Difference Between Tropical Rainforest and Deciduous Forest

The main difference between tropical rainforest and deciduous forest is that tropical rainforests are forests with mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall, located in warm regions of the world, whereas deciduous forests are forests characterized by plants that shed their leaves annually.

Tropical rainforests and deciduous forests are both important for the survival of the world. Furthermore, the difference between these two types of forests lies in their location and climate.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is a Tropical Rainforest 
     – Definition, Features
2. What is a Deciduous Forest
    – Definition, Features 
3. Difference Between Tropical Rainforest and Deciduous Forest
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Tropical Rainforest, Deciduous Forest

What is a Tropical Rainforest

A rainforest is a dense forest rich in biodiversity that experiences a high amount of rainfall. Tropical rainforests occur in the equatorial zone between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, areas that have warm temperatures and year-round sunlight. Furthermore, these rainforests merge into other types of forests depending on the latitude, altitude, and various climate, flooding, and soil conditions. They also form a variety of vegetation types, contributing to the remarkable diversity of the tropics. The largest rainforest in the world occurs in the Amazon Basin in South America, while the second and third largest tropical rainforest areas in the world are the Congo Basin and Southeast Asia.

In addition, rainforests have four main layers: emergent, upper canopy, understory, and forest floor. The top emergent layer has tall trees that grow apart, and their branches reach above the canopy. The canopy, on the other hand, is a deep layer of vegetation roughly about 6m thick and forms a kind of roof that blocks some of the sunlight from reaching the forest floor.  

What is a Deciduous Forest

A deciduous forest is a forest characterized by plants that shed their leaves annually. The word deciduous itself refers to this nature of leaves – falling off seasonally. Deciduous forests experience four distinct seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. It’s generally in the autumn that leaves change colour. During the next season, i.e., winter, the trees lose their leaves. Animals in deciduous forests also adapt to these changing seasons. Ash, oak, birch, beech, lime, and northern arrowwood are some trees that grow in deciduous forests.

Moreover, we can divide deciduous forests into three categories according to their location: temperate, subtropical, or tropical. Temperate deciduous forests are found in the temperate regions, western Eurasia, eastern North America, as well as in northeastern Asia. While subtropical deciduous forests are in the subtropical regions, tropical deciduous forests are in the tropical regions.

Difference Between Tropical Rainforest and Deciduous Forest

Definition

Tropical rainforests are forests with mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall, located in warm regions of the world, whereas deciduous forests are forests characterized by plants that shed their leaves annually.

Location

Tropical rainforests occur in the equatorial zone between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, whereas temperate deciduous forests occur in the temperate regions: western Eurasia, eastern North America, and northeastern Asia.

Climate

While tropical rainforests remain warm all year and receive high rainfall, temperate deciduous forests experience the four seasons: summer, spring, autumn, and winter.

Plants

Plants in tropical rainforests do not shed leaves annually, while plants in deciduous forests shed their leaves annually.

Conclusion

Tropical rainforests are forests with mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall, located in warm regions of the world, whereas deciduous forests are forests with plants that shed their leaves annually. While tropical rainforests remain warm all year and receive high rainfall, temperate deciduous forests experience the four seasons: summer, spring, autumn, and winter. Thus, this is the main difference between tropical rainforest and deciduous forest.

Reference:

1. Nunez, Christina. “Rainforests.” Environment, National Geographic, 3 May 2021.
2. “Deciduous Forest Biome.” Blue Planet Biomes.
3. Butler, Rhett A. “Rainforests: Tropical Forest Facts, Photos, and Information.” Mongabay.com, Mongabay, 14 Aug. 2020.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Lush green trees and plants of Hawaii rainforest” (Public Domain) via PublicDomainPictures
2. “Autumnal deciduous forest – Laubwand im Herbst” By Norbert Nagel, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Germany – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia