The forest ecosystem

1. FOREST ECOSYSTEM

2. FOREST is typically a large area covered
mainly with trees and undergrowth.
Forests cover one third of the earth's land
mass, performing vital functions and
supporting the livelihoods of 1.6 billion
people.
Forests are home to more than half of the
world’s land-based species of animals, plants
and insects. They also combat climate change
and buffer the impacts of storms and floods.

3. A forest ecosystem is a natural habitat for
plants and animals in a woodland area.
It consists of all the living (biotic) and non-
living (abiotic) components of the
environment that interact with each other.
All living (biotic) components can be divided
into Producer, Consumer and Decomposer.

4. Plants are the primary producers in a forest
ecosystem.
Producers make their own food. Plants do
this through the process of photosynthesis.
Many producers also happen to produce, or
make, things that animals eat.

6.  Emergent Layer- This layer is composed of tall trees
(70-80 meters max) and is reported to obtain constant
sunlight. They’re found only in tropical forests.
 Forest Canopy- Trees are closely spaced and can be
anywhere from 10-25 meters high, but can also be as
high as 60 meters. Animals including monkeys, birds,
insects, and reptiles inhabit the canopy.
 Understory- It refers to the plants present just
beneath the canopy, and hence, is dimply lit. The
majority of the trees are smaller ones (5-10 meters).

7.  Shrub Layer- The shrub layer is 1-5 meters.
They’re rarely found in tropical forests. Some
deciduous temperate forests have a rich
shrub layer.
 Non-Woody Herbaceous Ground Cover- In
tropical forests, this strata is rarely more than
10% of the forest area. Its mainly just plants
and some grasses.
 Moss, Cryptogam, and Shallow Soil Layer- It
includes fallen logs of trees and decomposing
litter of fallen leaves and twigs.

9.  All animals, including mammals, others are
called Consumers. Consumers rely on plants and
other animals as a food source.
 Primary Consumers only eat plants and are
referred to as Herbivores.
 Secondary Consumers are referred to as
carnivores and feed on Herbivores.
 Tertiary Consumers is an animal that obtains its
nutrition by eating primary and secondary
consumers.
 Omnivores eat both plants and animals.

11. Decomposers are any organisms that lives off
of ingesting other dead organisms.
Decomposers break down dead plants and
animals, returning the nutrients to the soil to
be made usable by the producers.
These include bacteria, ants, termites,
earthworms, fungi, etc.