When most people think of tropical forests, what comes to mind are lush rainforests in places like the Amazon or the Congo.
But did you know that the United States also has tropical forests?
Tropical forests are defined as areas with more than 200 centimeters of atmospheric precipitation per year. Although they represent only 6% of the land worldwide, they are teeming with life and house more than half of the world’s species of fauna and flora.
In the United States, several regions have this level of rainfall and thus have tropical or temperate* forests. Learn more about four of these tropical forests in this article.
Chugach National Forest
Located in south-central Alaska, the Chugach National Forest (above) surrounds a temperate rainforest that stretches between the ocean and the glacial alpine zone.
The Chugach Rainforest is home to Sitka spruce and mountain hemlock trees, as well as western hemlocks, moose, bears, and bald eagles. More bald eagles live in the Chugach National Forest than in the contiguous United States combined.
The Chugach National Forest also features glaciers, rivers, and watersheds. Although it is approximately the size of the state of New Hampshire, only 145 kilometers of Forest Service roads pass through it, making Chugach one of the most protected forests in the country.
El Yunque National Forest
The only tropical forest managed by the U.S. Forest Service is El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico.
Covering about 117 square kilometers, it is one of the smallest tropical forests in U.S. territory, but it surpasses its limited size in biodiversity. El Yunque is home to 225 species of native trees—23 of which are found nowhere else in the world—and 164 documented vertebrate species, such as the Puerto Rican parrot, an endangered species.
Parts of El Yunque National Forest receive up to 6 meters of rain annually and maintain a mild temperature of 21° Celsius year-round.
Hoh Rainforest
Situated in Olympic National Park in Washington State, the Hoh Rainforest has an average rainfall of 3.5 meters per year and is known for its lush landscape.
Coniferous and deciduous trees form a canopy over clusters of ferns and soft mosses, which cover rocks, tree trunks, and the forest floor. The dense vegetation of the forest allows banana slugs, snakes, snails, salamanders, and small rodents to thrive within the ecosystem.
Many moose, black bears, mountain lions, lynxes, and otters also call the Hoh Rainforest home.
Tongass National Forest
Tongass National Forest, located in southeastern Alaska, is the largest national forest in the United States, covering 68 million square kilometers.
Tongass National Forest is the largest intact temperate rainforest on Earth, composed of ancient cedars, Sitka spruces, and western hemlocks. It is also home to over 400 species of wildlife—including bald eagles, moose, and the largest concentration of black bears in the world.
The Indigenous peoples of Alaska have inhabited the forest for over 10,000 years and still call it home today.
Source: share.america.gov