Best Jungle Location?

[Palmateer]

(amazondk @ Jan. 25 2008,14:37)

QUOTE

Tom,

I take the feathers out everynight. And, occasionally put them in the dish washer.

dk

LOL!

[_Keith]

(ruskinPalms @ Jan. 25 2008,10:20)

QUOTE

"My only problem with Louisiana and most of the forests in the south including north and Central FL is all of the damn Spanish Moss festooned on everything. Like someone else said, it looks southern, not tropical. However, there are some areas in FL that are so full of various types of Palmetto and Serenoa, vines and other goodies that they can look extremely tropical if you find the right place and keep the camera out of the canopy with the spanish moss."

There are certainly more than adequate opportunities to create scenes with Spanish Moss in Louisiana, as they are in the composition of most photographs that visitors take, but there are just as many places without moss.  I have often wondered why some places seem to have an abundant supply while others have none.  I have seeded my own Live Oak which is well over 100 years old many times, yet moss does not grow.    Five miles down the road similar aged Oaks have it everywhere.   At any rate, finding jungle scenes here, with or without moss is no problem.

As to the palms, with the ones below you are right that we have no lack of palms.  In some place you can't walk, except for on top of the Serenoa.  But those are the only two, and we have no pinnate palms.   But there are many jungles in the world that don't have palms too.  To be called a jungle, palms, palmate or pinnate are not required.

Oh, oh, this is board heresy.  I didn't say that.  

[amazondk]

Personally I don't use the word jungle for anything.  There have been some past threads about this. Forests whether tropical or not are forests and have many things in common.  The main one being trees.  I guess the important thing is to transmit what people want to believe someplace is like.  

Here is the Wikpedia description of Jungle.

Jungle usually refers to a dense forest in a hot climate, such as a tropical rainforest. About 6% of the Earth's land mass is classified as jungle. Jungles are vital to sustaining the ecosystems of the Earth as we know it. About 40% of all species live in jungle environments [1].

The word jungle originates from a Sanskrit word jangala, meaning "desert". In many languages of the Indian subcontinent, including Indian English, it is generally used to refer to any wild, untended or uncultivated land, including forest, scrub, or desert landscapes. Sometimes an urban environment can be called a jungle, as "concrete jungle".

The term may still be used in a technical context to describe the forest biome rainforest, a forest characterised by extensive biodiversity and densely tangled undergrowth including young trees, vines and lianas, and herbaceous plants. As a forest biome, "jungles" are present in both equatorial and tropical climatic zones, and are associated with preclimax stages of the rainforest. For this reason, jungle is to be distinguished from tropical rainforest in that the former is a profuse thicket of tropical shrubs, vines, and small trees growing in areas outside the light-blocking canopy of a tropical rainforest. Hence, jungle may be found at the edges of such forests.

Not all regions called "jungles" would qualify as "rain forests" because many would apply "jungle" to the forests of northern Thailand or southern Guangdong in China: but scientifically, these are "monsoon forests" or "tropical deciduous forests" but not "rain forests".

[_Keith]

Don,

I think the key here lies in the original post "she's looking for a location that looks like a wet tropical jungle somewhere in the lower 48 of the USA" and the key within that being "looks like."   You live in the real thing, there is no doubt on that or  where similar real tropical jungles exists.  

I assume, probably for budget or logistical regions they are looking for a location that can reasonable pass for that to the uneducated eye, to shoot a film production.  Within those constraints, there are many places along the gulf coast to do it,, including Louisiana.

[bubba]

To me, real jungle has to be Tropical in nature.Ocala,Fl area mentioned was also home to numerous Tarzan movies as witnessed by the large population of Monkey's still residing in the area.That to me is not tropical enough to approximate a true Vietnam Jungle feel.The only place that approximates this true Tropical feel in the lower 48 is the Tamiami Trail cut through the deep heart of the real Glades.I have never been to Vietnam but as mentioned before I have a party who fully qualifies for "Expert Witness"designation and he concurs.

[Adam from Oz]

This American TV documentary featured a splendid jungle:

Cheers,

Adam

[amazondk]

Keith,

I guess there really is not real tropical forest look alike in the lower 48 states. I love the aspect of the Lousiana and Gulf coast have some great locations and some great movies have been shot there.  I think that Bubba's idea may be as close as any.  Like I mentioned above the film Anaconda, which I felt was a pretty bad film, used both the real Amazonia, Rio Negro version, and Hollywood.  The switch in locations is striking to anyone who paid attention.  There is one scene where the snake climbs up a waterfall.  This waterfall is right next to the airport in Manaus and has been pretty well trashed.  It is amazing what Hollywood can do.  One of the best real jungle movies I have seen was, At Play in The Fields of the Lord.  This was shot in Para and is has a real good feel of what the area is like.

dk