Top 10 Largest Natural Forests in the World

Cloud forests are typically tropical or subtropical moist montane forests, characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and vegetation, hence they are often referred to as mossy forests. Mossy forests tend to develop on saddleback ridges in mountains, where water vapor is retained more effectively by the frequent cloud cover.

The Mindo-Nambillo Forest belongs to the category of cloud forests, with significantly higher moisture and colder temperatures compared to other tropical rainforests. This forest area, located in Ecuador, covers an area of 192 square kilometers and is situated near the vast Amazon rainforest. Encompassing a large expanse, characterized by diverse geological features, the Mindo-Nambillo Forest boasts exceptionally high biodiversity with over 1,600 species of birds, amphibians, and various other animals.

Encompassing the northeastern border of Queensland, running along the Daintree River, Daintree Forest is the largest forest in Australia, covering over 1,200 square kilometers. The Great Daintree Rainforest has existed continuously for over 110 million years, making it the oldest rainforest on Earth. In terms of biodiversity, over 90% of rodent and butterfly species, with over 10,000 different types of insects, thrive in this forest. Additionally, there are numerous native amphibians and birds here.

Daintree Forest is also home to boulders on Thornton Beach. The large rock slabs here have a high density due to volcanic sedimentation. The forest is also traversed by the Daintree, Bloomfield, and Mossman rivers.

Kinabalu National Park is Malaysia's first national park and the first site to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The entire park covers an area of ​​754 square kilometers, larger than the entire area of ​​Singapore. The park is surrounded by the Kinabalu mountain range, the highest mountain range in Southeast Asia.

Kinabalu National Park is considered one of the most important ecological areas in the world with over 4,500 different species, including over 300 species of birds, especially hornbills, large mammals, small mammals; there are up to 1,500 orchid species with very beautiful flowers. Especially, one of the largest flowers in the world grows here - the Rafflesia flower, a giant red flower, with a diameter of over 170 cm. Nature also bestows this place with Poring Hot Spring, attracting many tourists. And this is a famous tourist destination.

Sandarbans, covering over 10,000 square kilometers, mainly in Bangladesh and partly in India, lies along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Once recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world. The Sundarbans mangrove forest is formed by the confluence of three rivers, namely the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna. Due to its proximity to the deep Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans is constantly invaded by seawater, creating a diverse mangrove ecosystem with various geological formations, from sandbars, sandy beaches, tidal creeks to mudflats, mangroves, and marshes. During the rainy season, the salinity level in the forest decreases. During this season, sediment from the rivers continuously deposits, forming fertile land areas, providing conditions for the vegetation here to thrive.

Overall, Sundarbans has a diverse ecosystem, housing 453 species of wildlife, including 290 bird species, 120 fish species, 42 mammal species, 35 reptile species, and 8 amphibian species. In Sundarbans, there are about 64 plant species, mainly salt-tolerant species. Especially, Sundarbans is the home of the Bengal tiger, the largest tiger species still preserved in the world. In India, Sundarbans is considered a national park, a tiger reserve, and a biosphere reserve, while in Bangladesh, Sundarbans is a protected forest.

Tropical rainforests have existed on Earth for hundreds of millions of years, representing some of the most threatened ecosystems worldwide due to large-scale fragmentation by human activities. Tropical rainforests exhibit extremely high levels of biodiversity. Approximately 40% to 75% of all species are endemic. Rainforests are also home to half of all living organisms and plant species on the planet.

West Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest in Yunnan Province, China covers an area of 2,402 square kilometers. It is one of the best-preserved monsoon tropical rainforests in the world. This tropical rainforest is home to at least 8 vegetation groups, including 58 species considered particularly rare and valuable. Additionally, over 3,500 plant species have been recorded. From a scientific standpoint, West Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest holds immense significance as its rich vegetation is considered a crucial genetic gene bank.

Spanning 248,100 square kilometers, the Valdivian forest is even larger than the combined area of England and Northern Ireland. This forest covers a vast area along the western coast of South America, extending into both Chile and part of Argentina. The vegetation in the Valdivian forest mainly consists of low shrubs and young ferns, along with some species of podocarp and broadleaf trees. About 90% of plant species and 70% of animal species in the Valdivian forest are rare and endangered.

The Valdivian Temperate Rainforest is often ranked among the world's top biodiversity hotspots. It is also one of the few forested areas with a temperate climate. The temperate rainforest blankets the coastal foothills and the Andes, with the cities of Valdivia, Puerto Varas, and Puerto Montt serving as gateways to adventures amidst sparkling lakes.

Tongass is a temperate rainforest located in the southeastern part of Alaska, USA, and is the largest forested area in the United States, covering 68,062 square kilometers. The forest is predominantly covered with Sitka spruce and various species of ferns, mosses, and lichens. Due to its remote location, Tongass is now home to some of the rarest plant species in the world, as well as many endangered animal species. The entire Tongass is divided into 19 different wilderness areas and is considered one of the United States' greatest treasures.

Tongass is the shared home of over 75,000 indigenous people belonging to 31 different tribal communities. The forest is named after the Tongass group of the Tlingit tribe. Tongass is the largest national forest in the United States, preserving ancient forest stands that are thousands of years old. Sunlight filtering through the towering spruce trees, some of which are 700 years old, illuminates the lush green forest floor.

The Amazon Rainforest is the most famous forest in the world with a vast area of ​​7,000,000 square kilometers, spanning across several countries such as Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Suriname, Guyana, and Venezuela. The Amazon is the most diverse ecosystem in terms of species on Earth, with an average of every 10 species on the planet found in the Amazon. It is estimated that there are about 2.5 million species of insects, tens of thousands of plant species, and about 2,000 species of birds and mammals in the Amazon.

The Amazon has absorbed billions of tons of CO2, providing clean air for the Earth's atmosphere. That is why this forest is dubbed the planet's green lungs and is the most important factor in regulating the global climate. Preserving the Amazon is essential to protecting the Earth's biodiversity and ensuring its survival.

The Congo Rainforest spans 2,023,428 square kilometers and is a pristine primary rainforest located in the Congo River Basin in the African continent. It is also the second-largest tropical forest in the world (after the Amazon Rainforest). Over 10,000 plant species have been identified in the Congo Rainforest, with 29% of them being characteristic native species. In terms of fauna, there are over 1,000 bird species, 500 mammal species, and 500 fish species recorded. The Congo Rainforest is considered one of the most crucial ecological balances on Earth. However, the Congo Rainforest is currently facing severe impacts due to human activities.

While deforestation poses a growing concern for the Congo Rainforest, there is still hope as the international community collaborates with governments having Congo Rainforest to explore new investment solutions for rainforest conservation. Many reputable organizations are also working tirelessly to protect biodiversity and support indigenous communities here.

In theory, Taiga is not just a forest but an entire plant community, a biological and ecological system resembling a forest. Taiga Forest covers most of northern Russia and North America. If only considering the area in Russia, Taiga occupies about 12,000,000 square kilometers, even larger than the combined area of China and India. Due to harsh environmental conditions (extreme temperature difference between summer and winter), coniferous trees dominate the vegetation in Taiga.

Taiga forest is the habitat for a variety of large herbivores as well as small rodents. These animals have adapted to survive in harsh environments. Some large carnivores, such as bears, forage during the summer to accumulate energy and then hibernate. Other animals develop a thick fur layer when winter arrives to withstand the cold. Due to the harsh climate conditions, the diet of carnivorous animals is not guaranteed to provide energy. Additionally, deforestation and forest fires are causing pollution and reducing the biodiversity of Taiga forest nowadays.