Content
Introduction & Outcomes
In this topic, we first introduce you to some of the basic concepts associated with tropical forest ecology. We start by looking at where the Tropics are, and some of the early work undertaken by Europeans to recognize them as being distinctive from other parts of the world. It is important to remember that there have been people living in the Tropics for millennia: in fact humans originated in the African tropics and spread from there to Asia and eventually to the Neotropics. Consequently, Europeans did not ‘discover’ tropical forests, but much of today’s understanding of tropical forest in western science originates from this exploratory work in 18th and 19th centuries. The Indigenous peoples also have an understanding of the forests, but much of this knowledge is passed on orally and is not documented in textbooks or scientific papers. If you are interested in learning more about the work of Indigenous scientists, we recommend the book by Gregory Cajete: “Native Science. Natural Laws of Interdependence”, published by Clear Light Publishers in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, in 2000.
The next presentation examines some of the characteristics of tropical forests and, in particular, what makes them so special. We also look at the ways that tropical forests have been defined. This latter aspect is difficult, as so many different classifications have been proposed. Ecologists have sought to find neat classification systems in which every forest can be comfortably placed. The reality is very different, and forests not only vary over space, but can vary over time. The very detailed site-based classifications adopted in central Europe and some other parts of the world have not been applied in the Tropics, and classifications tend to be much broader. However, it is evident that even with these broad classifications, there are still many misfits. This is because while some forest types have clear boundaries, others grade into each other through a fairly extensive ecotone. Another complication is that disturbances such as fire and human activity can alter the composition of forests, sometimes permanently. This is a theme we examine later in another course (“Ecological Processes in Tropical Forests”) when look at the role of disturbance in the species richness of tropical forests.
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
- Describe where tropical forests are found and list the factors that determine their distribution.
- Identify which climate types correspond to which biome types.
- Describe some of the most important early scientists working in tropical forests and assess their contribution to our understanding to tropical forests.
- Determine, when entering a tropical forest, what type it is.
- Explain how the five different tropical regions have evolved.
Topic Readings
Required Readings
- Ghazoul, J. and Sheil, D. 2010. Tropical rain Forest Ecology, Diversity, and Conservation. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 516 pp. Chapters 1 and 7.
Optional Readings
- Ashton, P. 2014. On the forests of Tropical Asia. Lest the memory fade. London, UK: Kew Publishing, 670 pp. Chapter 2, Part II (pages 121-152).
- Corlett, R.T. 2009. The Ecology of Tropical East Asia. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Chapter 1.
- Corlett, R.T. and Primack, R.B. 2011. Tropical Rain Forests. An ecological and biogeographical comparison. 2nd edition. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. Chapter 1.
- Kricher, J. 2011. Tropical Ecology. Princeton, New Jersey, USA: Princeton University Press, 632 pp. Chapter 1.
- Osborne, P.L. 2000. Tropical Ecosystems and Ecological Concepts. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 464 pp. Chapter 1.
Self-check Quiz
After viewing topic presentations, take this self-check quiz to check your own progress. This quiz is designed to see how well you remember some of the more important issues presented in the module. There are five questions, and each has a potential of 4 answers, only one of which is correct. When you are ready, click the link Self-check Quiz 1.1 to start taking the quiz.
Pre-readings and Discussion (For certification)
Once you have read Chapters 1 and 7 of Ghazoul, J. and Sheil, D. 2010. Tropical Rain Forest Ecology, Diversity, and Conservation, choose to post one thought provoking question related to the characteristics of tropical forests, and remember to answer/respond to at least one other student’s question on the discussion board Online Discussion Module 1. While you are only required to post one question and answer per module, we encourage you do so for each topic, and you will receive a higher grade if you do.
Graded Assignment (For certification)
- There is no graded assignment due in Week 1.
Topic Summary
This topic provides an introduction to tropical forests. It introduces you to the some of the people that first described tropical forests to western science and also to some of the different types of forests that have been described. It finally sets the scene for understanding how tropical forests came about by examining the evolution of plants and how these formed tropical forests.
Topic Self-review (For self learning)
To review what you have learned in the topic, you are encouraged to use the following reflection questions as a study guide to do a self-review for the topic:
- What are the primary factors determining where tropical forests occur?
- What is the relationship between the broad climatic zones and broad vegetation zones?
- Why is it inappropriate to use the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn as the northern and southern limits, respectively, of tropical forests?
- What distinguishes tropical rain forests and tropical seasonal forests?
- How do you distinguish different types of tropical forests beyond the broad division of rain forests and seasonal forests?
- When did today’s tropical forests evolve, and how much have they changed over the past 10 million years?
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