Coastal Forests and Woodlands: Types, Traits, and Threats

Introduction to Forests and Coastal Woodlands

Trees cover no less than one-third of the earth's surface, and it is estimated that approximately 3 trillion trees exist worldwide. Forests are found in a wide range of climates and locations—wet, dry, sweltering, and bitterly cold. Each forest type has natural characteristics that allow it to develop in its respective climate (Motivans). Unfortunately, in recent decades, an enormous level of commercial activity has subjected forests all over the world to dire threats, with adverse effects felt by most of the world's woodlands. Deforestation, road construction, and building development form a major part of the human threats on forests. Compounding these human activities is climate change, which has proven devastating to many of the species that inhabit these forests. Threats to forest inhabitants represent a direct danger of extinction for these woodlands, since what allows them to thrive in the first place is their natural inhabitants. There is an urgent need to raise awareness of the importance of trees in society. This paper explores different forests that exist in the world, with primary focus on coastal forests and woodlands across different regions and continents.

The benefits of trees to our environment cannot be overstated. Ecosystem preservation depends mainly on the existence of trees and forests, and any society that truly values the beauty of nature and the atmospheric benefits that trees provide will take forest preservation as a top priority. Trees, among other things, serve as habitat for mammals, birds, and insects; they absorb and store carbon; they help prevent flooding; they play a significant role in regulating regional climate; and they conserve water and soil both regionally and globally. They are also a significant source of natural beauty. Forest trees have been enormously beneficial to ecosystems and to the inhabitants within woodlands.

Forests vary in type, characteristics, and name based on the features that define each of them and, sometimes, the locations where they are found. Notable among forest types are coastal forests and woodlands. Coastal forests and woodlands "occur in sheltered areas along the coast, such as behind dunes and on coasts away from the ocean, and behind Maritime Forests" ("Coastal Forest/Woodland"). Like every other type of forest, coastal forests and woodlands have their own characteristics. They are known for a medley of vegetation that includes evergreen forest, scrub forest, Brachystegia woodland, and dry forest. During summers, coastal forests and woodlands are usually hot and dry; during winters, they tend to be cool and moist—the months when most precipitation arrives. Geographically, these forests are found in the Mediterranean region, south-central and southwestern Australia, the Chilean matorral, Mediterranean ecoregions, and the fynbos of southern Africa ("Mediterranean Forests"). They are known for an array of species that includes white pan forest and oak-hemlock associations. These forest types are natural habitats for associated fauna, allowing virtually all kinds of animals to thrive there.

Similarities Between Coastal Forests and Woodlands

Although they are located thousands of miles apart in most cases, coastal forests and woodlands around the world share many features. Looking at those found in Southern Africa, Northern California, Alaska, and other parts of the world, many clear similarities emerge. The Southern African coastal forests and woodlands, for instance, are found along the shore of the southern part of the African continent. One example is the KwaZulu-Cape Coastal Forest Mosaic along the eastern coast of South Africa—a mix of forest interspersed with thornveld that marks the southern distribution boundary for tropical fauna and flora on the African continent ("Southern Africa Eastern Shore"). Another coastal forest in the region is the Mozambican Coastal Zone, which extends over 2,700 km. This ecoregion is known for its array of ecosystems, both terrestrial and marine. It is made up of a vast plain representing 44% of the country's land area, with the remainder divided between plateau (43%) and montane (13%) regions (João 1).

The Northern California Forests ecoregion in the United States is part of the temperate rainforest coast stretching through Washington and Oregon. It is known for some of the tallest, largest, and oldest trees in the world—many existing for over 2,000 years and some exceeding 300 feet in height. Also in the United States is the Southeastern Alaska Coastal Forest ecoregion, located along Alaska's panhandle between the Canadian border and Yakutat Bay. It encompasses over 1,000 islands and more than 18,000 miles (30,000 km) of marine shoreline. A large portion of the region contains an exceptional assemblage of coastal watersheds that play a vital role in preserving fish and other species in the ecoregion (Schoen & Dovichin).

These coastal forests—from South Africa to Northern California to Alaska—share a number of defining characteristics despite being thousands of miles apart. Their trees are typically taller than those in Maritime Forests but not as tall as those found further inland. They serve as habitat for associated fauna, making them hospitable to many animal species. Coastal forests and woodlands are similarly found in sheltered areas along the coast, on slope shores away from the ocean, behind dunes, and sometimes behind Maritime Forests. Their climate differs from inland areas in that they tend to be warmer during winter, cooler during summer, and more consistently moist ("Coastal Forest/Woodland").

Differences Between Coastal Forests and Woodlands

Despite their many similarities, these forest ecoregions also have unique features that distinctly set them apart. The South African coastal forest ecoregions, for instance, contain plants not commonly found in other coastal woodlands. The Tongaland-Pondoland ecoregion has three related species confined within the Mosaic region: Atalaya, Alberta, and Protorhus. Species such as Cassine spp. and Eugenia spp., though found in many other African regions, are highly concentrated in this ecoregion. South African coastal forests also appear to harbor a larger proportion of higher-latitude species, including Dahlgrenodendron natalensis, Rhynchocalyx lawsonioides, and Rinorea dematiosa.

In the North Pacific, by contrast, the dominant forest type is coastal Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)–hemlock (Tsuga spp.) forest. Old-growth forests there are critically important fish and wildlife habitat, characterized by unique structural attributes such as multi-layered canopies, diverse forb and shrub layers, coarse woody debris, and large-diameter trees.

South African forest and woodland ecoregions are also notably rich in mammalian species, with around 40 insectivores represented, including 23 bat species. Lagomorpha (hares and rabbits) and Rodentia are also well represented. Less represented in the Tongaland-Pondoland ecoregion are ungulates and primates, with only three and nine species respectively, while carnivores number around 22 species. The thick-tailed bushbaby (Galago crassicaudatus) and Samango monkey (Cercopithecus albogularis) are among the mammals inhabiting the ecoregion, along with the leopard, caracal, and black-backed jackal. Several rare bird species are also primarily confined to South Africa, including the Knysna turaco (Tauraco corythaix), brown scrub-robin (Cercotrichas signata), Knysna woodpecker (Campethera notata), and Knysna scrub-warbler (Bradypterus sylvaticus). The Natal diving frog and five other near-endemic amphibians are found only in this ecoregion ("Southern African Eastern Shore").

The North Pacific forests and woodlands contain up to one-quarter of the world's temperate rainforest, a distinction that contributes greatly to their global significance. Their role in carbon storage, which has positive effects on regional and global climates, further elevates their importance. The vast coastline, interspersed with streams, dense forest, and mountainous islands, makes the region one of the most biologically productive in North America. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service classifies this region by timber volume classes ranging from low-volume muskeg (volume class 4) to high-volume, commercially productive forests (volume class 7), the latter commonly occurring along low-elevation areas and valley bottoms ("Northern Pacific Coastal").

Considered together, the diversities that distinguish these ecoregions take several forms: species confined to one region that cannot be found in others; species that, while present in multiple regions, are far more concentrated in some; and differing types of threats from both human activities and natural events based on geographic location. For instance, coastal forests in African regions primarily face challenges from unregulated logging and fire fallow (commonly called "slash and burn"), as well as climate-driven torrential rainfall, flooding, and drought. In Northern California and Alaska, the principal human pressure is suburban development, which has encroached on areas once covered by coastal forest. Although logging also occurs in these regions, it is less intensive than in African regions. Weather conditions in these areas also differ markedly from those in Southern Africa. These contrasting characteristics are what distinguish coastal forests and woodlands according to their geographic locations.

It is important to note that coastal forests and woodlands are not the only types of forest in the world. Many other types exist, each with unique characteristics and recognized for their geographic locations, biodiversity, and other attributes. Some of these additional forest classifications include maritime forests, hemlock forests, deciduous forests, and temperate coniferous forests.

Conclusion

It is of the utmost importance that the world rises to the rescue of these ecoregions and the species they contain. Preservation of these natural endowments—which contribute predominantly to the maintenance of healthy ecosystems worldwide—is a worthy endeavor for every member of the human race. Improving the state of woodlands and their contribution to human well-being is a crucial and urgent task (Hassan et al. 614). It would be a devastating loss if forests were surrendered to human encroachment and unregulated agricultural and commercial activities, as is currently occurring. The world has yet to fully experience and harness the potential embedded within these natural landscapes. Giving them the care and protection they require would yield global benefits that cannot be quantified. It is therefore obligatory for governments and regulatory bodies charged with forest preservation to put in place effective strategies that curb indiscriminate activities in these forests and ensure that they continue to thrive for future generations.

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