Jungle vs Forest?

nancy sv · Mar 23, 2009

What's the difference between a jungle and a forest?

MetalDog · Mar 23, 2009

Jungle:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle

Forest:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest

Different climate, flora and fauna. The noises, smells and general atmosphere would be totally different too.

PS: worth noting that I think most people are going to think temperate broadleaf or needleleaf if you use the word forest without the prefix 'tropical' or 'rain' in front of it.

dawinsor · Mar 23, 2009

I was on the Amazon River in January, and our guide talked about the different between a jungle and other kinds of rain forests. All jungles are rain forests, but not all rain forests are jungles. By definition, a rain forest becomes a jungle when you can't walk through it without hacking your way.

maestrowork · Mar 23, 2009

I believe a jungle is so dense that you can't really navigate through it. It's a matter of degree and size. But yeah, hot climate would be a key. You don't have jungles in Canada, for example, no matter how many trees you've got.

Ms Hollands · Mar 24, 2009

At school, I was taught that a rain forest is tropical like a jungle (as opposed to a forest, which is not) but it is defined the the layers of canapes: ground growers, mid-growers, and the light-seeking trees at the top when looking up in a rain forest.

So, a quick note to British people watching "I'm a Celebrity...", Australia DOES NOT actually have jungles: they're rainforests!

This is up on my list of annoyances with "mentalist" being used for "crazy" and "pressurised" being used for "pressured". GAH!!!

...oooh, I feel better now...

Shweta · Mar 24, 2009

Heh, you verbal people

My immediate response was:

Forest --

Jungle --

Yours is more informative, but... but...

NeuroFizz · Mar 24, 2009

...but there are Pacific Rain Forests in Washington State, British Columbia (Canada), and Alaska. And some of them are very dense vegetation-wise, but not something that would be called a jungle. Just head out to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington to see a beautiful U.S. rain forest. Same for the west coast of Vancouver Island for the Canadian side. These old growth forests are always at risk due to logging, although there several state, provincial, and national forests in these areas that are protected.

Romantic Heretic · Mar 24, 2009

I think it has something to do with the chances of returning to the beaten path if you wander off it. A forest is pretty good. A jungle, not so much.

seun · Mar 24, 2009

We have forests in England but no jungles.

maestrowork · Mar 24, 2009

NeuroFizz said:
...but there are Pacific Rain Forests in Washington State, British Columbia (Canada), and Alaska. And some of them are very dense vegetation-wise, but not something that would be called a jungle. Just head out to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington to see a beautiful U.S. rain forest. Same for the west coast of Vancouver Island for the Canadian side. These old growth forests are always at risk due to logging, although there several state, provincial, and national forests in these areas that are protected.

I think jungle is by definition tropical, while a rainforest is not -- as long as a lot of rain is involved. But a jungle is a subtype of rainforests -- just not vice versa.

Wayne K · Mar 24, 2009

When I think jungle I think Africa and tropical trees and exotic or dangerous animals, forest I think more of deer and bear and domestic type trees.

Pagey's_Girl · Mar 24, 2009

For a jungle, I'd think of something lush, tropical and full of strange and exotic plants and birds and...never mind. I just described my living room.

Seriously, I'd think temperate for a forest and tropical for a jungle, but that's just me.

KaysenParkerPlath · Mar 24, 2009

I think of it as a Jungle has the monkeys and wild obtuse plants, and a forest is quiet and solemn.

nancy sv · Mar 24, 2009

OK - I'm happy to see I'm not the only one confused by this matter. I am writing an article about Belize, and I think of the forest/jungle around here as jungle. I think it is technically some type of forest, but I still want to call it jungle. Would it be wrong to do so?

NeuroFizz · Mar 25, 2009

Although not directly related to the OP, the June 2008 issue of the weekly scientific journal, Science, has most of that issue devoted to "Forests in Flux" with several articles on recent issues concerning the world's forests (rain forests and otherwise).

Science, Volume 320, Issue 5882 (13 June, 2008)

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/vol320/issue5882/index.dtl

maestrowork · Mar 25, 2009

nancy sv said:
OK - I'm happy to see I'm not the only one confused by this matter. I am writing an article about Belize, and I think of the forest/jungle around here as jungle. I think it is technically some type of forest, but I still want to call it jungle. Would it be wrong to do so?

Belize is part of the tropical rainforest "belt" so I think you can probably say it's a jungle or at least rainforest.

Jungle vs Forest?

nancy sv

30 months on a bicycle...

MetalDog

Woof!

dawinsor

Dorothy A. Winsor

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Ms Hollands

Cow lover

Shweta

gone

NeuroFizz

The grad students did it

Romantic Heretic

uncoerced

seun

Horror Man

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Wayne K

Pagey's_Girl

Still plays with dolls

KaysenParkerPlath

nancy sv

30 months on a bicycle...

NeuroFizz

The grad students did it

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray