Tropical Rainforest
Ryan Scheetz, Tyler Briscoe, Anna Kim, Taylor Wall
Come Down to the Tropical Rainforest
Animals
Here in the Amazon Rainforest you are bound to see many exotic creatures. Here's a list of information to inform you on some of the creatures that you might see.
GOLIATH BIRDWING BUTTERFLY:
The Goliath Birdwing Butterfly is the second largest butterfly in the world. it comes in many colors but green is very common because it is poisonous. the Goliath Birdwing butterfly has a wingspan of 11 inches or 28 cm. this animal is found in the Indonesia family of the Tropical Rainforest. the Goliath butterfly is found in the tropical rainforest because of its way to adapt to its surroundings. the green luscious trees of the canopy provide the perfect camouflage to hide from predators. This animal will be found around the canopy or understory level of the rainforest.
Frilled Lizard:
The Frilled Lizard is native to New Guinea and North Australia. The frilled Lizard as an adult is up to 8 inches in length and it's frill is 7-14 inches long. The Frilled Lizard is known as "one of the worlds biggest lies" because of the equipment that it has, it has a big bright colored frill to look poisonous and to make its mass look bigger than the predator and the ability to run on two feet to escape the predator. this Lizard of mysteries also can run on water if threatened. the Frilled Lizard eats cicadas, ants, spiders and smaller lizards. This animal is seen in the Tropical Rainforest because of its skills and stratagems for survival.
Nile Crocodile:
The Nile crocodile lives in africa in the Nile river which is a saltwater river.The Nile Crocodile eats most of its diet consisting of fish and mammals. The average adult Nile Crocodile weighs 410 kg or 900 lb. The nile crocodile is a very aggressive reptile that is capable of taking any animal within its range of size. The Nile Crocodile is an ambush predator which means that it waits in the water for an animal to get a drink and when its at the right time it attacks. The Nile Crocodile is at the top of the food chain with the Tiger. The African predator lives in the salt water on the Forest Floor. The Forest provides a perfect environment for the Nile Crocodile because it has tons of animals living there for it to prey on and the streams and rivers going through the Forest like a maze is perfect for the Nile crocodile to travel. The Nile Crocodile has 66 teeth and a length of up to 13 feet.
Bengal Tiger:
The Bengal Tiger can be found in Southeast Asia in parts of China, Bangladesh and Indonesia as well as other southeast Asian countries. The Bengal Tiger’s diet consists of antelopes, boars, monkeys, pigs, and birds. The Bengal Tiger plays a critical part in the Tropical Rainforest by being the top of the food chain and keeping all animals in order. The Bengal Tiger’s black stripes provide excellent camouflage by throwing off the other animals with the confusing pattern. Bengal tigers weigh in at about 400-600 lbs, and are around 5-10 ft. in length. The Bengal tiger is a critical animal to keep all other animals in order in the food chain. The Bengal Tiger lives on the forest floor.
Other Animals that could be seen in the Tropical Rainforest:
Tarantula
Tarsier
Toad
Toucan
Scarlet Macaw
red eyed tree frg
monkeys
ocelot
owl
poison arrow frog
rainbow lorikeet
Lepord
Komodo Dragon
Kakapo
Gray Parrot
Levels of Tropical Rain Forest:
Emergent Layer
Canopy Layer
Under Story
Forest Floor
Plants
There is a wide range of exotic plants in the Amazon Rainforest.
There are 4 layers of trees in the tropical rainforest, emergent, upper canopy, understory, and forest floor.
Emergent trees are spaced wide apart. They are 100 to 240 feet tall with umbrella-shaped canopies that grow above the forest. They have small, pointed leaves, because they are exposed to drying winds. Emergent trees have straight, smooth trunks with few branches. They have a shallow root system, and they support their size by growing buttresses.
The upper canopy has trees that are 60 to 130 feet tall that allow light to be available, but reduces any light below it. Most of the rainforest's animals live here.
The understory consists of trees that are 60 feet tall. This layer is made up of the trunks of the canopy trees, shrubs, plants, and small trees. This level is in constant shade.
The forest floor is usually completely shaded. Most areas of the forest floor receive so little sunlight, that few bushes or herbs can grow there. Less than 1 % of the light that strikes the top of the forest reaches the forest floor. The soil is very thin.
The trees give off water through the pores in their leaves. This process is called transpiration. It can account for as much as half of the tropical rainforest's precipitation.
Plants have made many adaptations. With so much rain, plants have made adaptations that help them shed off water so that their branches do not get weighed down and break. Plants have grooved leaves and some have oily coatings to shed water. To absorb sunlight, plants on the understory have very large leaves. Some plants have leaf stalks that turn with the motion of the sun. Leaves in the upper canopy are dark green, small, and leathery to reduce water loss in the strong sunlight. Some trees grow in the upper canopy on larger trees to receive sunlight. These are epiphytes such as bromeliads. Many trees have buttresses and slit roots for extra support in the shallow soil.
Over 2,500 species of vines grow in the rainforest. Lianas start off as small shrubs that grow on the forest floor. To reach sunlight, it grabs sapling trees. The liana and the tree grow together to reach the canopy. The vines grow from one tree to another to make up 40% of the canopy leaves. The rattan vine has spikes on one side of it's leaves that grab onto sapling trees.
Here are some plant species that are found in tropical rainforests around the world.
Bengal Bamboo
It can be found in the Southeast Asian rainforest. It can grow between 40 to 80 feet in height. Bengal Bamboo is important to it's environment. It can reduce soil erosion. Bengal Bamboo sucks up water from heavy rains that might cause flooding. It also provides shelter for many animals. A rainforest has plenty of water for this plant to grow. It adapts to its environment by growing fast so it gets a lot of rain and sunlight.
Bougainvillea
The bougainvillea plant grows in the Amazon Rainforest in South America. This plant can reach over 30 feet tall. The leaves are heart shaped. Bougainvillea has many adaptations to its climate and environment. It has many hooks so it can cling and hold onto other plants for support. It also had drip tips to shed water.
Jambu
Jambu is a fruit that grows from southern India to eastern Malaya. It grows on trees ranging from 10 to 20 feet tall. Animals, like monkeys, rely on Jambu for food.
Mangrove Forests
Mangrove forests are trees that grow where rainforest meets ocean. They protect the coastline and prevent erosion by collecting sediment from the rivers and streams, and by slowing down the flow of water. They have special roots that hold the trunk and leaves above the water. They also buttresses that support the weight of the tree.
Geography
Tropical Rainforests are found near the equator between the Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer. Humans impact the geography by cutting down trees (DEFORESTATION),
considered the "lungs of the Earth" because of the high amount of photosynthesis occurring in them.
The Amazon Rainforest is located in South America.
Weather
In tropical rainforests it reaches 20-25 degrees Celsius thorough out the year. There is an annual rainfall of 200mm. It is humid and has a lot of rainfall in the tropical rainforest. There is little air movement underneath the canopy because of the trees blocking the wind.
Fun Events
Night Walks
Many animals hide during the day, but at night the forest comes alive with animals. A hike through the rainforest at night is an opportunity to discover what happens at night in the Amazon Rainforest.
Observation Tower
A 100 foot tall tree tower gives a unique opportunity to view the Amazon Rainforest, that is very difficult to see.
Zip-lining
There are zip-lines in the Amazon Rainforest, that allow guests to soar rapidly through the tropical rainforest. Guests are hoisted one hundred feet above the ground, then are attached by a harness to soar through the rainforest.