Tropical Rainforest

BiomeAutumn Hepler and Hannah Ball

Pd. 4

What are rainforests?Rainforests are very dense, warm, wet

forests. Rainforests are extremely important in the ecology of the Earth. They generate much of the Earth’s oxygen. Tropical rainforests are found close to the equator and therefore they get a lot of sunlight.

CLIMATE! Average annual temperature…

27oc

Average annual precipitation…250cm

Annual growing season…365 days a year!

CLIMATE! With the amount of

rain in this biome, many of the nutrients and minerals from the soil are washed away. This calls for an developed nutrient cycle.

Because tropical rainforests are located on the equator, they always have direct sunlight which causes on continuously warm, humid, and rainy season.

MOUNTAINS!Mountains located in tropical rainforests

include…

Mount Kilimanjaro19,330 ft tall

Mount Kinabalu 13,435 ft tall

MOUNTAINS! Mount Tahan

7,175 ft tall

Mount Puncak16,024 ft tall

There are multiple layers to the tropical rainforest plants….

Emergents- tallest trees, towering as much as 200 feet above the forest floor with trunks that measure up to 16 feet around. 

Canopy- primary layer of the forest and forms a roof over the two remaining layers

                                                                                                                      

Under Canopy -little sunshine reaches this area so the plants have to grow larger leaves to reach the sunlight.   The plants in this area seldom grow to 12 feet

Destruction A tropical rainforest has more kinds of

trees than any other are in the world. There are bout 100 to 300 species in one 2.5 acre area in South America. Also, seventy percent of plants in the rainforest are trees.. The immediate causes of rainforest destruction are clear..

Destruction1. Logging.

Commercial logging companies cut down mature trees that have been selected for their timber.

2. Agriculture. Shifted cultivators (people who have moved into rainforest areas). Cash Crops and Cattle Ranching (Undisturbed rainforests areas are being totally cleared to provide land for food crop or an area for cattle to graze.)

Destruction3. Fuel wood. 1.5

billion of the 2 billion people worldwide who rely on fuel wood for cooking and heating are over cutting forests.

4. Large Dams. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of forests have been destroyed by the building of hydro-electric dams. It was the thought that new dams had to be build, but a recent study shows that there are enough dams to meet the demand for power.

Destruction5. Mining and Industry.

Land is being cleared to establish projects. Indigenous people are displaced. Roads are constructed though previously inaccessible land, opening up the rainforest. Severe water, air and land pollution occurs form these industries.

6. Tourism. Although the creation of national parks has helped to protect rainforests, tours are given before adequate management plans have been developed. Which is damaging the forests.

Preservation In efforts to save the rainforests Britain

is giving 50m towards helping to save the second-largest rainforest in the world, the Congo Basin in central Africa. The great lakes remain of central and eastern Africa are also protected areas.

Preservation Though Adopt-A-Rainforest, individuals

can contribute funding to small conservation groups in tropical countries that will work to stop rainforest destruction.

PreservationCitizens protest thought direct action is another way to put pressure on corporations, lending institutions, and governments that are destroying rainforests. RAN encourages its members to do both letter writing and public nonviolent demonstrations to express their convictions. RAN is spreading the word though its international network, organizing protests, and publicizing the issue in the national media.

A lack of fresh water. One out of every six people on Earth

has no access to clean drinking water; tow out of six people lack adequate sanitation; and four out of six are afflicted by water-borne illnesses.

A Lack Of Fresh Water. When the soil on cleared land beings to

erode, more soil is washed into the rivers. The water quality is affected. Gradually the rivers sit up, increasing the likelihood of flooding in the low-lying areas downstream.

Plants and Animals of the Rainforest

Huge numbers of animals live in rainforests. Including, invertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. The different rainforests of the world support different populations of animals like..

Chocolate Tree/Cacao: the cocoa tree or chocolate tree, is found in Upper Amazon Basin.

Goliath Bird-Eater Spider. Spanning 7 in. with it legs and weighing dearly a quarter-pound, this tarantula is the biggest spider in the world