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Explain any five factors influencing the distribution and type of natural forest

Explain any five factors influencing the distribution and type of natural forest.

Answers

Andrew
(a) Edaphic factors
Natural forests heavily depend on the soil factors such as the acidity, organic content and texture. Different tree species have their respective soil requirements that enable them thrive well in different regions of the world.
For example, most natural trees will do well in slightly acidic soils.

(b) Temparature
Temperature determines the type of natural trees in an area. This results in the existence of the range of tropical to subtropical forests along the latitudes of the earth.
More forest cover is seen along the equator due to high temperature that enhances forest growth, unlike towards the North and South poles where there exist scarce forest cover due to lower temperature.

(c) Relief
This refers to the variation in the height between various parts of the earth's surface. Some types of natural forest species tend to thrive well in low altitude areas whereas some species establish well in high altitude areas.
Most natural forests are prominent on relatively less slopy and flat areas, while less forest cover exist on very slopy regions.

(d) Precipitation
The amount of moisture in an given area determines the type and distribution of natural forests. Areas receiving high amount of rainfall have more dense forest cover. Regions with little or no rainfall or any other form of moisture have little or totally lack forest.
For example, areas within the tropics have more forest cover than regions far away from the tropics.

(e) Aspect
Aspect is the position of a place with respect to the direction of sunlight. It is noted that slopes which face the sun are prone to lose of moisture through evaporation, leaving so little moisture for growth of natural forests especially in hemispheres. However, slopes facing away from the sun retain more moisture for the growth of plants.
Andreaz answered the question on January 5, 2018 at 10:26

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