Tropical Rain Forest
By: Jaron Longo
Climate of the Tropical Rainforest
- Each year it receives around 250 centimeter of rainfall
- The climate is found near the equator
- The average temperature is 77 degrees fahrenheit
- The rain forest is usually the same temperature year round( the low is 64 degrees Fahrenheit)
Tropical Rainforest Locations
- Mostly in Northern South America, Central Africa and Malasia
Animals Living in the Tropical Rainforest
-The rainforest contains a large amount of producer to support many levels of consumers
- Many chaachteristics of animals in the rainforest are:
a) Adaptions to life in trees
b) Loud voices and sounds
c) Diet heavy on fruit
d) Bright colors and sharp patterns of skin
e) adapted to eating specific animals and plants that no animals or few animals eat
- Many animals have adapted over the years to rainforest physically and mentally
Ex: Parrots and toucans have adapted strong beacks to crush and eat nuts
The Stratas of the Rainforest
1) Emergent
2)Canopy
3)Understory
4)Forest Floor
Rainforest food chain (Basic)
Rain forest Animal
- Competition and Cooperation
a) Many animals can work well together in the rain forest
Ex: Trees drop many seeds and nuts for other animals to eat many of these animals travel farther tan any tree could drop their seed to other places so not this specific tree is only in one area
b)Many animals fight for a specific resource
Ex: many monkeys fight over specific trees for food and shelter, if a few monkeys don't have trees many predators on the floor can kill them.
Parrot eating Seed
Parrot traveling with seed in stomach
Parrot defecates seed into the rain forest away from mother tree
Two monkeys fight over a tree to sleep and eat from
One monkey is excluded and must sleep on the floor
Monkey faces predators and is eaten
Predator and Prey in the rainforest
- the rainforest contains a large amount of producers so there is enough energy to go around
- Examples:
1) the capybara is a large rodent that lives near the water while it's predator the anaconda lives in and near the water which makes this organism an easy way to consume energy
2) Many sloths are lazy and consume the leafs among the trees that they are living on to consume energy
3)The Ocelot is a nocturnal hunter and finds its food at night , while many small monkeys are sleeping the ocelot can attach them if they are low enough to the ground
4) The Jaguar is a large jungle cat that trys to attach and kill many different animals such as tapirs who can defend themselves by hiding in dirt and other places that contain the same color skin. The tapir also can communicate with other tapirs by whistling or warning others.
Plants
- They receive plenty of rainfall and sunlight for a great place to be as a plant
- Many plants have adapted to the rainforest and it hot and moist conditions and have special characteristics :
1) many trees do not have thick bark to slow down moisture loss and have smooth bark
2) Many vines and moss have grown onto many trees and plants
3) The leaves have adapted to cope with the large amount of rainfall and water
4) Leaves also have big, thick and waxy tips to have drip tips to let rain drop off easily
5) Many large trees have buttresses near their base, may be 10-12 meter until connecting with tree to allow the tree to gain more carbon dioxide and release more oxygen
6) Many trees have above ground roots called props
7) Some plants are carnivorous and can attract insects with great or terrible smelling nectar
Rainforest Concerns with Humans
- Rainforest used to contain 14% of the Earth but now only 6%, with this rate rainforest could be extinct soon forever
-Many wealthy countries demand wood to burn for many activities such as power plants, paper, farming for soil, and many more
- Solutions for these problems:
a) Instead of clearing out every tree in an area, cut down a select amount of trees in many areas which is more efficient because instead of just taking out one area you could take a little of one area and then go back there every time needing wood becuase more trees will grow
b) People who live near forest or who would work for the rainforest to collect the essentials in the rainforest instead of clear cutting it all to get the essentials
Endangered species
- Many animals are close to extinction in the rainforest:
1) Toucans and Parrots ar endangered animals because of many humans capturing them for pet sales. Many species are common but a few are facing extinction
2) Jaguars, the large jungle predator is endangered of extinction, many hunters are not allowed to kill jaguars because of the amount that has recently been done.
3) Chimpanzees are also endangered from commercial capturing, hunting and destruction of their habitats the chimpanzees are low on numbers.
Global Importance of The Tropical Rainforest
1) Medicine is used with many plants in the rainforest
2) Many different foods have come from the rainforest: coco, coffee, fruits, nut, spices and many more
3) the rainforest protects us from green ouse gases because the rainforest consumes a large amount of carbon dioxide
Resources
2) http://www.exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=2&detID=1219
3) http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/biomerainfor3.htm
5) http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/rainforest-threats/
6) http://www.lizasreef.com/HOPE%20FOR%20THE%20RAIN%20FORESTS/endangered_rain_forest_animals.htm
7) http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/good_wood/the_imp.htm
8) http://cnx.org/content/m44449/latest/Figure_08_03_04.jpg