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The tropical climate experiences hot, humid weather and rainfall year-round. While many might associate the region solely with the rainforests, the tropics are home to a wide variety of ecosystems that boast a great wealth of biodiversity, from exotic animal species to seldom-found flora.
Tropical rainforests are among the most threatened ecosystems globally due to large-scale fragmentation as a result of human activity. Habitat fragmentation caused by geological processes such as volcanism and climate change occurred in the past, and have been identified as important drivers of speciation. [ 10 ]
Introduced species negatively impact ecosystems through altered predator-prey interactions that can cause harm or even local extinction to native species populations (Towns et al.). There are many examples of animal species such as birds, reptiles, and aquatic insects being harmed by the introduction of predators such as rats, cats, and ants.
Example of seascape connectivity among different patch types in a tropical seascape and the flow of ecosystem services. Ecological linkages are depicted by arrows: terrestrial (brown); mangroves (green); seagrasses (blue); and coral reefs (red). Potential feedbacks from human impacts are also shown (yellow arrows). [116] [117
Deforestation of tropical wet forests has caused many native species to become endangered or extinct at an alarming rate. The Tropical Wet Forests around the globe are being deforested at an alarming rate. For example, some counties like Florida have lost 50% [33] of their tropical wet forest habitat, and Costa Rica has lost about 90%. [34]
However, tropical forests are extensive, making up just under half the world's forests. [3] The tropical domain has the largest proportion of the world's forests (45 percent), followed by the boreal, temperate and subtropical domains. [4] More than 3.6 million hectares of virgin tropical forest was lost in 2018. [5] [6]
As the largest tract of tropical rainforest in the Americas, the Amazonian rainforests have unparalleled biodiversity. One in ten known species in the world lives in the Amazon rainforest. [ 47 ] This constitutes the largest collection of living plants and animal species in the world .
A "natural bonsai" in the Mount Hamiguitan National Park in the Philippines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site An elfin forest in Sumatra's Gunung Leuser National Park. Dwarf forest, elfin forest, or pygmy forest is an uncommon ecosystem featuring miniature trees, inhabited by small species of fauna such as rodents and lizards.