Tropical

Rainforest

BiomeMary Dempsey and Laura Dermody

Period 1

Geography/Distribution Map

The tropical rainforest biome is located between the equator and 23.5 degrees north or south latitude. Thebiome is typically warm and wet. It has the most diverse population of any of the land biomes. Many species that are found here, are found nowhere else in the world.

Climate

The temperatures in the

rainforest remain around

80 degrees year round and

receives and average of

200 cm of rainfall per

year. Despite the lush

vegetation, the biome's

soil remains nutrient poor

due to leaching and the

vegetation taking up the

remainder of the nutrients

from the soil.

Plant Species of the Rainforest

BromeliadBromeliad have theability to absorb

nutrients and moisture from the

atmosphere, so they are sometimes

called "air plants."

OrchidOrchids are adapted to rainforest

through their large root system that

allows them to get water and

nutrients. They also have an extra root

system that allows them to store large

quantities of water.

Palm TreeThe leaves are fan shaped so the wind

and rain can pass through easily. palm

trees have tall trunks for getting access

to air and sun above other trees. Palm

trees have large root balls to stabilize

them in the wind.

Plant Species of the Rainforest

Victoria Amazonica Water Lily

This plant adjusted its annual life cycle to

the rise and fall of the rivers by growing

rhizomes and new leaves from seeds,

flowering at high water, fruiting as the

water recedes, and surviving low water

levels as coated seeds protect against

desiccation.

The Giant Water Lily adapts to the

environment by growing thorns on

the bottom of the leaves to protect

itself from fishes and other predator

that might want to eat it.

ANIMALS OF THE rAINFOREST

ToucanThe beak provides a means of

preening feathers and defending

against smaller predators. The toucan

adjusts blood flow to the beak to

regulate their body temperature

through controlled heat loss, so the

bird does not overheat in

its tropical habitat.

OcelotThese largely nocturnal cats use keen

sight and hearing to hunt rabbits,

rodents, iguanas, fish, and frogs. They

also take to the trees and stalk

monkeys or birds. Unlike many cats,

they do not avoid water and can swim

well.

SlothDespite being slow, sloths are well

adapted to their environment. They

are built perfectly for life in the trees

because their arms that are longer

than their legs and curved feet for

grasping branches. They cannot walk,

but are actually good swimmers. They

move slowly, but this helps them stay

unseen by predators.

Animals of the Rainforest

OrangutanOrangutans spend almost all of their

day in the tree canopy so it is no

surprise that they have adapted to live

in the trees. The arm length of

an Orangutan is 7 feet which allows

them to hang on to branches and

support themselves.

CaimanAlligators skin is extremely tough. It

needs to be to withstand the daily

abuse they undergo because of things

like thick vegetation, prey fighting to

get away, the sun, and many other

things.

Human Impact on Rainforest

Human impact on the rainforest is devastating. Between deforestation and

the logging industry, there has been an annual loss of 54 billion tons of carbon

from the Brazilian Amazon, which will increase the greenhouse gas emissions.

These forests have also been burned by wildfires that adds pollutants to the

atmosphere.

Due to deforestation, parts of the forest are subject to land degradation,

which makes the soil difficult to use.

Interspecies Relationships

CompetitionOrganisms that compete with one

another for food. The leopards

compete with one another for food.

Predator/PreyOne organism relies on the other for

food to survive. The snake is the

predator and is eating the frog, his

prey, for dinner.

MutualismOrganisms relationship is mutually

beneficial. They both receive

something from the other. The bird

cleans the alligator's mouth and uses

remains for food, while the alligator

protects the bird.

Interspecies Relationships

CommensalismOccurs when one species benefits from

the relationship, but the other

organism is not helped or harmed.

Frog uses leaf for shelter from rain,

but does not hurt leaf.

ParasitismWhen one species benefits from the

relationship and the other is harmed.

Wasp lays eggs on caterpillar and the

larvae will use the caterpillar for food

essentially harming the caterpillar.

Interesting Facts

Giant bamboo trees can grow up to 9 inches each day.

One out of four ingredients in our medicines comes from the rainforest.

Bats are essential for many of the plants in the rainforest, including bananas.

80% of the flowers found in the Australian rainforest are found nowhere else in the world.

Flying animals in Asian rainforest are frogs and squirrels.

Indian cobra defends itself by spitting poisonous venom.

Rainforests only cover around 2 percent the total surface area of the Earth, but really about 50 percent of the plants and animals on the earth live in the rainforest.

Rainforests help to regulate the temperatures around the world and the weather patterns as well.

Citing Sources

https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/about (slide 1 picture)

https://biomee.wikispaces.com/Tropical+Rainforest+Biome (distribution map – slide 2)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/ecosystems/tropical_rainforests_rev1.shtml (s

lide 3 temperature and precipitation chart)

http://www.tropical-rainforest-facts.com/Tropical-Rainforest-Plant-Facts/Bromeliad-

Facts.shtml (slide 4 – picture 1)

http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/plants/orchids.html (Slide 4

– picture 2)

http://www.westfield.ma.edu/personalpages/draker/edcom/final/webprojects/sp11/triparoundworld

/Rainforest.html (Slide 4 – picture 3)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_(plant) (Slide 5 – picture 1)

https://turtleislandwaterlilies.com/shop/nymphaea-sunfire-exclusive-red-pink-hardy-waterlily/ (Slide

5 – picture 2)

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/various-tropical-rainforest-facts.php (Slide 11 -

Citing Sources https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/t/toco-toucan/ (Slide 6 – picture 1)

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/o/ocelot/ (Slide 6 – picture 2)

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/sloth/#sloth-beach-upside-down.jpg (Slide 6 –picture 3)

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/group/orangutans/ (Slide 7 –picture 1)

https://www.britannica.com/animal/caiman-reptile-group (Slide 7 – picture 2)

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140522104856.htm (Slide 8 – information and picture)

https://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/photos/mx/mx_1.htm (Slide 8 – wildfire picture)

https://brazildeforestation.weebly.com/competition.html (Slide 9 – picture 1)

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806141708.htm (Slide 9 – picture 2)

https://tropicalrainforest-brazil.weebly.com/botanist.html (Slide 9 – picture 3)

https://sciencing.com/animals-show-commensalism-rain-forest-6679573.html (Slide 10 –picture 1)

https://bit.ly/2HBRYvP: (Slide 10 – picture 2)

https://bit.ly/2I3fQbi (Slide 11 – information)