Dry forest

Tropical dry forest

Tropical Dry Forest

Climate

Temperatures are high all year, but there is a better-developed dry season than in the tropical rain forest. Evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation for enough of the year to have a significant effect on the vegetation. Edaphic conditions (dryer, better-drained soil) may produce this vegetation type in the rain-forest zone.

Soils

Soils are essentially like those of tropical rain forests, with the same processes.

Vegetation

The deciduousness of most tree species is a significant difference from the tropical rain forest. Many evergreen tree species of the rain forest become deciduous in this zone. Growing conditions are not so optimal, thus the tree canopy is lower (10-30m) than in the tropical rain forest and the trees less dense where drought is more extreme. The undergrowth is often dense and tangled because of greater light penetration. Lianas are much less common than in the rain forest, not such an important growth form where light is less limiting and also perhaps highly susceptible to desiccation. Drought-resistant epiphytes (orchids, bromeliads and cacti) may be abundant. The trees have thicker, more ridged, bark; deeper roots without buttresses; much more variable leaves, including many compound-leaved legumes; and more species with thorns.

Diversity

Species diversity is invariably lower than in nearby tropical rain forests. Environmental stress increases with instability (seasonality) of the environment, and fewer plants and animals can generate homeostatic mechanisms (for internal stability) to cope. There is still relatively high diversity on a world scale, but most of the taxonomic groups in the dry forest are less diverse than in the rain forest. Dry forest is important as habitat for migratory birds in their nonbreeding season (Central America, India).

Plant Adaptations

Trees have thicker bark (antifire adaptation), thicker and smaller leaves (antidesiccation adaptation), thorns (antiherbivore adaptation), longer roots (to reach deeper water table), and other features along a gradient toward the well-developed drought adaptations of woody plants of the savanna and desert zones (which see).

Animal Adaptations

With more spaces between trees, larger mammals are more prominent in this environment. There is more seasonality in reproductive cycles, timed with rains in most groups. In motile species, migration may occur in the dry season to wetter environments, including nearby rain forest, gallery forest, and wet bottomlands.

Human Effects

The high productivity during the rainy season, coupled with relief from rains during the dry season, makes this a favorable environment for humans and domestic stock, so much of the zone has been cleared and developed for pastureland as well as agriculture. Dry forests vary from largely extirpated to still extensive, depending on the geographic region, but in some regions they are more endangered than rain forests.

DECIDOUS FOREST

 

Deciduous forests Weather Regions of rainy weather with warm summers and cold winters, but more temperate than those of the boreal zone. The average temperature of the coldest month is between -5 and +5 ºC. The precipitations are quite abundant, from 200 to 1 500 mm. There is humidity throughout the year

Floor They are mostly brown soils, with a humus that is mineralized fairly quickly (mull or moder), with sufficient humidity and good aeration thanks to the large number of earthworms that usually contain. For all these properties are soils particularly favorable to vegetation. Also, during the cold season they only freeze in the most superficial layer.

Flora

Trees like beech, oak, poplar and chestnut trees predominate. Among them grow different shrubs, such as the bramble and herbaceous plants.The trees grow very well in spring and summer, when both humidity and temperature are adequate. When the unfavorable cold season arrives, they paralyze the growth and lose the leaves, since they will not carry out photosynthesis and only serve to lose water and would be damaged by frost.

Fauna The fauna is more varied than that of the boreal forests. It is formed by small rodents, such as squirrels and mice; herbivores, such as deer and wild boars, and carnivores, such as martens, badgers, foxes and lynxes, among others. In winter, the forest changes a lot. Birds migrate to warmer areas, reptiles paralyze their activity and bears hibernate and survive thanks to the fat they store during summer and autumn.

The destruction of the deciduous forest In the last time, this forest has gradually been destroyed by the intervention of man. The forests of Europe and Asia have been eliminated in large proportions, basically to allocate the land to agricultural tasks. Thus, what remains is mainly a semi-natural forest (half native and half managed for forestry). The exception to this scenario is made up of some areas of the mountainous regions of Central Europe. In contrast, in North America there are some areas of native deciduous forest, despite logging, fires and road construction. Another problem, whose cause it is still unknown, it is the forest recession, that is, the increase of the mortality of several trees of the deciduous forest. A disproportionate number of sugar maples (Acer saccharum) is in regression, with some areas experiencing mortality of up to 59%. Other trees in recession are beech trees, red maples and American ash trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Animals in Honduras

Honduras is the second-largest nation in Central America, stretching across the isthmus from the Caribbean to the Pacific. Despite aggressive deforestation, Honduras still maintains more forested area than most other countries in the region. Several types of forest dominate the landscape, including cloud forest, pine forest, rain forest and mangroves. Plant and animal species abound in the diverse forest ecosystems of Honduras, including species that have disappeared from the rest of the region.

Mammals
More than 200 species of mammal are found in the forests of Honduras. Bats (Chiroptera) account for nearly half the mammals in the country with 98 known species occupying every forest ecosystem. The iconic jaguar (Panthera onca) is one of the rarest species in all of Central America. Most frequently seen in mangrove areas, jaguars are an endangered species in Honduras. West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus), once common along the Caribbean coast of Honduras, are now rarely seen except in remote mangrove areas. Honduras’ national animal, the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), is the largest deer species in the country. Most often seen in the lowlands and pine forests, the white-tailed deer is a protected species. A wide variety of monkeys are also found in Honduras, including the white-headed capuchin (Cebus capucinus), Mexican spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi vellerosus) and golden-mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata palliata)

Birds
Honduras has an exceptionally rich diversity of bird species. There are 18 parrot species, including the orange-chinned parakeet (Brotogeris jugularis), great green macaw (Ara ambigua), Pacific parakeet (Aratinga strenua) and the scarlet macaw (Ara macao), which is Honduras’ national bird. Found in high-altitude tropical forests, the black-capped swallow (Notiochelidon pileata) is a migratory bird common in Honduras. The chestnut-mandibled toucan (Ramphastos swainsonii) is a frequent sight in the coastal lowland forests of Honduras. Known for their brightly colored face and exaggerated bill, they are sometimes kept as pets despite being a protected species.

Amphibians
There are 137 species of amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians) known from Honduras, including 52 species that are endemic to the country. Anurans are the most species-rich group (97 species), followed by salamanders (38 species) and caecilians (2 species). While new species are still expected to be discovered, chytridiomycosis and deforestation are threats to the amphibian fauna. At least one species, the frog Craugastor chrysozetetes, is believed to be extinct

Coral
The coasts of Honduras, to the north and east are on the Caribbean and in the south by the Gulf of Fonseca. In the turquoise waters of the Sea Caribbean can appreciate by means of diving the Coral reefs with their diversity of calcareous seaweeds, red seaweeds, (Rhodophyta), like marine meadows, among other aquatic plants that tackle a natural ecosystem.

Among the fauna that can be found on the Honduran coasts, are the Shark whale, dolphins,a variety of tropical fish, shrimp (Caridea) and many other species.

Cloud Forest

A cloud forest, also called a water forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level, formally described in the International  Cloud Atlas as silvagenitus.

Distribution and Climate

Dependent on local climate, which is affected by the distance to the sea, the exposition and the latitude (from 23°N to 25°S), the altitude varies from 500 m to 4000 m above sea level. Typically, there is a relatively small band of altitude in which the atmospheric environment is suitable for cloud forest development. This is characterized by persistent fog at the vegetation level, resulting in the reduction of direct sunlight and thus of evapotranspiration. With in cloud forests, much of the moisture available to plants arrives in the form of fog drip, where fog condenses on tree leaves and then drips onto the ground below.

 While cloud forest today is the most widely used term, in some regions, these ecosystems or special types of cloud forests are called mossy forest, elfin forest montane thicket, and dwarf cloud forest.

Characteristics

In comparison with lower tropical moist forests, cloud forests show a reduced tree stature combined with increased stem density and generally the lower diversity of woody plants.Trees in these regions are generally shorter and more heavily stemmed than in lower-altitude forests in the same regions, often with gnarled trunks and branches, forming dense, compact crowns. Their leaves become smaller, thicker and harder with increasing altitude.The high moisture promotes the development of a high biomass and biodiversity of epiphyte, particularly bryophytes, lichens, ferns, bromeliads and orchids. The number of endemic plants can be very high.

 

Temperate cloud forests

Although far from being universally accepted as true cloud forests, several forests in temperate regions have strong similarities with tropical cloud forests. The term is further confused by occasional reference to cloud forests in tropical countries as “temperate” due to the cooler climate associated with these misty forests.

Cloud Forest in Honduras

Over 100 Tropical Montane Cloud Forest “islands” are found on isolated mountaintops across the Chortis Highlands section of Mesoamerica (brown dots on map at right), and range from as low as 1000 meters to almost 3000 meters above sea level. Habitats include “classic” epiphyte-laden, old-growth forest and areas of second-growth as well as mossy woods, elfin forests, and high-altitude fir and spruce forests. While 75% of TMCFs in Honduras receive some degree of protection, less than 20% are adequately known in biological terms. There is an extremely high degree of endemism in cloud forests, peaking in the bosques nublados of Honduras, which are the richest in this respect anywhere in Mesoamerica.​

CELAQUE:

Is an example of cloud forest.

Rain Forest

Rain forests play an invaluable role in sustaining life, but every year, large portions of them are cut down for logging, mining, and cattle ranches.

The rain forest is made up of four layers: emergent, upper canopy, understory, and forest floor. Emergent trees grow far apart and tall, their branches reaching above the canopy. The upper canopy houses most of the rain forest’s animal species, and forms a roof that blocks most light from reaching below it. The understory, usually shaded and home to bushes and shrubs as well as the branches of canopy trees. The forest floor is in complete shade, meaning there is little likelihood of plants growing there and making it easy to walk through the forest.

DEFORESTATION

Recently, deforestation has reduced the amount of rain forest present around the globe.

In Brazil, which houses about a third of the remaining tropical rain forestson Earth, more than 19 percent of the Amazonian rain forests were lost to deforestation since 1970, when only 2.4 percent of the rain forests there had been cleared.

Biologists worry about the long-term consequences. Drought may be one. Some rain forests, including the Amazon, began experiencing drought in the 1990s, possibly due to deforestation and global warming.

Efforts to discourage deforestation, mainly through sustainable-logging initiatives, are underway on a very limited basis but have had a negligible impact so far.

WHY “RAIN” FORESTS?

The rain forest is nearly self-watering. Plants release water into the atmosphere through a process called transpiration. In the tropics, each canopy tree can release about 200 gallons (760 liters) of water each year. The moisture helps create the thick cloud cover that hangs over most rain forests. Even when not raining, these clouds keep the rain forest humid and warm.

 

BENEFITS OF RAIN FOREST PLANTS

The environment of rain forests is ideal for plants: An estimated two-thirds of the world’s plant species grow in the rain forest.

RELATED STORIES

Plants in the rain forest grow very close together and contend with the constant threat of insect predators. They have adapted by making chemicals that researchers have found useful as medicines. Bioprospecting, or going into the rain forest in search of plants that can be used in foods, cosmetics, and medicines, has become big business during the past decade, and the amount that native communities are compensated for this varies from almost nothing to a share in later profits.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI)estimates that 70 percent of the anti-cancer plants identified so far are rain forest plants. A new drug under development by a private pharmaceutical company, possibly for treating HIV, is Calanolide A, which is derived from a tree discovered on Borneo, according to NCI.

Many trees and plants, like orchids, have been removed from the rain forest and cultivated. Brazil nut trees are one valuable tree that refuses to grow anywhere but in undisturbed sections of the Amazon rain forest. There, it is pollinated by bees that also visit orchids, and its seeds are spread by the agouti, a small tree mammal.

 

 

Coastal Ecosystem

 

Coastal ecosystems include salt marshes, mangroves, wetlands, estuaries and bays. Each type of coastal ecosystem is home to many different plants and animals. Coastal ecosystems are sensitive to changes in the environment. Changes could result in destruction and complete loss.

 

Humans and Coastal Ecosystems

Humans rely on coastal ecosystems for food, recreation, transportation and economic growth. With human development, such as coastal construction, comes the risk of harming coastal ecosystems. The government has formed organizations, such as the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, to inform construction companies about environmental dangers of changing coastal ecosystems.

Environmenal Factors affecting Coastal Ecosystems

Erosion and accretion factor into the site and season of coastal ecosystems. The site-specific factors include the extent and health of coral reefs,and the alterations to dune systems. Each of these factors could improve coastal regions or deteriorate conditions for wildlife in the area. Season-specific patterns like wave and current patterns affect erosion and soil deposits in coastal ecosystems.

Natural Phenomenons and Coastal Ecosystems

Hurricanes and El Nino, as well as other natural phenomenons, have damaged coastal ecosytems. The damage includes erosion of soil by coastal regions and runoff areas into the ocean, which can create some pollution problems. With each hurricane and natural phenomenon comes the loss of marine and plant life which may never be restored.

La Naturaleza En Honduras

Naturaleza

Honduras es una región en la que podemos encontrar más de una docena de parques Nacionales, dos reservas de la biosfera y distintos espacios protegidos donde habitan más de un centenar de aves, bosques, mamíferos como manatíes… el más importante es el Parque Nacional de Pico Alto.

Honduras cuenta con un bosque húmedo tropical, cuenta con manglares, cocoteros, cayos, islas que son reservas naturales, así como la segunda barrera de coral más grande del mundo.

Es posible visitar una buena parte de las áreas protegidas,playa, acantilados, islas, cayos, fondos marinos, bosques, ríos…

Los parques más destacados de Honduras son el parque nacional pico bonito, en la zona Norte; el Parque Nacional Janet Kawas; el Parque Nacional Capiro y Calentura;el parque Nacional Celaque; La Reserva de los Cayos; la Reserva Silvestre de los Ríos Salado y Cuero o la Reserva de Laguna de Guaimoreto entre otros lugares.

 

Efectos Del Sector Transporte en el Cambio Climático

     

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     El transporte es el sector de nuestra economía donde más rápido crecen las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. Y las previsiones apuntan a que en breve será el sector que más contribuya al cambio climático. Mucha de la responsabilidad de esta situación recae sobre las políticas en curso. El rápido y continuo crecimiento a lo largo de los últimos años, así como su previsible aumento futuro, convierten a este sector en uno de los principales agentes de insostenibilidad territorial, ambiental, social y económica. 

Emisiones en el mundo
La intensidad del transporte de personas y mercancías es muy diferente según en qué parte del mundo nos fijemos. Así, a modo de ejemplo, sólo recordar que en la tierra hay unos 600 millones de automóviles, 0,09 vehículos por persona. Una vez más, la mayor responsabilidad en las emisiones de GEI debidas al transporte le corresponde a los países desarrollados, como muestra el gráfico 1, tanto en lo referido a la situación actual como a la estimada hasta 2030. El gráfico 2 permite comprobar que casi el 60% de las emisiones del transporte son imputables sólo a los ocho países del G-8.

El Instituto Goddard de Estudios Espaciales de la NASA identifica el transporte por carretera como el mayor causante del cambio climático. La generación de energía, aún siendo responsable del mayor impacto a nivel global, también produce un gran número de compuestos que aumentan la reflexividad de las nubes y otros efectos que servirían para reducir o paliar los efectos del calentamiento de los que son responsables.

MEDIDAS PARA MITIGAR EL CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO

MEDIDAS PARA MITIGAR EL CAMBIO CLIMATICO

la sociedad puede adecuarse al cambio climático y sus impactos por medio de estrategias de adaptación y mitigación. Las medidas propuestas son de diversa índole y van encaminadas a la protección de los bienes, los recursos naturales y la vida humana. Algunas de estas medidas están enmarcadas en iniciativas más amplias de planificación del desarrollo y territorio, como la planificación del uso de los recursos hídricos, la protección de las costas, las estrategias de reducción de riesgos de desastre y el uso y desarrollo de fuentes de energía renovable.
Como parte de las estrategias de adaptación están: Construcciones más fuertes y diseñadas para temperaturas extremas, construcción de infraestructura costera para aminorar el impacto de fenómenos climáticos, y planificación del territorio identificando los lugares de alta vulnerabilidad, entre otros.
Una de las estrategias de mitigación que mayor impacto positivo podría tener y que ha sido adoptada por algunos países, consiste en disminuir la emisión de gases de efecto invernadero, principalmente provenientes de las actividades productivas. Adjunta a esta se ha promovido la reforestación y conservación de los bosques, selvas y humedales por su importante papel en la captura y almacenamiento de carbono atmosférico.

 

* RECICLA: reciclar 1 Kg. de latas de aluminio usadas consume diez veces menos energía que producirlas; y se utiliza mucha menos energía para fabricar papel a partir de periódicos viejos que de la pulpa de madera
* Cuando prepares una bebida caliente, hierve sólo el agua necesaria.
* Ducharse en lugar de bañarse: no sólo se ahorra agua, si no también la energía que se necesita para calentarla.
* Apaga las luces cuando no hagan falta. Los hogares son responsables del 30% del consumo de electricidad en la UE, de manera que si todos ahorramos electricidad, el efecto será considerable.
* Cuando usted tiene que comprar bombillas, pruebe las de bajo consumo: duran más y usan cinco veces menos electricidad que las convencionales.
* No deje los electrodomésticos encendidos .En promedio, el 45 % de la energía que consume un televisor lo hace en modo standby.
* No deje tampoco el cargador del móvil enchufado cuando no esté cargando el teléfono. Si lo haces, el 95 % de la electricidad se pierde: solo el 5 % se usa realmente para recargar la batería del móvil.

 

* No ponga la calefacción muy alta. Bajar la temperatura en solo 1 ºC puede reducir hasta un 7% la factura energética de una familia. La temperatura óptima oscila entre los 18º y 21ºC
* Para ventilar, abra la ventana de par en par durante unos minutos y luego vuélvela a cerrar, en vez de dejar que el calor se escape durante mucho rato.
* El automóvil particular es responsable del 10 % de las emisiones de CO2 .El transporte público, la bicicleta y la marcha a pie son alternativas más baratas y saludables.
* Si vas
* Si va a comprar un coche nuevo, eliga un modelo pequeño y eficiente. De acuerdo con la legislación europea, los fabricantes de automóviles deben mostrar la información relativa a la cantidad de CO2 que emiten sus automóviles.
* Plante un árbol (siempre teniendo en cuenta las características ecológicas de la zona y los permisos necesarios). Cinco árboles pueden absorber hasta 1 tonelada de CO2 a lo largo de su vida.

Efectos del cambio climático en la agricultura

El cambio climático se define como el cambio del clima atribuido directa o indirectamente a la actividad humana que altera la composición de la atmósfera global y que es observado durante períodos de tiempo comparables.
Los factores relevantes del cambio climático que se han identificado para la agricultura y la seguridad alimentaria son:

Incremento de la temperatura:aumentar la capacidad del aire para absorber vapor de agua y, en consecuencia, generar una mayor demanda de agua. Un incremento en los índices de evapotranspiración podría disminuir o agotar la humedad del suelo o sustratos, originando estrés hídrico en las plantas durante las temporadas de sequía.

Incremento del CO₂: Debido al aumento del CO₂ atmosférico, durante el presente siglo la capacidad de amortiguación del agua de mar se verá alterada, dando como resultado un aumento en su acidez, lo que se traducirá en una reducción entre 0.14 y 0.35 unidades de pH en la superficie global de los océanos.

Rendimiento de cultivos:Se pronostica también que los rendimientos de los cultivos sean afectados por efecto del cambio climático en la incidencia de plagas agrícolas, debido a que los insectos al crecer en un ambiente más cálido, tendrán ciclos de vida más cortos y potencialmente desarrollarán resistencia a insecticidas en un periodo menor.

Uso de fertilizantes: Finalmente, en regiones de latitud alta donde se espera un incremento de la superficie potencial productiva, se espera un aumento en el uso de fertilizantes, mientras que en regiones secas cuya productividad se ve restringida por las limitaciones de agua, la eficiencia de los fertilizantes puede afectarse negativamente