Top 14 Spectacular Rainforests In The World

The first rainforest in this list is thePacific temperate Rainforest located in the eco-region of North America. The rainforest consists of five sub-regions: The Queen Charlotte Islands, Northern Pacific coastal Forests, British Columbia coastal forests, Northern California coastal forests, and Central Pacific coastal forests.

• The large total area of these sub-regions makes the whole Pacific Temperate Rainforest the largest temperate rainforest in the world.
• The Pacific Temperate Rainforest contains a lot of giant redwood trees, and thus results in being called the “Coast Redwood Zone“.

Located on the Olympic Peninsula, the Hoh Rainforest is one of the few ecosystems in the world that has remained unchanged even for a thousand of years. Because of this, it has been awarded by UNESCO as a “World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve.“

• Most parts of the rainforest are covered with hanging ferns and mosses. Trees like Western Hemlock and Sitka Spruce are commonly found in the area.
• During winter, rain falls almost frequently, and the amount of rainfall can reach up to 170 inches of precipitation per year.

Known as the United States’ largest national rainforest, Tongass National Rainforest covers the majority of Southeast Alaska and is roughly the size of West Virginia.

• Tongass National Rainforest is the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest, filled with numerous salmon streams. Because of this, animals like salmons, eagles, wolves, bears, and even whales can be found in the area.
• The rainforest is bordered by the Canadian Border and the Coast Mountains on the East and the Pacific Ocean on the west.

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As mentioned in the introduction, the Amazon Rainforest is the most abundant tropical rainforest in the world, with a wide variety of ecosystems like savanna and swamps can be found.

• Covering much of the Amazon Basin, the rainforest itself is very diverse with numerous species of plants, animals, and even micro-organisms are found.
• The rainforest is so vast that it covers parts of Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, and other countries. It is believed that the Amazon Rainforest is almost twice the area of India.

The next rainforest in this list is the Central Suriname Nature Reserve found in west-central Suriname in South America. This nature reserve comprises almost 1.6 million hectares of tropical rainforest with various ecosystems.

• This place is home to multiple animal species, which include the giant armadillos, river otters, sloths, harpy eagle, tapirs, jaguars, and species of primates. About 5,000 species of vascular plants can also be found here.

Known for its massive waterfalls, Iguaçu National Park in Misiones Province, Argentina is considered as one of the most visually and acoustically magnificent national parks in the world.

• The rainforest is also home to over 1000 species of plants that serve as habitats to animals like the howler monkeys, jaguars, and tapirs. Aside from its stunning waterfalls and wildlife, the national park is beside the remnant of one of the world’s most threatened global conservation sites, the Atlantic forest.
• It was included in the list of World Heritage Sites in 1984.

Also known as the Congo Basin, the Congo Rainforest is regarded as the second largest tropical rainforest (next to Amazon Rainforest) in the world. The whole area is so vast that it is thought to be larger than the state of Alaska.

• The rainforest traverses the countries of Central African Republic, Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea.
• The Congo Basin is home to various wild animals such as buffalos, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and elephants.

Located in Liberia, West Africa Sapo National Park is the second largest tropical rainforest in the continent.

• Due to a lot of species that can be found in this area, this park is considered a biodiversity hotspot. Some of the species that can be found here are the pygmy hippos and forests elephants.

Perućica is a part of the Sutjeska National Park located in Bosnia, the oldest and the largest national park in the continent. Perucića is highly conserved because it is one of the last primeval rainforests in Europe.

• The rainforest reserve, a UNESCO-recognized site, has a total area of 1400 hectares. It is home to vegetation that is believed to be 300 years old.

Considered as an ecoregion of Borneo in Southeast Asia, the Borneo Lowland Rainforest serves as a home to more than 15,000 animal species and almost 10,000 plant species.

• This rainforest has a very stable climate and an average rainfall of 8 inches per month. It also has a constant temperature of 18 degrees Centigrade.
• At present, this jungle is at risk of biodiversity loss due to excessive illegal logging, hunting, and land conversion for agriculture and commercial expansion.

Located in the southern region of Thailand, the Khao Sok National Park consists of the country’s largest area of virgin rainforest. This national park is also considered one of the earliest evergreen rainforests that have ever existed.

• This park serves as a home to various animals, which include elephants, deer, tapirs, macaques, wild boars, and porcupines.
• Like many national parks, the Khao Sok National Park is a tourist site. Thai people believe that aside from bringing money to its natives, this makes more people aware of the importance of rainforests.

The next rainforest in this list is the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, which is located in Western Ghats, India. The national park contains some of the world’s most diverse flora and fauna.

• Various species of animals can only be found in the rainforest. Such include the rhesus monkeys, Bengal tiger, and Indian king cobra, multiple species of hornbills, pigeons, laughing thrushes, and crocodiles.
• Locals typically use the wet regions in the rainforest for planting tea and eucalyptus.

The next rainforest in this list is the Tasmanian Temperate Rainforest in Australia. This temperate rainforest is unique because, unlike other temperate rainforests, it is abundant with lichens and mosses instead of the usual orchids and vines.

• With almost 10% cover, Tasmania contains the continent’s largest temperate rainforest. The climate in this place makes it hard for plants like vines, lianas, palms, and buttresses to grow.

Located in Australia, the Daintree Rainforest is known as one of the three oldest rainforests (about 165 million years old) in the world. This rainforest is located near the Cape Tribulation and the Great Barrier Reef.

• This place is home to about 600 vertebrates and more than 1000 species of insects.
• Interestingly, the Daintree Rainforest became the inspiration for the movie Avatar.