Hardwood Forests

forests found in temperate, subtropical, and tropical zones, consisting of trees and shrubs with broad or narrow leaves. Hardwood forests are usually contrasted with coniferous forests. They include the evergreen forests of tropical and subtropical zones; their change of foliage occurs gradually and is not noticeable to the eye. Hardwood forests include those with trees that experience leaf fall in various seasons: in temperate zones the leaves fall in autumn, the cold part of the year; in the tropics and subtropics, during the summer dry season. Hardwood forests contain many varieties of trees with great international economic importance.