Rainforests - Statistics & Facts
Rainforests are vibrant ecosystems that are home to some of the most diverse varieties of flora and fauna found anywhere on the globe. Tropical rainforests make up around 32 percent of all forest area on the planet, and tropical forests as a whole account for over 50 percent. Rainforests are characterized by tall, broad-leafed trees, that are densely packed to provide a continuous canopy, and have high levels of humidity. Major tropical rainforests are located near the equator in South America, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia, in areas with little to no seasonal variation. The largest rainforests, the Amazon and Congo, are found on the two largest river basins in the world, while the rainforests of Southeast Asia are spread across tropical and volcanic islands. Smaller, subtropical rainforests can also be found across the globe in areas such as Chile, China, and the U.S.. Rainforests play an essential role in facilitating life on earth on both a localized and global level, but continuous rapid deforestation has caused rainforest coverage to shrink in recent decades, which not only destroys the habitat of wildlife and indigenous populations, but also has stark consequences for humanity due to its affect on climate change and the global water cycle.
