eagle]].<ref name=wwf/>

Generally, [[biodiversity]] is highest in the forest canopy. The canopy can be divided into five layers: [[overstory]] canopy with emergent [[crown (botany)|crowns]], a medium layer of canopy, lower canopy, shrub level, and finally understory.<ref name=wwf/><ref name=Webb>{{cite journal |title=A Physiognomic Classification of Australian Rain Forests|first1=Len|last1=Webb| author-link=Leonard Webb (academic) | journal = Journal of Ecology| publisher=British Ecological Society : Journal of Ecology Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 551-570|date=1 Oct 1959|volume = 47|issue = 3|pages = 551–570|doi = 10.2307/2257290|jstor = 2257290|bibcode=1959JEcol..47..551W }}</ref><ref name=Tracey>{{Citation | author1=Tracey, J. G. (John Geoffrey) | author-link=Geoff Tracey | title= The Vegetation of the Humid Tropical Region of North Queensland | publication-date=1982 | pages=13–20| url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/23224781?q&versionId=45832425}}</ref>

The canopy is home to many of the forest's animals, including [[ape]]s and [[monkey]]s. Below the canopy, a lower understory hosts [[snake]]s and [[big cat]]s. The forest floor, relatively clear of undergrowth due to the thick canopy above, is stalked by other animals such as [[gorilla]]s and [[deer]].<ref name=wwf/>

All levels of these forests contain an unparalleled diversity of [[invertebrate]] species, including [[New Guinea]]'s [[stick insect]]s and [[birdwing|butterflies]] that can grow over {{cvt|1|ft|cm|order=flip}} in length.<ref name=wwf/>

Many forests are being [[Deforestation#Environmental effects|cleared]] for [[farmland]], while others are subject to large-scale commercial [[logging]]. An area the size of Ireland is destroyed every few years.<ref name=wwf/>

== Types ==
{{More citations needed section | date=March 2022}}
[[Image:Lifezones Pengo, TSMF.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.15|Tropical and subtropical moist forests (TSMF) as shown within the [[Holdridge Life Zones]] classification scheme, and includes moist forests, wet forests, and rainforests.{{synthesis inline|date=December 2018}}]]

The biome includes several types of forests:
* '''Lowland equatorial evergreen rain forests''', commonly known as '''[[tropical rainforest]]s''', are forests which receive high rainfall ([[tropical rainforest climate]] with more than 2000&nbsp;mm, or 80&nbsp;inches, annually) throughout the year.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Tracey, J. G. (John Geoffrey) | author-link=Geoff Tracey | title= The Vegetation of the Humid Tropical Region of North Queensland | publication-date=1982 | pages=13–20| url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/23224781?q&versionId=45832425}}</ref> These forests occur in a belt around the equator, with the largest areas in the [[Amazon basin]] of South America, the [[Congo Basin]] of central [[Africa]], the [[Wet Tropics of Queensland]] in Australia and parts of the [[Malay Archipelago]]. About half of the world's tropical rainforests are in the South American countries of [[Brazil]] and [[Peru]]. [[Rainforest]]s now cover less than 6% of Earth's land surface. Scientists estimate that more than half of all the world's plant and animal species live in tropical rainforests.
* '''[[Tropical seasonal forest]]s''', also known as '''moist deciduous''', '''monsoon''' or '''semi-evergreen (mixed) seasonal''' forests, have a [[tropical monsoon climate|monsoon]] or wet [[Tropical savanna climate|savannah]] climates (as in the [[Köppen climate classification]]): receiving high overall rainfall with a warm summer [[wet season]] and (often) a cooler winter [[dry season]]. Some trees in these forests drop some or all of their leaves during the winter dry season. These forests are found in [[South Florida]], parts of South America, in [[Central America]] and around the [[Caribbean]], in coastal [[West Africa]], parts of the [[Indian subcontinent]], Northern Australia and across much of [[Indochina]].<ref>{{Citation | author1=Beard, J.S. | author2= Keneally, K.F.  | title= 'Rainforests of Western Australia'. In 'The rainforest legacy: Australian national rainforests study'. Special Australian heritage publication series 7(1) | publication-date=1987 | pages=289–304}}</ref><ref name=Webb.Tracey>{{Citation | author1=Webb, L. J. (Leonard James) | author-link1=Leonard Webb (academic) | author2 =Tracey, J. G. (John Geoffrey) | author-link2=Geoff Tracey | title= An ecological survey of the monsoon forests of the north-western region of the Northern Territory |publisher=Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service | publication-date=1982 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Russell-Smith, Jeremy | author2=Dunlop, Clyde | title= The status of monsoon vine forests in the Northern Territory: a perspective. In 'The rainforest legacy: Australian national rainforests study. Special Australian heritage publication series 7(1) | publication-date=1987}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8645368/version/9995696?keyword=ANL%20AND%20%28isbn%3A0864437366%29%20AND%20title%3A%22The%20rainforests%20of%20Cape%20York%20Peninsula%20%2F%22 | title=The rainforests of Cape York Peninsula | author1=Stanton, J.P. | author-link1=Peter Stanton | author2=Fell, David. G. | publisher=Rainforest CRC | date=2005 | via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
* '''Montane rain forests''' are found in cooler-climate mountainous areas. Those with elevations high enough to regularly encounter low-level cloud cover are known as [[cloud forest]]s.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Tracey, J. G. (John Geoffrey) | author-link=Geoff Tracey | title= The Vegetation of the Humid Tropical Region of North Queensland | publication-date=1982 | pages=34–38| url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/23224781?q&versionId=45832425}}</ref>
* '''Flooded forests''', including [[freshwater swamp forest]]s and [[peat swamp forest]]s.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Tracey, J. G. (John Geoffrey) | author-link=Geoff Tracey | title= The Vegetation of the Humid Tropical Region of North Queensland | publication-date=1982 | pages=20–25| url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/23224781?q&versionId=45832425}}</ref>
* '''Manigua''' a low, often impenetrable dense forest of tangled tropical shrub and small trees. It is usually found in marshy areas but also on dry land in certain places. The term is used in [[Cuba]], the [[Dominican Republic]], [[Puerto Rico]] and [[Colombia]].<ref>Pichardo, Esteban. ''Diccionario provincial casi-razonado de vozes cubanas'' 3d ed. Havana 1861 p. 172</ref><ref> Cámara Artigas, Rafael; Martínez Batlle, José Ramón; Díaz del Olmo, Fernando. ''Desarrollo sostenible y medio ambiente en República Dominicana: Medios naturales, manejo histórico, conservación y protección.'' Sevilla 2012. ISBN 84-00-08392-X, p. 169.</ref><ref>Hernández Aquino, Luis (1993). ''Diccionario de voces indígenas de Puerto Rico''. p. 330.</ref>

==Notable ecoregions==
{{see|List of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregions}}
A number of TSMF [[ecoregion]]s are notable for their [[biodiversity]] and [[endemism]]:<ref name=wwf/>
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Southwest Amazon moist forests]] in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia
* [[Atlantic Forest]] in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay
* [[Chocó–Darién moist forests]] in Colombia and Panama
* The [[Wet Tropics of Queensland]] in Australia<ref>{{Citation | author1=Tracey, J. G. (John Geoffrey) | author-link=Geoff Tracey | title= The Vegetation of the Humid Tropical Region of North Queensland | publication-date=1982 | pages=13–70| url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/23224781?q&versionId=45832425}}</ref>
* [[Northwestern Andean montane forests]] of Colombia and Ecuador<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Terborgh|first1=J|first2=B|last2=Winter|year=1983|title=A method for siting parks and reserves with special reference to Colombia and Ecuador|journal=Biological Conservation|volume=27|issue=1|pages=45–58|doi=10.1016/0006-3207(83)90005-8|bibcode=1983BCons..27...45T}}</ref>
* [[Guayanan Highlands moist forests]]<ref>{{cite book|editor-last1=Whitmore|editor-first1=TC|editor-first2=GT|editor-last2=Prance|year=1987|title=Biogeography and Quaternary history in tropical America|series=Oxford Monographs on Biogeography|number=3|publisher=Clarendon Press|location=Oxford, UK}}</ref>
* [[Cuban moist forests]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Borhidi|first=A|year=1991|title=Phytogeography and vegetation ecology of Cuba|publisher=Akadémiai Kiadó|location=Budapest, Hungary}}</ref>
*  [[Veracruz moist forests]] in Mexico
* [[Congolese rainforests]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Kingdon|first=J|year=1997|title=African mammals|url=https://archive.org/details/kingdonfieldguid00jona|url-access=registration|publisher=Academic Press|location=San Diego, California, USA|isbn=9780124083554}}</ref>
* [[Upper Guinean forests]]<ref>{{cite book|publisher=IUCN/UNEP|year=1986a|title=Review of the protected areas system in the Afrotropical Realm|location=Gland, Switzerland}}</ref>
* [[Albertine Rift montane forests]] from Uganda to Burundi<ref>{{cite book|last=Kingdon|first=J|year=1989|title=Island Africa: the evolution of Africa's rare animals and plants|publisher=Princeton University Press|location=Princeton, New Jersey, USA}}</ref>
* [[Eastern Arc forests]] of Kenya and Tanzania<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hamilton|first1=AC|first2=R|last2=Bensted-Smith|year=1989|title=Forest conservation in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania|publisher=IUCN|location=Gland, Switzerland}}</ref>
* [[Coastal forests of eastern Africa]] from Somalia to Mozambique<ref>{{cite book|editor-last1=Lovett|editor-first1=JC|editor-first2=SK|editor-last2=Wasser|year=1993|title=Biogeography and ecology of the rain forests of eastern Africa|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge, UK}}</ref>
* [[Madagascar subhumid forests]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Preston-Mafham|first=K|year=1991|title=Madagascar: A natural history|publisher=Facts on File|location=Oxford, UK}}</ref>
* [[Puerto Rican moist forests]]<ref>{{NatGeo ecoregion |id=nt0155 |name=Puerto Rican moist forests|access-date=2010-11-17}}</ref>
* [[Sri Lanka lowland rain forests]]
* [[Peninsular Malaysian peat swamp forests]]
* [[Borneo peat swamp forests]]
* [[New Caledonia rain forests]]<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mittermeier|first1=R.A.|first2=T.B.|last2=Werner|first3=A.|last3=Lees|year=1996|title=New Caledonia – a conservation imperative for an ancient land |journal=Oryx|volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=104–112|doi=10.1017/s0030605300021487 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
* [[Western Ghats]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Environment|Ecology|Earth sciences}}
* [[Tropical dry broadleaf forest]]
* [[Tropical coniferous forests]]
* [[Center for Tropical Forest Science]] (CTFS)
* [[International Tropical Timber Organization]] (ITTO)
* [[Monodominance]]
* [[Trees of the world]]
* [[Tropical vegetation]]
* [[Cloud forest]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* [http://www.nature.org/rainforests/explore/facts.html Facts about the world's tropical rainforests] from [[The Nature Conservancy]]
* [http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,737991,00.jpg NASA picture of the afforestation of the earth in the year 2002]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180817214235/http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/habitats/Tropical_and_subtropical_moist_broadleaf_forests BBC video clips and details of the species found here]

{{Biomes}}
{{Biodiversity of South Africa|ecoreg}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tropical And Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests}}
[[Category:Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests| ]]
[[Category:Terrestrial biomes]]
[[Category:Tropical flora|Moist broadleaf forests]]
[[Category:Forests]]
[[Category:Rainforests]]