According to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the small pockets of monsoon forests found around the world are merely remnants of much larger forests that have been degraded by human interference. Human interference in countries like Australia has been reported by the Australian Governments Junior Ranger website as having reduced monsoon forests in the country to small pockets in Darwin's national parks.
One of the major differences between monsoon forests and rain forests reported by the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point is the canopy of trees that covers both forests. The monsoon forest is not completely covered by an overlapping tree canopy, which allows light to reach the ground of the monsoon forest and produce a dry season. The Junior Rangers report Australia's monsoon forests to have distinct wet and dry season when a number of trees shed their leaves to preserve water allowing light to reach the forest floor for a prolonged period.
The monsoon forest derives its name from the monsoon season of rain that affects this type of forest. Rainforest information website Mongabay reports the average rainfall of a monsoon forest to be around 50 inches annually. The gaps in the forest canopy allow rain to penetrate the forest and reach the ground giving it plenty of water. In the dry season, sunlight allows growth to occur at ground level.
The University of Wisconsin Stevens Point explains the monsoon forest is often described as secondary forests because the canopy of the forest is broken and signs of human interference are usually found. Deciduous trees and broadleaf evergreen trees are commonly found in the monsoon forest because they require seasonal precipitation native to Central America, Australia and Southeast Asia.
According to the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, the monsoon forest is home to a diverse variety of plant and animal life. The ground level growth of the monsoon forest is often described as a dense jungle that the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point describes as difficult to pass through or navigate. The Junior Ranger explains that one bird that thrives in the monsoon forest is the Orange-footed Scrubfowl that has evolved to bury its eggs in the monsoon forests piles of dead leaves and soft soil.
