and
heat
humidity
The tropical rainforests grow
in an equatorial climate with
9 to 12 months’ rainy season,
and temperatures from 23 to 27 °C
which hardly vary. They receive
a minimum of 2 metres annual rainfall
and relative humidity in the air
is very high.
The tropical rainforests have
extremely high biological diversity,
beginning by the trees and hold
immense potential in resources for
human use.
They provide a range of goods and services
to the communities that live there, but also for
urban populations. For some peoples they are a
place for contemplation and represent identityrelated values.
They also help regulate the Earth’s
environment through their role in the water,
carbon and oxygen cycles.
In the tropical rainforests,
trees sometimes over 50 metres
high prevent light from penetrating
the understorey.
At the focus of research
The accelerated development of human activities
is causing steady deterioration of tropical rainforests. Scientific
research has the duty to understand the way their systems work
and the factors behind their degradation, in order to help States
and international organisations to manage their resources better
and reconcile utilisation with protection.
The tropical
rainforests provide
local populations with
a variety of resources
like timber or fruit.
The high-altitude
tropical forests
are usually
cloaked in mist
and fog.
Did you know? In some tropical
forest regions rainfall can reach 8 metres
per year, 8 times as much as in French forests •
If a tropical rainforest
is cut down, at least
years are needed for it
to grow up again
50
5
MINISTÈRE
DES
AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES
ET EUROPÉENNES
FTH/en - 2011