Tropical Rainforest: An Introduction

Description of a rainforest

1. Densely wooded

2. Location: Warm, tropical and wet climate

3. Soil: Nutrient Poor-hard to grow crops

4. Rainfall: Average 80 inches/year

(sometimes as high as 400 inches/yr)

Difference between tropical rain forest & temperate rain forest

• 1. Tropical rainforest: Located in the tropics; very warm climate and LOTS of rain

• 2. Temperate rainforest: More seasonal, less rain

Remaining rainforests

Dark Green Areas= only remaining rainforest left

Layers of the tropical rainforest

* Tall Trees- 150ft tall; branches at the highest level; act like an umbrella

* VERY THICK! Less than 2% of sunlight reaches the next layer; animals live here

* Trees grow to about 12ft. Home of leopards, snakes, and insects

Shrub layer * Grow shorter than 12 ft

* No growth, no sunlight & 100% humidity

• The Soil: Few nutrients, decomposition occurs quickly. The nutrients are absorbed by the trees

• Buttress Root System: Above ground or very shallow root system

Why is the rainforest so important?

• Contains 90% of all living “things”

• 70% of all plants have cancer fighting properties

• Large amount of oxygen produced in the rainforest

How & why the rainforests are being destroyed

• Slash and Burn:

Cutting down the forest for farms, roads, & other development. The trees are then burned

• Bio Diversity: Many types of animals, insects, & plant life

• Deforestation: Cutting down large areas of forest