This article is about forests as a massing of trees. For other uses of the word, see Forest (disambiguation).
A dense growth of softwoods (a forest) in the Sierra Nevada Range of Northern California
A forest is an area with a high density of trees (or, historically, an area set aside for hunting). Forests can be found in all regions capable of sustaining tree growth, at altitudes up to the tree-line, except where rainfall is too low, or natural fire frequency too high. Forests generally contain a large number of different tree species growing to different heights, combined with an understory, which makes efficient use of sunlight. A forest in its natural form is home to many animal and plant species, and biomass per unit area is high compared to most other biomes.
In ecological terms, a forest may be differentiated from a woodland: a forest is considered to have a more or less closed canopy, where the branches and foliage of trees meet or interlock; a woodland is considered to have an open canopy, where some sunlight penetrates between the trees (see also: savanna).
Numerous types of forests exist. Among the ecological types are:
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The Forest Service was established in 1905 and is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Forests provide a full suite of goods and services that are vital to human health and livelihood natural assets we call ecosystem services.
Forests can be found in all regions capable of sustaining treegrowth, at altitudes up to the tree-line, except where natural fire frequency is too high, or where the environment has been impaired by natural processes or by human activities.
Forests are differentiated from woodlands by the extent of canopy coverage: in a forest the branches and foliage of separate trees often meet or interlock, although there can be gaps of varying sizes within an area referred to as forest.
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