Rainforest - Uryokurin

Unlike summer green forests, which lose their leaves in winter, monsoon forests are a type of forest that loses its leaves in the dry season. They are also called monsoon forests because they are common in the seasonal wind zones of Asia. They are located between tropical rainforests and savannas, and are more sparsely populated and have a low tree height of around 10 meters compared to rainforests. They are found in areas with an annual rainfall of 1000 to 2000 mm or less and a dry season of 4 to 6 months. Asian rainforests, such as those found in India, Myanmar (Burma), and Thailand, are dominated by sal and teak trees, and since there are many wildfires in the dry season and they are sometimes burned artificially, the dominant species have thick bark that is fire-resistant.

[Masahiko Osawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

冬に落葉する夏緑林に対して、乾期に落葉するタイプの林をいい、アジアの季節風帯に多いことからモンスーン林ともいう。熱帯多雨林とサバンナの中間に位置し、多雨林に比べると、より疎開していて樹高は10メートル前後と低い。年間降水量1000～2000ミリメートル以下、4か月から6か月の乾期をもつ地域に成立する。インド、ミャンマー（ビルマ）、タイなどにみられるアジアの雨緑林はサラソウジュ（サル）、チークなどが優占し、乾期には野火が多いほか、人為的に火入れされることもあるので、優占種は樹皮が厚く、耐火性がある。

［大澤雅彦］

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