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Are warm, wet forests with many tall trees. In most tropical rainforests, it rains every day. Tropical rainforests grow in a narrow zone near the equator. Rainforests are home to half of all the living animal and plant species

on the planet because rainforests are very old, some almost 100 million years old, About 10,000 years ago the ice caps at the poles spread out in an Ice Age, but the ice didn't reach the Equator so tropical rainforests survived

the "world's largest pharmacy" because over one-quarter of modern medicines originate from its plants.

Very poor and infertile Millions of years of weathering have washed most of the

nutrients out of the soil Plant life is so lush is because the plants store the nutrients

in themselves rather than getting them from the soil The topsoil is only one to two inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters)

deep.

The average rainforest is very moist Temperatures generally fall between 23 - 27 degrees C. Some rainforests only have two seasons: a dry and a wet season Rainforests are very humid. During the day and also during the night,

the humidity averages eighty percent, which keeps the rainforest warm. The higher a rainforest gets in altitude, the lower the temperatures get,

every 1,000 feet (300 meters) a rainforest goes up a mountain, the temperature drops about 3° F (1.7° C) cooler.

Rainfall tends to be highest near the equator.

at least 80 inches (2,000 mm), and in some areas over 430 inches (10,920 mm) of rain falls each year

During the parts of the year when less rain falls, the constant cloud cover is enough to keep the air moist and prevent plants from drying out

The rainforest is more than a million years old. It is the oldest biome. When the last Ice Age came, it covered most forests north of the equator in ice. The only vegetation that continued to grow was near the equator: the rainforests.

Tropical rainforests lie in the "tropics", between the Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer. In this region sunlight strikes Earth at roughly a 90-degree angle resulting in intense solar energy.

Rainforests are found in more than forty countries around the equator Central and South America Africa Southeast Asia Australia

Tropical rainforest is divided into four different layers, each with different plants, adapted for life in the particular area, where animals live.

Emergents are the tallest trees and are usually over 50 metres tall. The Kapok tree is an example of an emergent.

Canopy is the sea of leaves blocking out the sun from the lower layers. The canopy contains over 50% of the rainforest wildlife. This includes birds, snakes and monkeys. Lianas (vines) climb to the canopy to reach this sun light. The under canopy mainly contains bare tree trunks and lianas.

Shrub layer has the densest plant growth. It contains shrubs and ferns and other plants needing less light. Saplings of emergents and canopy trees can also be found here.

Forest floor is usually dark and damp. It contains a layer of rotting leaves and dead animals called litter. This decomposes rapidly (within 6 weeks) to form a thin humus, rich in nutrients.

Common Names: Spineless Indian Bamboo, Calcutta CaneGenus: BambusaSpecies: tulda

This particular bamboo can grow anywhere between 40 feet and 80 feet in height. It is approximately 3 inches in diameter at maturity.

Bamboo is not a tree or a shrub, it is a grass. It is the largest grass. It is very fast growing. In two to three months it is full grown. The culms or stems never get thicker after they are full grown. They only flower once in their lifetime and die after they bloom. This species life span is 25 to 40 years.

Genus: BougainvilleaSpecies: spectabilis

The bougainvillea plant grows in the biome of the Amazon rainforest in South America

The bougainvillea plant grows in the biome of the Amazon rainforest in South America.

The plant can reach over thirty feet. It can either be vines, trees, or shrubs with sharp thorns. The leaves of the bougainvillea are shaped like little hearts with drip tips at the ends.

The root system of the bougainvillea is very fragile and doesn't form a good firm root ball.

Bougainvillea has many adaptations to its climate and environment. It has many hooks so it can cling and hold onto other plants for support.

Common Names: Curare, Grieswurzel, Pareira Brava, Pareira, Vigne SauvageGenus: ChondrodendronSpecies: tomentosumParts Used: Leaf, Root

Curare grows as a large liana, or vine, found in the canopy of the South American rainforest. The vine may get as thick as 4 inches in diameter at its base.

It has large alternate, heart-shaped leaves. Some Indians of South America crush and cook the roots and stems, and add

other plants and venomous animals, mixing it until it becomes a light syrup. They call this mixture "ampi", or "curaré", which they use on the tip of their arrows and darts to hunt wild game.

The name comes from Indian word meaning "poison." The active ingredient in "curaré", D-tubocurarine, is used in medicine.

Common Names: Kapok, Ceiba, Silk-cotton treeGenus: CeibaSpecies: pentandra

It can grow to a height of 150 feet or more, towering over other trees in the rainforest

Many plants and animals grow and live in the branches of the kapok tree. Birds nest in it, and mammals use the huge branches as highways. Frogs breed in the pools of water that collect in the bromeliads.

They allow animals to move around the rainforest without coming down to the ground.

In many places the straight trunks of the kapok tree are used to make dugout canoes. Since it is buoyant and water resistant it is often used in flotation devices and padding. The seeds, leaves, bark and resin have been used to treat dysentery, fever, asthma, and kidney disease.

Common Names: Banyan TreeGenus: Ficus

Hundreds of animals like pigeons, parrots, hornbills, toucans, monkeys, gibbons, and fruit-eating bats, feed on the sweet fruit of the fig tree.

Figs are considered a "keystone" species because they are so important to the animals of the rainforest. This is so because figs bear fruit several times a year.

In some forests up to 70% of its animal's diets depend on figs, and the number of fruit-eaters determines the number of predators of fruit-eaters.

Strangler figs are tall canopy trees which can grow to 148 feet in height.

Capybaras are the largest rodents and are found in swamps, marshes and near rivers and lakes in Central and South America.

They are found in large groups and are excellent swimmers. They mainly feed on aquatic plants, tree barks and fruits. They have barrel-shaped bodies with brownish fur and webbed feet to

help them swim. They are preyed upon by jaguars, anacondas, harpy eagles, etc.

Golden lion tamarins are primates of the size of a squirrel, with a golden silky mane like that of a lion.

They are arboreal, they live in families and are mainly found in the tropical rainforests of Brazil in South America.

Golden lion tamarins mainly feed on insects, fruits and small birds. They have very strong legs with long, sharp claws that enable them to

dig out insects from tree barks. They have been declared endangered due to the vast destruction of

their habitats and also because they are poached for their golden silky mane.

Jaguars are species of wild cats found in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America.

They prefer living in habitats that have water sources and they are good swimmers.

They prey on capybaras, turtles, birds and reptiles. Jaguars are nocturnal animals with strong physical features like short

limbs and an extremely strong jaw with long and sharp canine teeth. Jaguars are declared as endangered owing to their hunting and

considerable loss of habitat.

Orangutans, the largest of the great apes, are most abundant in the Southeast Asian tropical rainforests. They are arboreal (live in trees) and spend most of their lives on trees.

They have a strong bulky body, strong arms and short legs and are reddish-brown in color.

Their diet includes ripe fruits, leaves, flowers, vines, orchids, etc. Tropical rainforests offer the climate that is best suited to orangutans. In Malay, orangutan means 'man of the forest'.

Monarch butterflies are a species of poisonous butterflies that feed on the milkweed plant.

They are mainly found in North America. They appear beautiful and have bright-colored scaly wings. Their predators fall sick if they eat them due to the poison and hence,

avoid preying on them.

The anaconda, also known as the water boa, is the largest snake in the world and is mostly found in marshes and swamps.

It is not venomous and it swallows its prey. It is a good climber and can go without food for almost a year after

feeding on a big prey. It mostly hunts at night and kills its prey by constricting. It feeds on rodents, pigs, deer, birds, fish, etc.

Poison dart frogs are brightly colored frogs found in the tropical rainforests of South and Central America.

They have a poisonous skin and the poison is used on the tips of darts and arrows for hunting.

The poison also works on their predators. They feed on small insects like spiders, ants and flies.