Tropical Rain Forest

By: Cheyenne, Stanley, Vero, Brandon, and Reegan

Meteorologist: Cheyenne

Meteorologist’s are atmospheric scientists. Atmospheric scientists study the earth's atmosphere. They

processes what is happening in the atmosphere. They analyze various amounts of data, observe upper air

temperature, wind, pressure, and humidity. They collect all types of data including satellite data, radar data,

lightening strikes, and data for weather models. Meteorologist will give out weather warnings or watches.

But there are more parts to a meteorologists than the weather, some are involved in chemistry, biological

and computer modeling.

http://www.eco.ca/career-profiles/meteorologist/

Temperature in a rainforest is no higher than 93 F all year round, with some cool nights. There are no

seasons as we know them in the tropical rain forest but they have a dry season and a rainy season, each is 6

months long. The weather can be the same everyday, rainy, hot and humid.

Tropical rain forests are found close to the equator. Tropical rain forests get about 12 hours of sunlight a

day, less than 2% of the sunlight actually hits the ground because of the dense vegetation. The tropical rain

forest receives 4380 hours of sunlight yearly.

http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/tropical-rainforest-biome.php

http://www.ri.net/schools/West_Warwick/manateeproject/Rainforest2/climate.htm

https://www.google.ca/search?q=how+much+sunlight+does+the+tropical+rainforest+get+a+year&oq=ho

w+much+sunlight+does+the+tropical+rainforest+get+a+year&aqs=chrome..69i57.16671j0j7&sourceid=ch

rome&ie=UTF-8

Tropical rainforests play a vital role in our natural system. Our rain forests regulate our local and global

weather, from their creation of rain and the exchange of atmospheric gases.

Canopy: Above forest floor, made up of overlapping trees, branches and leaves.

A canopy forms in the rain forest above forest floor. Allowing different wind patterns above and below

canopy. Below canopy winds are slower than above canopy winds.

There is minimal winds in the rain forest because of the dense and humid weather, also trees in the

rainforest are broad-leafed that form a dense canopy above forest floor and it decreases wind speed. When

winds do happen they are very light. Winds below canopy are slower than above canopy (above forest floor)

http://classroom.synonym.com/wind-speeds-tropical-rainforest-23367.html

http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0906.htm

Climate change has influenced our rain forest. Because it’s close to equator. The temperature is mostly the same, there is no drastic changes in the rain forest.

Geographer:Brandon

Geographer: is someone who studies the earth and its land, features, and inhabitants. A tropical rainforest

consists mainly of moss and other lush plantation, rocks, trees, soil, and grasses. The actual land of a

rainforest is usually quite rocky, as it isn't uncommon for a rainforest to cover hills and small mountains.

Even though there is a lack of light that reaches the forest floor, countless species of plants, animals, and

insects continue to thrive in this biome.

Tropical rain forests have large bodies of water and large rivers.

The tropical rain forest is warmed by ocean currents.

Ocean currents determine how much moisture is available. If the ocean currents are warm then you have a really good chance of having tropical like conditions.

They are lush, with moist, warm conditions and have lots of vegetation for animals to eat.

Rainforests are located near the equator and there are many of them in those places in the world.

The size of the population will increase due to immigration and decrease due to emigration. The growth rate of a population will increase due to a higher birth rate than death rate. In the Amazon the population is increasing due to immigration as the deforestation increases.

Where the tropical rain forest is located

Latitude and longitude position: Tropical rainforests are located between the latitudes of 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south. Within this range there is the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. They are located longitude wise all around

the world.

TopographyTropical rainforests are characterized by their luscious plants and trees that come in different shapes and sizes from very small to very tall.

They are famous for their lakes, rivers and mountains. Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa, the Amazon river is the second longest river in the world and is located in South America, and Angel Falls the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfall located in Venezuela

The mountains affect how much rainfall can hit the rainforest because if the rainfall is coming from one direction the mountain on that side will get lots of water and plants that need lots of water will survive and do very well. The other side of the mountain isn't going to get much rain fall so other species that need not much water will grow on that side. One side of the mountain will be shady and it will not dry out from the sun, also helping some plants to grow.

Rivers help supply water to all of the low lying plants near them. The tropical rainforests receive lots of sun since they are located near the equator, so being by rivers is moist and helps them from drying out and makes a humid biome.

Major Landforms

The major landforms are mountains, valleys, floodplains, streams, rivers, little bits of wetlands. It also contains high and lowlands, and beaches.

The Mountains that run through the Amazon are the Andes. Pica da Neblina is the tallest mountain in the Amazon.

The highlands are cooler than the rest of the rain forest. Highlands are a mountainous region that are low mountains ranges.

Valleys are areas between two mountains that are shaped like the letter u or v that usually lead to floodplains.

Floodplains are flat areas where the water gathers at and if there is too much water in that area it floods. It floods because there is not enough drainage and the ground can’t absorb it fast enough.

Wetlands are an area that is covered by a foot or more of water, and that provide plants with water.

Streams and rivers help provide moisture in the rainforest. The Amazon river has more than 200 rivers running into it.

There are many creatures found on and near the tropical beaches.

Major Industries

Major industries in this biome are : Logging, coffee, plants, animals, medicine.

Logging: The slash and burn method is one of the more famous methods of logging in the tropical rainforests. The trade in tropical hardwood is one of the main reasons for slash and burn method.

Coffee farming: Coffee farming is very good in the tropical rainforests because of the weather.

Soybean farming : They farm soybeans so they need to clear space for them. They need to cut down lots of

trees to make open spaces for them.

Cattle production: In the rainforest they raise cattle for meat to sell.

Rubber production: This is made from a tree called Hevea brasiliensis and is grown in Brazil, part of the

Amazon rainforest.

Medicine: 70% of the 3000 plants the United States National Cancer Institute say have potential

anti-cancer properties are native to the rainforest. Many other plants are used in lots of the medicines we

use.

Drugs: Coca production and distribution are destroying rainforests.

Major cities

Major cities in the Amazon

Manaus, Brazil: 2 million inhabitants

Santarem, Brazil: 262,000 inhabitants

Belem, Brazil: 1.3 million inhabitants

Iquitos, Peru: 448, 000 inhabitantsCapitals of the countries that the Amazon rainforest is in

Capital of Brazil: Brasília: 3 million

Capital of Peru: Lima : 10 million

Geology : Reegan

Geologist: Is a scientist who studies the solid or liquid matter that consists in the earth.

Brazil has 30 percent of the world's rainforest. It is 1,800,000 square miles. More than 50,000 square miles

were lost due to deforestation. The largest rainforests are in the Amazon River Basin (South America), the

Congo River Basin (western Africa), and throughout much of southeast Asia. Smaller rainforests are located

in Central America, Madagascar, Australia and nearby islands, India, and other locations in the tropics.

The large bodies of water in the Tropical RainforestThe large bodies of water are Amazon, Madeira, Mekong, Negro, Orinoco, and Congo (Zaire) rivers. 1/5 or 20% of the World's freshwater is found in the tropical rainforest

The Amazon river: It is the greatest river in South America, the river is 6400 km long slightly shorter than the Nile river. It is located in the Amazon Rainforest. The Amazon River Carries the most water of any river in the world.

The Madeira River: is one of the rivers that runs into the Amazon river. The Madeira river is 3352 km long. The general width of the river is about a 1/2 mile.

Large Bodies of water continued

The Mekong River: This is the 12th longest river in the world and has a length of 4350 km, and is located in Southeast Asia.

The Negro River: This is another major river that flows into the Amazon river, this river is 2250 km long.

The Orinoco River: This river is 2740 km long and its origins come from Guiana Highlands and it ends at the Atlantic Ocean.

The Congo River: This river is located in Africa and is 4700 km long.

Tropical Rainforest bodies of water

The Amazon River The Madeira River

Maps

The Amazon River The Madeira River

Tropical rainforest bodies of water

Mekong River Negro River

Maps

The Mekong River The Negro River

Tropical Rainforest Bodies of Water

Orinoco River Congo River

Maps

The Orinoco River The Congo River

Rocks

The Amazon River Basin was made by the depression of the preCambrian bedrock. The Earth Basin is made up of sedimentary rock layers of soft clay and sand deposits which are almost more than 13,000 feet thick. There are very few rocks in the basin because very few survive the trip down from the Andes.

Soil

The soil in the Amazon Rainforest is 7 meters thick in some places. The soil is thin and doesn’t have much nutrients. White and sandy soil can be found in the Amazon River Basin. The soils have lost minerals and fertility even though lush and rich forests grow in them.

The soil is not very good quality

because of the amount of rain.

The Key Characteristics of this Biome

The key characteristics of this biome are: the lush plantation, rocks, soil and grasses

The Rocks in the Tropical Rainforest: there are very few rocks in the Amazon Central basin.

Soil in the Tropical Rainforest has very poor nutrients due to the millions of years of weather such as

torrential rainfall and winds.

Key characteristics Lush plantation Rocks Grasses

WarningsThreats to the biomeYes there are endangered species in this biome like the Bengal tiger, Harpy Eagle, and the Diana Monkey, these organisms are coming less and less to find because of deforestations, and Illegally hunting. Changes in weather patterns, rainfall distribution, and temperature will result in the transformation of rainforest into drier forest in some areas and the conversion of other forms of forests into tropical forest.This biome is important globally because it helps stable earth's climate. It is home to half the plant and wildlife on the planet.Human effects: on this biome is deforestation, and logging this results in carbon dioxide loss.Clear cutting is a major environmental issue in tropical rain forest. This impacts the rain forest because it kills plants and makes wildlife not have homes.Natural disasters: Tropical storms, flooding and landslides are the most major. Landslides occur because all the rain makes loose soil. Flooding occurs when it over rains and tropical storms such as cyclones occur.

Zoologist: Stan

Who also research the development of animal diseases, sometimes known as animal scientists or animal biologists because zoology is the branch of biology that deals with the animal kingdom

Red Eyed Tree Frog

Scientific name: Agalychnis callidryasLifespan: 5 years Many Scientist believe that Red-Eyed Tree Frogs developed their bright red eyes to scare predators

off. They sleep during the day attached to the bottoms of leaves. When awoken or alarmed they will open their red eyes, flash their big, orange webbed feet, and bright blue and yellow flanks. This is called startle colouration, the tree frogs use it to scare of predators or make them think twice before eating the tree frogs. Red-Eyed Tree Frogs also use their vibrant green bodies to keep predators away. Most of the Red-Eyed Tree Frogs predators are nocturnal and rely on their good eyesight to find prey. The bright colours of the frog may overstimulate the predator's eyes, causing a similar effect to when humans stare at the sun and enabling the frog to jump away. These frogs are located in southern Mexico, Central America and South America. They are not endangered but their habitat is being damaged and destroyed very quickly. Red Eyed Tree-Frogs eat crickets, flies and moths by catching them on their sticky tongues.

Parrots

Scientific name: PsittaciformesLifespan: 50 years Parrots are part of the zygodactyls family, meaning they have 4 toes to in the front and to on the

back of their foot. Parrots live in the rainforests of South American. Parrots mostly eat nuts, fruits, seeds, and some small insects. Some of these highly intelligent birds can make noveivan sounds, including humans. Almost all parrots live in nests in tree wells, they lay and hatch eggs in these nests. Parrots are becoming endangered because of habitat loss, hunting, and companions of invasive species. Adaptations of a parrots are their strong beak which helps them break down nuts, which is one of their main source of food. A parrots size can range from around 3.5 to 40 inches and can weigh anywhere from 2.25 to 56 ounces on average. Most parrots lay their eggs in a nest but some species lay their eggs in tree holes, ground tunnels, rock cavities and termite mounds. A parrot egg needs 18 to 30 days of incubation before it can hatch. A parrot chick is born with a thin layer of feathers called a down. Parrot chicks are also blind for the first two to three weeks after birth.

Abiotic Factors of the Amazon Rainforest

Abiotic Factors of an ecosystem are something that is non living that affects the ecosystem and the organisms that live there. Abiotic Factors of the Amazon Rainforest are thing like water, humidity, soil, temperature, and rock. The Amazon gets about 9 feet a year from just perceptions. Organisms rely on this water for their survival. Soil is another important abiotic factor to living organisms. The soil is filled with many different kinds of nutrients which plants and trees need to grow. The average temperature of the Amazon Rainforest is 79 *F this keeps the humidity and warmth at a reasonable temperature for all organisms.

Botanist: Vero

A botanist or a plant scientist is a scientist who specialises in the study of plants. Some botanists research

how plants relate to their natural communities. Botany includes the study of anything from algae to giant

Redwood , from the microscopic level to the ecosystem level. A botanists research helps us understand and

determine how different plants may react to climate change. They study plant growth, development,

function, distribution, and origin. They also study environmental issues such as conservation, re-vegetation,

and weed control. The field of botany is very broad and their are many different tasks and roles to occupy a

botanist.

http://www.eco.ca/career-profiles/botanist/

http://www.environmentalscience.org/career/botanist

Plants Found in the Rainforest

Bromeliad: Scientific name is Bromeliaceae. There are over 2800 different species of Bromeliad .

Bromeliads are native to the tropical rainforest. Some Bromeliads grow on the ground but most grow on the

branches of trees. The leaves of the Bromeliad form a vase or a tank that holds water. The tanks support an ecosystem of bacteria, protozoa, tiny crustaceans, mosquito and dragonfly larvae, tadpoles, birds,

salamanders and frogs. http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/species/bromeliad http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/rforest/index.htm

http://3tags.org/article/bromeliads https://www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-grow-bromeliad-houseplants

More Plants Found in the Rainforest

Bengal Bamboo: Scientific name is Bambusa Tulda.This Bamboo is found in the the Southeast Asian

Rainforest Biome. It thrives in the moist environment and does well in the rain. This bamboo can grow to be

anywhere between 40 and 80 feet tall and three inches in diameter once it has reached maturity. Bengal

Bamboo has straight stocky dark green stems also known as culms. Their leaves are green in colour, long and

narrow. http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rnfrst_plant_page.htm http://tropicalrainforest950529.weebly.com/plant-life.html

https://pwmbiomes.wikispaces.com/Bengal+Bamboo?responseToken=094b82e591ad61bb4d5cf1aeafacac7fd

More Plants Found in the Rainforest

Banana: Scientific name is Musa acuminata. Banana plants are not actually trees, they are really just giant

herbs. The giant banana herbs can reach their full height of 10 to 20 feet after only a year of growing. Every

banana blossom turns into a banana fruit which is typically ready to eat after three or four months. After the

plant is finished producing the fruit it’s stems fall off and are replaced by new ones. Banana plants are made

up of nearly 93 percent water so even moderate winds can knock them down. http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/species/banana

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/65583738301195502/ https://www.pinterest.com/Sereypheap/fruit/

More Plants Found in the Rainforest Orchids: Scientific name is Orchidaceae. Orchids are the largest plant family in the world. There are around

25,000-30,000 different species of orchids. Orchid species are not all the same. They vary in different sizes,

weights and colours. One orchid may only might only be as small as a nickel when it’s blooming, another

species may have huge petals as long as 30 inches and weigh up to one ton. Most orchids do generally have

the same floral arrangement, each orchid has six parts. The sepals are the outside, green part. The three

inner flower parts are bright and beautiful petals. Orchids gather their nutrients from the air, rain or

moisture in the soil. http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/species/orchid https://www.coolearth.org/2015/03/singing-orchid-discovered-in-the-amazon-rainforest/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/309974386828959384/ http://www.ecorazzi.com/2012/02/08/ten-amazing-rainforest-plants/

Endangered list

The tropical rainforest is a beautiful biome with a diverse ecosystem of animals and plants. Due to

deforestation, climate change, illegal hunting and contamination of forest a number of these plants and

animals are on the endangered list.

Endangered Animals: Great Green Macaw, Common Chimpanzee, Diana Monkey, Aye Aye, and the Bengal

Tiger

Endangered Plants: Rainforest Orchids, and the Rafflesia Flower

Parasitism in the Rainforest

Parasitism is a relationship between two organisms, either plants or animals where one benefits and the

other is harmed.

An example of parasitism in the rainforest is the strangler fig. Named for their growth upon trees that often

results in the tree’s death. The strangler fig grows upon a tree branch. It then begins to grow both upwards

and downward while also twisting itself around the tree. The fig kills the tree by stealing sunlight and the

tree’s root space.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangler_fig

(picture was from wikipedia. Nothing else)

Mutualism in the Rainforest

Mutualism is a relationship between two organisms, either plant or animal in which both organisms benefit.

An example of mutualism in the rainforest would be The leaf cutter ant and fungus. The leaf cutter ants will

feed and protect the fungi. In return the ants keep their larvae inside the fungi which feeds and protects

them.

Commensalism in the Rainforest

Commensalism is a relationship between two organisms, either plant or animal, in which one organism

benefits and the other is neither benefited nor harmed.

An example of commensalism in the rainforest is the Bromeliad relationship with trees. In order to get

enough sunlight the Bromeliad will grow upon trees to get up higher. The tree does not gain anything from

this but it is also not harmed.

Competition in the Rainforest

Every ecosystem has a competition between organisms for resources.

The Tropical Rainforest is very dense and competition for sunlight is always occurring. Taller and older trees

have easy access to the sunlight blocking and keeping the new trees to the ground away from sunlight.

Without access to sunlight, new plants on the rainforest floor have trouble growing.

Food Web

Tour Packages http://adventureswithinreach.com/peru/overview.php?tripid=71

Some activities in the rainforest include Zip lining and hiking, these two activities are great for seeing everything from deep in the rainforest to high in the sky looking over.

The tropical rainforest is an amazing place to be and to feel an excitement of adventure. There are so many animals and plants to see.

Located about a 25 minute boat ride down the River Madre de Dios from Puerto Maldonado. You can look

forward to the multiple animal sightings that you may encounter.

Tour package

The tropical rainforest is an amazing place to be and to feel an excitement of adventure. There are so many animals and plants to see.

Located about a 25 minute boat ride down the River Madre de Dios from Puerto Maldonado. You can look forward to the multiple animal sightings that you may encounter.

Tour Packages

Amazon River Cruise: http://www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/expeditions/amazon-river-cruise/detail

If you like to be wet and do things such as swimming go during the high water season which is from

December to June.

Or if you prefer it a little dryer go during the low water season of May to November.

Some dangerous elements are sickness and disease, wildlife, and weather.

Amazon River Cruise

Natural Resource

The Amazon rainforests is one of the world's greatest resources, oxygen. The Amazon produces 20% of the world's oxygen. Rain forests produce many things people use today such as bananas and coffee beans.

Peru Tour

interesting facts of the amazon rain forest

❏ 70% of the 3000 plants the United States National Cancer Institute say have potential anti-cancer properties are native to the rainforest.

❏ The Amazon River Carries the most water of any river in the world.

❏ 1/5 or 20% of the World's freshwater is found in the tropical rainforest

Bibliography

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Bibliography

http://ecoproject20.weebly.com/ecosystem.html

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http://www.rainforestconservation.org/

https://sites.google.com/site/vivianstropicalrainforest/

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