Transcript Tropical Rainforest Vacation - Mercer Island School District

Tropical Rainforest
Vacation
Your life-long dream!
Toucan Tours
Tropical Rainforest Location
Features of Tropical Rainforest
4 Layers of Rainforest:
Emergent Layer- trees that are wide apart and range from 100-200 ft tall
Canopy Layer - The many leaves of the canopy attracts more sunlight for
photosynthesis which provides fruits, seeds, flowers, and leaves which
supports a wide number of different animal life
Understory - The huge broad leaves in the understory captures the light making
it humid and dark which habitats a large amount of insect life.
Forest Floor - Decomposition occurs on the forest floor and is home to
thousands of plants and animals
Soil - very low in nutrients
Climate
Average of 64F all year round
Yearly rainfall between 70-80 in.
Seasonal Information
Each different rainforest location has a different "dry
season" and a "rainy season". There are periods of time
when the rainfall is more than other times. Your prime time
to visit the rainforest is right after the "rainy season". At this
time the foliage is more beautiful than ever and there will
be more time to take in the awesome scenery.
Unique Features
● Home to tribal cultures that have survived successfully
in the forests for thousands of years
● 25% of the medicines come from TR- as well as
potential medical plants
● Provides 40% of the oxygen on Earth
● One of the oldest biomes, around since dinosaurs
● Bird poop grows into new plants!
● Home to many cooking spices such as vanilla, allspice,
and black pepper
Plants of the Rainforest
●
●
●
●
Home to over ⅔ of the world’s plant species
Provide shelter for animals as well as oxygen
Plants that need a warm, humid environment
Competition at ground level for light and food has led
evolution to create plants that survive on the branches
of other plants
● Some plants use air as to gather nourishment, which is
possible due to the high humidity of the rainforests
Orchids
● Most abundant and varied of
flowering plant families
● Over 20,000 known species
● Some grow on the ground, but most are
epiphytes, which grow non-parasitically on
trees
● r strategists
Animals of the Rainforest
● Home to over ½ of the world’s animals
● Consist of insects, worms, reptiles, amphibians, birds,
and mammals
● Different animals live in different levels, such as birds
live in the canopy, and larger animals live on the forest
floor
● Many animals are endangered or have become extinct
due to mass amounts of deforestation
● More herbivores than carnivores
● Insects are the most common
Sloths
● Extremely slow moving animals that
can be found in the canopies of
the rainforests in Central and South
America that consist of 2 species
● Need little food and can stay in one tree
for up to 30 years
● Nocturnal, sleep upside down in a ball
● K strategists
Tourist Activities
Sightseeing: See some of the 250 different species of
mammals, 2000 species of fish, and 1000 different
birds!
Amazon River Adventure: Go for a canoe ride down
a small river and see the scenery of a lifetime!
If you still have the energy for more afterwards, check
out our website and see many other options!
Environmental Issue
● Deforestation
o Decreasing biodiversity and habitat
o
o
Decreasing quality of life for animals
More CO2
-Increasingly developed (less nature)
-Reduced water cycling
References
http://jeremyb.webnode.com/physical-features/
http://www.ariautowers.com/html/manaus-brazil-our-neighborhood.asp
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/amazon/problems/