What Is Dense Forest?

By Staff WriterLast Updated December 12, 2023

In a dense forest, the trees crowd together to form a thick canopy. The canopy provides shelter to the vegetation and wildlife that live beneath it. The term “dense forest” is most often used to describe a rain forest.

There are two main types of rain forest: the tropical rain forest and the temperate rain forest. Tropical rain forests are found on continents that border the equator. Temperate rain forests were once found on most of the world’s continents, but more than half have been lost to deforestation. The largest remaining temperate rain forest is found along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, and ranges from Northern California into Canada and Alaska.