These are the oldest forests in the world
Trees have incredibly long lifespans, with some living for over a thousand years! Together, they form forests that endure for generations, fostering ecosystems that span extensive periods of time. Today, the world values and preserves forests that have outlasted many historic civilizations. Ranked from oldest to newest, here are five of the most ancient forests known across the globe.
Daintree Rainforest
Tucked away in Australia, the Daintree Rainforest is known to be approximately 180 million years old, marking an evolution of plant life on Earth. Experts reveal that this forest has more ancient families of flowering plants than anywhere else in the entire world. Expanding to a whopping 1,200 sq km area, it is home to many plants and animals that are only found here.
Borneo Lowland Rainforest
Aging around 140 million years old, Borneo Lowland Rainforest is the second-oldest forest in the world and covers much of the island of Borneo. It is home to more than 15,000 types of flowering plants, 3,000 kinds of trees, 420 species of birds, and 221 species of terrestrial animals! Unfortunately, the island has lost about 30% of its forest over the past 40 years.
Taman Negara
Taman Negara is a tropical rainforest that sprawls across an area of 4,343 km sq. It happens to be the third-largest forest in the world as it is approximately a little over 130 million years ago. Situated in Malaysia, it is home to a few rare animal species such as the Malayan gaur, Malayan tiger, red junglefowl, Great argus, and the Malayan peacock-pheasant.
Amazon Rainforest
A mammoth green belt that spreads across an area of 5.5 million sq km, the Amazon Rainforest ranks fourth on the list of the oldest forests in the world. Counted as among the most biodiverse forests, it offers shelter to numerous endemic and endangered fauna and flora. The forest also features indigenous ethnic groups of people, which are largely isolated.
Caspian Hyrcanian Mixed Forests
Caspian Hyrcanian Mixed Forests age somewhere around 25 to 50 million years and stretch to a staggering area of 55,100 sq km. For the same, it was granted a UNESCO World Heritage status in 2019. Geographically, the forest stretches along the coast of the Caspian Sea and covers five different Iranian provinces namely North Khorasan, Golestan, Mazandaran, Gilan, and Ardabil.
