Equatorial forests lie on both sides of the Equator in South America (Amazon Basin), Africa (Congo Basin) and Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea). The region is hot and wet throughout the year because the Sun’s rays are almost direct and intense evaporation creates heavy convectional rain almost every afternoon, often called “four o’clock rain”.

These rainforests are evergreen and extremely dense. Trees are very tall and arranged in four layers: the emergent layer (few tallest trees), the canopy (a roof of leaves that blocks sunlight), the understorey (small trees and shrubs) and the forest floor (dark, damp ground rich in humus). Such conditions support amazing biodiversity. Animals include monkeys, sloths, jaguars, tapirs, anacondas, frogs, butterflies and colourful birds like toucans, macaws and hummingbirds.

People of many tribes live here. In Africa the Pygmies are common; in the Amazon, different groups of “Amazon Indians” practise shifting agriculture. Modern plantations grow rubber, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, tea and bananas for sale. The hot, humid climate also brings malaria and other diseases.

The equatorial forest is valuable because it gives timber, medicines, fruits and regulates the world’s climate by absorbing carbon dioxide. However, deforestation for farming and mining is a major threat. Protecting these forests and using resources wisely are important lessons of this chapter.

भूमध्य रेखा के दोनों ओर—दक्षिण अमेरिका के अमेज़न बेसिन, अफ्रीका के कांगो बेसिन और दक्षिण-पूर्व एशिया (इंडोनेशिया, मलेशिया आदि) में भूमध्यरेखीय वन पाए जाते हैं। यहाँ पूरे वर्ष गर्मी और नमी रहती है। सूर्य की किरणें लगभग सीधी पड़ती हैं और तेज़ गर्मी से वाष्पीकरण होकर दोपहर बाद प्रायः रोज़ मूसलाधार वर्षा होती है, जिसे “4 o’clock rain” भी कहते हैं।

ये वन सदाबहार और बहुत घने होते हैं। पेड़ों की चार परतें बनती हैं—सबसे ऊपर इमर्जेन्ट, फिर कैनोपी (पत्तियों की छत), उसके नीचे अंडरस्टोरी और सबसे नीचे फॉरेस्ट फ्लोर जहाँ नमी और जैव-अपशिष्ट मिलकर काली उपजाऊ मिट्टी बनाते हैं। ऐसे वातावरण में जैव-विविधता असाधारण है—बंदर, स्लॉथ, जैगुआर, टेपीर, एनाकोंडा, मेंढक, कीट-पतंगे और रंगीन पक्षी जैसे टूकेन, मकाओ, हमिंगबर्ड मिलते हैं।

यहाँ अनेक जनजातियाँ रहती हैं—अफ्रीका में पिग्मी, अमेज़न में विभिन्न इंडियन जनजातियाँ। पारंपरिक रूप से वे झूम/शिफ्टिंग खेती करते हैं। बड़े-बड़े प्लांटेशन में रबर, कोको, कॉफी, चाय, तेल-खजूर, केला आदि उगाए जाते हैं। गर्म-नम जलवायु के कारण मलेरिया जैसी बीमारियाँ भी होती हैं।

भूमध्यरेखीय वन लकड़ी, दवाइयाँ, फल और विश्व के जलवायु संतुलन के लिए अत्यन्त महत्त्वपूर्ण हैं, किन्तु वनों की कटाई और खनन से खतरा बढ़ रहा है। इन वनों का संरक्षण तथा संसाधनों का विवेकपूर्ण उपयोग आवश्यक है—यही इस पाठ का संदेश है।

1) Where are equatorial forests found?

Around the Equator in South America (Amazon), Central Africa (Congo), and Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea).

2) Why is the climate hot and wet?

Direct sunrays all year keep temperatures high; strong evaporation produces daily convectional rain—hence hot and very humid.

3) Name the four layers of the rainforest.

Emergent layer, Canopy, Understorey and Forest Floor.

4) What is special about the canopy?

Tall tree tops lock together like a roof, stopping sunlight from reaching the ground and creating a dark, damp floor.

5) What animals live here?

Monkeys, sloths, jaguars, tapirs, anacondas, frogs, insects and birds like toucans, macaws and hummingbirds.

6) Who are the Pygmies?

A tribal community living mainly in the Congo Basin of Central Africa.

7) What is shifting agriculture?

Clearing a small patch of forest, growing crops for a few years, then moving to a new patch so soil can recover.

8) What are plantation crops of this region?

Rubber, tea, coffee, cocoa, oil palm, bananas and sugarcane—grown on large estates for sale.

9) Why is malaria common?

Warm, wet conditions allow mosquitoes to breed, spreading malaria.

10) Why are equatorial forests called evergreen?

Trees do not shed all their leaves at once; they remain green throughout the year.

A) Choose the correct answer

1. How many layers of trees are there in the equatorial forest? — (b) Four
2. What is the lowest layer of the forests in this region known as? — (a) Forest floor
3. In which continent is the Amazon Basin located? — (a) South America
4. Which of these are found in the equatorial forests? — (d) All of these (Hummingbirds, Macaws, Toucans)
5. Where are the Pygmies found? — (d) Congo Basin

B) Match the columns

Column A	→	Column B (Correct match)
1. 4 o’clock in the afternoon	→	(b) Thunderstorms occur
2. Hot and wet region	→	(c) Luxuriant growth of plants
3. Shifting agriculture	→	(e) Practised by Amazon Indians
4. Plantation agriculture	→	(a) Introduced by Europeans
5. Plantation crops	→	(d) Tea and coffee

C) True/False — Rewrite the false statements correctly

1. The equatorial region is found in the frigid zone. — False. Correct: It is found near the Equator (torrid zone).
2. The equatorial forest region receives the direct rays of the sun. — True
3. In the equatorial forest region, the trees grow and shed leaves at the same time. — False. Correct: They are evergreen and do not shed leaves all at once.
4. The tallest trees form a canopy. — True
5. In plantation agriculture, crops are grown for commercial purposes. — True

D) Unscramble the letters

1. PRIATOCL HUDTENTROSRM → Tropical Thunderstorms (also called 4 o’clock rain)
2. VERENEGRE → Evergreen (forests where trees do not shed leaves together)
3. NACOADAN → Anaconda (a famous snake of the Amazon Basin)
4. LATPNATION PCROS → Plantation crops (grown on a large scale for commerce)
5. AAIMLRA → Malaria (a common illness)

E) Answer the following questions

1. Where is the equatorial forest region located?
   Around the Equator in parts of South America (Amazon Basin), Central Africa (Congo Basin) and Southeast Asia including Indonesia, Malaysia and nearby islands.
2. Why do you think the climate is hot and wet in this region?
   The Sun’s rays fall almost directly all year causing high temperatures. Intense heat leads to strong evaporation and daily convectional rainfall, making the region very humid and wet.
3. What kinds of animals are found in the equatorial forest region?
   Monkeys, sloths, jaguars, tapirs, deer, anacondas, crocodiles, frogs, insects and colourful birds such as toucans, macaws and hummingbirds.
4. Which are the different tribes found in the equatorial region?
   The Pygmies of the Congo Basin, and several Amazon Indian tribes such as Yanomami and Kayapo; in SE Asia, groups like the Dayaks and Orang Asli.
5. Name the crops grown on plantation farms.
   Rubber, tea, coffee, cocoa (chocolate), oil palm, bananas and sugarcane are common plantation crops.