Tropical Forests Are Found on Every Continent Except Antarctica

Tropical Forests Are Found on Every Continent Except Antarctica

Antarctica is the only continent without tropical forests. All others host them:

• South America: Amazon (largest), Atlantic Forest, Chocó.
• Africa: Congo Basin (2nd largest), Guinean forests, Madagascar.
• Asia: Sundaland (Borneo, Sumatra), Western Ghats, Indo-Burma.
• Australia/Oceania: Queensland wet tropics, New Guinea, Pacific islands.
• North America: Southern Mexico, Central America (often grouped with Neotropics), Hawaii (tropical moist forests).

Why Not Antarctica?

• Polar climate: avg -10°C to -60°C.
• Ice sheet covers 98% of land.
• No liquid water, no growing season, no woody plants.
• Only mosses, lichens, algae in ice-free pockets (0.4%).

Defining Tropical Forests

Warm (>18°C mean monthly temp), wet (>1,500–2,000 mm rain/yr), evergreen, high biodiversity, complex structure. Found between Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn (23.5°N/S).