jungle

jungle [Hindustani jangal=desert, forest; from Skt. jangala=wasteland, uncultivated land], densest form of tropical forest (usually second growth or later) found throughout tropical lowland regions. Jungle is characterized by high humidity and resultant abundance (both in numbers and variety) of flora and concomitantly of fauna. Jungle is not a strict ecological term and is often applied to any impenetrable thicket or tangled mass of vegetation.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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