Tuesday 17 November 2015

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WOODLAND AND A FOREST?


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Woodlands and forests are great places to explore and chill out. They are both full of trees right, but what are the key differences between them?

Woodlands and forests cover between 30–35% of the world’s land surface. When I think of a forest I think of Robin Hood in Sherwood forest, a vast place that sustains and hides a small tree top village. Infact the terms forest and woodland are often used almost interchangeably, and if there is any differentiation then most people see a forest as a remote, large, dark forbidding place while a woodland is smaller, more open and part of an agricultural landscape.

One way to distinguish between a forest and a woodland is to look at the tree canopy.  If there is a great canopy cover where different tree leaves and branches often meet or interlock than it is likely to be a forest. It is common to have areas in forests where sunlight never reaches the ground.

A woodland has many open spaces and the density of trees is much less, with large spacings between trees that enable light to easily penetrate through the canopy.

Another difference lies in the quality and quantity of fauna complete forest or woodland is the sum of the tens of thousands of other plants, animals and microbes.. A forest can sustain a larger biodiversity and more animals. In woodlands smaller and fewer animals are found.

Forest

A forest is a vastly wooded habitat that supports a complex ecosystem and include rainforest, boreal forests, and tropical forest. They often appear monumental and unchanging and can be classified as evergreen  or deciduous.

The term forest is usually reserved for a relatively large area of trees forming, for the most part, a closed, dense canopy. A forest has a largely-closed canopy where the branches and foliage of trees interlock overhead to provide extensive and nearly continuous shade. They support an understory of shrubs, herbs, or grasses.

A forest does not have to be uniform over large areas, and indeed is often made up of a series of stands, groups of trees varying in such features as age, species or structure, interspersed with open places such as meadows and lakes and areas where grazing animals are limiting tree development.

Forests provide a wide array of goods and services, including timber,and fuel, food, animal fodder and medicines. 

Woodland

Wooded land currently covers between 30–35% of the world’s land surface or around 39–45 million km2. Woodlands may transition to savannas or shrublands under drier conditions.

A woodland has a lighter tree cover and more open spaces than are there in a forest. A woodland is defined as a small area of trees with an open canopy, often defined as having 40% canopy closure or less. Plenty of light reaches the ground, encouraging other vegetation beneath the trees. Since the trees are well spaced they tend to be short-trunked with spreading canopies.

For related articles click onto:
What is the difference between a woodland and a forest?
What is the difference between a pond and a lake?
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