Islands of Wildness
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Magnolia, beech and oak stand in the Big Thicket Forest, Texas, U.S.A. Large deciduous forests occur only in three areas of the world, eastern Asia, central Europe and eastern North America. A spectacular blaze of color after frost often marks striking seasonal changes characteristic of these incredibly rich, multi-canopied forests.

Wet Tropical Forests

Oaks, figs and vines in flower filled clearing, humid tropical forest, Sierra Madre, Chiapas, Mexico. Moist tropical forests contain the greatest variety of living beings on the planet. A single rain forest tree may harbor more kinds of life forms than a whole temperate forest. The importance of tropical forests to great rivers, ocean health and even world weather, as well as to the resilience of life itself, places them at the forefront of triage for preservation.

Monkey Ear acacia trees in deciduous tropical woodlands, Sierra Madre, Chiapas, Mexico. Due to lack of abundant rain, rather than freezing temperatures, these forests are obligated to loose their leaves during the dry season. Many plants bloom at this time in preparation for the intense growth of the following rainy season.

Chaparral Shrublands

Oaks, pines and manzanita on foothills in the Sierra Nevada, California, U.S.A. Shrublands occupy semiarid areas having moist, cool winters and dry, hot summers. Rainfall occurs in the colder months and fire is a determining factor. There is no under story, little leaf litter and thin soils are subject to catastrophic erosion. Shrublands form critical transitions between forests and grasslands.
 
 

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All Photographs And Text Copyright (C) 1996 Jim Bones (Unless Otherwise Indicated) Box 101, Tesuque, N.M. 87574 (505-955-0956)
"Light Writings" http://www.seedballs.com
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