Elucidate the difference between tropical and temperate forest while keeping in focus their natural resources.
Trees in the tropical and temperate forests differ from each other in terms of size and the nature of wood. In terms of natural resources, we can observe the following differences:
- While the tropical trees generally provide hardwood timber, the temperate forests provide generally softwood. However, there are a number of exceptions to this generalisation. Oak for example is a temperate hardwood while salai wood is a tropical softwood tree.
- Trees in the temperate regions are generally smaller than the ones in the tropics. However, there are some exceptions to this generalisation also. The tallest trees in the world are found in the fir and pine forests of northern California. The giant redwood sequoias found here attain heights of about 100 metres and diameters of more than 6 metres. Douglas fir trees in this region grow up to heights of 80 metres.
Topics: GS-I: Factors Responsible for the Location of Industries in Various Parts of World