Transcript Tropical Rainforest

By: Michael Anaya & Emanoel Lorenzzutti
Forest of tall
trees that is
hot all year
around and
gets about 50
to 260 in. of
rainfall a
year.
Brazil Nut Tree
 Famous for reaching heights of over
160 feet, the Brazil nut tree towers
above other trees in the Amazon
rainforest. During January and
February, its fruit -- which is the size
of a baseball and can weigh up to 5
pounds -- ripens and falls to the
ground, reaching speeds of up to 50
mph on its descent. Inside the fruits’
hard, woody exterior are anywhere
from 10 to 21 nuts arranged in a
pattern similar to segments of an
orange. The outer casing of the fruit
is so hard that only one known
animal -- the agoutis, a large rodent
with sharp, chisel-like teeth -- can
crack it open. In just one year, a
Brazil nut tree can produce some
250 pounds of nuts.
Bambusa Tulda
 The Bambusa tulda can be
found in the biome of the
Southeast Asian rainforest.
It often grows as an
undergrowth scattered or
in patches in the forest. It
does very well in a moist
environment with a lot of
rainfall. It likes
temperatures between 40
degrees Fahrenheit and 100
degrees Fahrenheit.
Rainforests get around 100
inches of rain per year.
Coconut Tree
 People associate the coconut
palm with relaxation and
shade looking out over the
sea to the horizon similiar tall
trees grow to be 50-80 feet.
There are many varieties of
coconut trees. The smallest is
called the Dwarf palm. They
all have a tall graceful trunks
topped by a crown light
feathery leaves that are 15-17
feet long. The leaves are a
yellow greenish color. The
trucks are light gray.
Figs
 Figs are one of the most
important plant species of a
rainforest ecosystem. There
are close to 1,000 different
species of Ficus, which can be
found in every major
rainforest, tropical continent
and islands around the world.
Hundreds of animals like
pigeons, parrots, hornbills,
toucans, monkeys, gibbons,
and fruit-eating bats, feed on
the sweet fruit of the fig tree.
Curare
 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 which may be 4-8 inches
long and almost as wide, with a
2-6 inches long petiole. The
leaves are smooth on top with a
hairy white bottom, and deeply
indented veins radiating from
the leaf base. Clusters of small
(1/16-1/8 inches), greenish-white
flowers are made up of separate
male and female flowers
Elephant
 Elephants are large mammals of
the family Elephantidae and the
order Proboscidea. Traditionally,
two species are recognised, the
African elephant (Loxodonta
africana) and the Asian elephant
(Elephas maximus), although some
evidence suggests that African bush
elephants and African forest
elephants are separate species (L.
africana and L. cyclotis
respectively). Elephants are
scattered throughout sub-Saharan
Africa, and South and Southeast
Asia. They are the only surviving
proboscideans; extinct species
include mammoths and mastodons
Gorilla
 Gorillas constitute the
eponymous genus Gorilla, the
largest extant genus of primates
by size. They are grounddwelling, predominantly
herbivorous apes that inhabit
the forests of central Africa. The
genus is divided into two species
and either four or five
subspecies. The DNA of gorillas
is highly similar to that of a
human, from 95–99%
depending on what is counted,
and they are the next closest
living relatives to humans after
the bonobo and common
chimpanzee
Capybara
 The capybara (Hydrochoerus
hydrochaeris) is the largest rodent in
the world, followed by the beaver,
porcupine, and mara. Its closest
relatives are guinea pigs and rock
cavies, and is more distantly related
to the agouti, chinchillas, and the
coypu Native to South America, the
capybara inhabits savannas and
dense forests and lives near bodies
of water. It is a highly social species
and can be found in groups as large
as 100 individuals, but usually lives
in groups of 10–20 individuals. The
capybara is not a threatened species,
though it is hunted for its meat and
hide and also for a grease from its
thick fatty skin which is used in the
pharmaceutical trade.
Kinkajou
 The Kinkajou (Potos flavus) is a
rainforest mammal of the family
Procyonidae related to olingos,
coatis, raccoons, and the ringtail
and cacomistle. It is the only
member of the genus Potos and is
also known as the "honey bear" (a
name that it shares with the sun
bear). Kinkajous may be mistaken
for ferrets or monkeys, but are not
closely related to either. Native to
Central America and South
America, this mostly frugivorous,
arboreal mammal is not an
endangered species, though it is
seldom seen by people because of
its strict nocturnal habits.
Okapi
 The Okapi is a giraffid
artiodactyl mammal
native to the Ituri
Rainforest, located in the
northeast of the
Democratic Republic of
the Congo, in Central
Africa. Although the
okapi bears striped
markings reminiscent of
zebras, it is most closely
related to the giraffe.
Predator/Prey
 The Anaconda and Capybara are an example of
predator-prey relationships in the tropical rainforest.
Parasitism
 Rafflesia arnoldii is an example of Parasitism in the
tropical rainforest.
Competition
 Monkeys compete for their fruits. It’s an example of
Competition in the Tropical Rainforest
Mutualism
 Fungi and Ants are a example of Mutualism in the
Tropical Rainforest.
Tigers
The tiger is the biggest cat species and is close to
extinction. They are at the top of the food chain in the
rainforest.
Jaguar
The jaguar is the third biggest cat in the world and
it is at the top of the food chain. It’s spots give it great
camouflage in the thick jungle.
Mongoose
A mongoose is a small carnivores animal that
feeds on small rodents, insects, and even some
venomous snakes. It is an introduced species. That
means they are not indigenous to the area they live in.
Hawk
The hawk is a large predatory bird that will eat
mainly small mammals but will eat other birds and
insects.
Anaconda
The anaconda snake is a very large, nonvenomous snake that constricts or squeezes its pray to
death. It eats many kinds of animals as long as it can
wrap itself around its pray and then swallow it whole.
Benefits of The Rainforest
The tropical rainforest is the biggest producer of
oxygen. It recycles CO2. There are 3000 fruits in the
rainforest. Plants can help fight cancer cells and it also
holds 1/5 of the worlds fresh water. The rainforest helps
us in our daily lives and can even save our lives.
Wetland
The tropical rainforest is a type of wetland
because it has lakes, ponds, and rivers so the soil around
it is very saturated with water. We can preserve these
wetlands by not disturbing them. If we must disturb
them then do as little damage as possible. Create board
walks or docks across the wetland.
Rainfall
 In general, climatic patterns consist of warm temperatures and
high annual rainfall. However, the abundance of rainfall changes
throughout the year creating distinct wet and dry seasons.
Rainforests are classified by the amount of rainfall received each
year, which has allowed ecologists to define differences in these
forests that look so similar in structure. According to Holdridge’s
classification of tropical ecosystems, true tropical rainforests
have an annual rainfall greater than 800 cm and annual
temperature greater than 24 degrees Celsius. However, most
lowland tropical rainforests can be classified as tropical moist or
wet forests, which differ in regards to rainfall. Tropical rainforest
ecology- dynamics, composition, and function- are sensitive to
changes in climate especially changes in rainfall.
Benefits
 Tropical rainforests are among the most threatened
ecosystems globally due to large-scale fragmentation
due to human activity. Habitat fragmentation caused
by geological processes such as volcanism and climate
change occurred in the past, and have been identified
as important drivers of speciation. However, fast
human driven habitat destruction is suspected to be
one of the major causes of species extinction. Tropical
rain forests have been subjected to heavy logging and
agricultural clearance throughout the 20th century,
and the area covered by rainforests around the world is
rapidly shrinking.
Preservation
 Efforts to protect and conserve tropical rainforest
habitats are diverse and widespread. Tropical
rainforest conservation ranges from strict preservation
of habitat to finding sustainable management
techniques for people living in tropical rainforests.
International policy has also introduced a market
incentive program called Reducing Emissions from
Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) for
companies and governments to outset their carbon
emissions through financial investments into
rainforest conservation
Ecological Pyramid
Tiger, Jaguar
Anaconda
Mongoose, Hawks
Capybara, Gorilla, Elephent, Okapi, Kinkajou
Fig trees, Coconut trees, Bombusa Tulda, Curare, Brazil nut tree
Food Web
Anaconda
Tiger
Hawk
Okapi
Elephant
Brazil Nut Tree