Talk:Forest Planet/@comment-212.175.32.131-20150531085549

It is far more likely that there are Jungle Planets rather than Forest Plantes. In Jungles, there is a relatively low concentration of Nitrate and Phosphate ions in the soil. This is because there are more plants and trees in 10 square metres in a jungle than there are in a forest, so more plants extract their nutrients from a smaller area. In jungles, the fact that there is relatively poor soil means that various different plant species can thrive. Usually you will find tall trees called 'emergents' in jungles, which are very tall and recieve sunlight above the main canopy of a jungle. In forests, one species of tree, such decidious or coniferous tends to dominate.

In a planet with a high concentration of plant and tree life, it is likely that near the equator and around 30 degrees north and south in latitude, you will find highly dense jungle. However, since most of the rain would fall on these jungles, this would leave other parts of the planet extremely dry, likely creatig tropical deserts or extreme tundra in areas far from the equator.

In short, it is not quite possible to have a planet completely made of forest. Such an idea seems quite innovative, but even a jungle planet would have patches of desert and dry areas. The only way for a planet to have jungle or forest in every biome is for it to have a large ocean(s), so that there is a high concentration of water vapour in the atmosphere. However, forests and jungles consume high amounts of water vapour in photosynthesis so there has to be a continuous supply of water vapour. Respiration produces water as a by-product of producing Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) so animal life would be essential to the planet's biosphere.

This is quite an interesting idea, space is a weird place, all sorts of things can be possible. Furthermore, it is possible that there may be planets with a density of forest. They would need a thick atmosphere to provide a thermal blanket, since forests usually have a low albedo. They would also need a magnetic field to prevent the water vapour from escaping.