The Global Distribution of Tropical Rainforests

About the lecture

In this module, we think about where tropical rainforest ecosystems are found, and the reasons for this. We focus on: (i) the importance of sunlight in the flourishing and distribution of life on Earth, and the greater intensity of solar energy in the tropics; (ii) the key roles of temperature and moisture in determining global patterns of ecosystem distribution, and how rainforests develop in especially hot, wet tropical conditions; (iii) why the tropics receive more solar energy than other parts of the Earth’s surface; (iv) how variations in precipitation influence where different tropical ecosystems form, such as rainforests and savannah; (v) wider global patterns of biodiversity, notably variations by latitude and altitude, and the locations of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.

About the lecturer

Professor Rob Marchant is Professor of Tropical Ecology at the University of York. His research focuses on tropical ecosystems, their distribution, and how they respond to environmental change, particularly in East Africa. He is author of East Africa’s Human Environment Interactions (2021).