Transcript Tropical Rainforests - Montgomery County Schools

Tropical
Rainforests
By: Wade Craycraft and Matt
Tuttle
Where?
• Tropical rainforests primarily exist in South America, Africa,
and southeast Asia.
Climate
• Most tropical rainforests are located near the equator, and
they receive about 12 hours of sunlight per day.
• Rainforests, depending on their location, receive between
60-260 inches per year. This is most of any other biome.
Rainforest experience rainfall almost every day.
• Temperature rarely drops below 68 degrees F, or surpasses
93 degrees.
• Humidity is usually between 77-88 percent.
• Rainforests act as the world’s thermostat, regulating
temperatures and weather patterns.
Climatogram
Layers in Tropical
Rainforests
• There are 4 different layers in rainforests.
• The top layer, known as the emergent layer, consists of the tops of
the tallest trees that rise above the rest of the forest. These trees
get lots of sunlight and protect the layers below.
• The next layer is the canopy. This layer consists of the crowns of
the other taller trees, and blocks most of the sunlight from
reaching the lower layers.
• The next level, referred to as the “understory”, consists of small
trees, bushes, and plants that require almost no sunlight to
survive.
• The last layer, the forest floor, receives less than 2% of the
sunlight. On the floor is a thin layer of fallen leaves, seeds, fruits,
and branches that decompose very quickly.
Producers
• Kapok Tree -
The kapok tree is found in tropical rainforests all over
the world. It is an emergent tree, reaching 150 feet or higher, with a
straight trunk, huge buttress roots and an umbrella shaped crown. Many
species of birds and animals make their home in the kapok's branches.
• Rattan-
Rattan is a woody vine, a species of liana, that grows up
from the forest floor, using trees as support to reach the upper layers of
the rainforest to get more sunlight. Some lianas are as large in diameter
as trees, and thousands of feet long. Rattan is used to make rope and
furniture.
Genghis Tree- Genghis trees average a height of around 80 feet tall. The trunk of
the Genghis Tree is about 15 feet in diameter. Genghis Tree usually averages a lifespan of about 75 years. The leaves that fall from these types of trees provide food
for the animals that live here.
Bananas- Even though they
grow on trees, bananas are not
trees. They are giant herbs.
After a year, they reach their
full height of anywhere
between 10 and 20 feet. The
blossoms eventually bloom
into a fruit, and can be eaten.
Coffee- It can grow as tall as 30 feet, but is considered a bush or shrub.
From the picture they look like grapes, but those are berries containing
two coffee beans inside. It takes six to eight years for the plant to be in
full production and coffee plants can live up to 100 years old.
Consumers
Poison Arrow Frog-
Poison-arrow frogs are found in all tropical
rainforests in Central and South America. They are known by their bright colors which warn other
animals that they are poisonous. Its poison is one of the most powerful known and can cause paralysis
or death. It is so potent that one millionth of an ounce can kill a dog and an amount smaller than a
grain of salt can kill a human. One frog carries enough poison to kill about 100 people. Native hunters
use it on the tips of their arrows which is how the frog got its name. They eat insects and plants, such
as small beetles and leaves off of trees.
Toucans- There are about 40 different kinds of
toucans. They vary in size from about 7 inches
to a little over two feet. They are found in the
rainforests of Central and South America. The
toucan is very important to the rainforest
because they help to disperse seeds from the
fruits and berries they eat.
Capuchin Monkey- Capuchin monkeys live in the rainforest of Peru. They
are highly arboreal, meaning they live mostly in the trees of the upper
canopy. Their diet consists not just of fruit and insects, but also bird eggs,
young birds, baby squirrels, and small lizards. (pictured on the left)
Squirrel Monkeys- Squirrel Monkeys are some of the most commonly seen
monkeys in the Central American rainforest's. Your average squirrel monkey
lives about 30 meters off the ground in virgin and secondary forests and in
cultivated areas, usually along rivers and streams. This allows them access to
their favorite foods. A spider monkey's diet includes insects, spiders, bird
eggs, young birds, fruit and nuts. About 90% of their diet is composed of
soft, tropical fruits. (pictured on the right)
Sloths-
Sloths live in the rainforest of Central and South America.
The sloth is the slowest mammal on Earth. It takes a month for a sloth to
move 1 kilometer. Sloths are arboreal animals, which means that they spend
most of their lives hanging upside-down from tree branches. They eat, sleep,
mate, and give birth upside-down in the trees. They hold onto tree branches
with strong, curved claws that are on each of their four feet. Sloths are
herbivores. They eat leaves, tender young trees, and fruit.
Human Impact on Tropical
Rainforests
• Humans have many impacts on Tropical Rainforest. One
and a half acres of these rainforests are destroyed every
second (about 72 million acres per year) due to human
activities. The role of humans in the deforestation of the
world's forests is considerable and extensive. Many
activities contribute to this loss including subsistence
activities, oil extraction, logging, mining, fires, war,
commercial agriculture, cattle ranching, hydroelectric
projects, pollution, hunting and poaching, the collection of
fuel wood and building material, and road construction.
What is being done to protect
rainforests?
• Many countries have seen the destruction of rainforests.
Many countries have created their own
agencies/organizations to protect their sacred rainforests.
Some conservation organizations are promoting tree
planting to replace the trees that have been cut down.
There are others as well promoting to stop deforestation all
over the world.
Sources
www.wikipedia.com
www.nature.org
www.pandora.org
www.blueplanetbiomes.com