Transcript The Rainforest - Ms Sheehan`s Website

THE
RAINFORESTS
WHERE CAN YOU FIND THE
RAINFOREST
Tropical Rainforests are
found
close to The Equator ,The
Equator is a imaginary line
around the earth, half way
between the north and
south
poles while Temperate
Rainforests are found
along
Coats in the temperate
zone.
EMERGENT LAYER
The tallest trees are the emergent's, towering as much as
200 feet above the forest floor with trunks that measure up
to 16 feet around. Most of these trees are broad-leaved,
hardwood evergreens. Sunlight is plentiful up here. Animals
found are eagles, monkeys, bats and butterflies
CANOPY LAYER
UNDERSTORY LAYER
This is the primary layer of the forest and forms a roof
over the two remaining layers. Most canopy trees have
smooth, oval leaves that come to a point. It's a maze of
leaves and branches. Many animals live in this area since
food is abundant. Those animals include: snakes, toucans
and tree frogs.
Little sunshine reaches this area so the plants have
to grow larger leaves to reach the sunlight. The
plants in this area seldom grow to 12 feet. Many
animals live here including jaguars, red-eyed tree
frogs and leopards. There is a large concentration of
insects here.
FOREST FLOOR
It's very dark down here. Almost no plants grow in
this area, as a result. Since hardly any sun
reaches the forest floor things begin to decay
quickly. A leaf that might take one year to
decompose in a regular climate will disappear in 6
weeks. Giant anteaters live in this layer.
TRIBES
We often overlook the millions of people that live in
the rainforests. Did you know that there are
about 50,000,000 tribal people living in world's
rainforests? These people depend on the forests
for their food and shelter. As we cut more and
more trees and destroy more and more of the
forests, we are also killing people. Many native
tribes have been exterminated already because
their governments failed to protect them from
logging companies, the mining companies and the
slash and
burn farmers.
TRIBES
The Hula
The Hula are one of the many tribes that
live in the remote highland forests of Papua
New Guinea. They live by hunting,
gathering plants and growing crops. Men
and women live separately, in large group
houses. The men decorate their bodies with
coloured clay and wear elaborate
headdresses for ceremonies.
TRIBES
The Panorama
One of the largest groups of Amerindian
people in South America is the
Panorama. Their village life is cantered
around the yank, or communal house. The
yank is a large, circular building constructed
of vine and leaf thatch, which has a living
space in the middle. This picture shows
Panorama men eating a meal.
HOW TO SAVE THE
RAINFOREST
Rainforests are disappearing
very quickly. The good news
is
there are a lot of people who
want to save rainforests. The
bad news is that saving
rainforests is not going to be
say. It will take the efforts
of many people working
together in order to ensure
that rainforests and their
wildlife will survive for your
children to appreciate, enjoy
, and benefit from.
There are over 5.6
million animals living
in the rainforest .And
more than half are
endangered species .
The lost of these
animals is cause by
people cutting down
to make space for
farm land.
SPIDER MONKEYS
•
. Spider monkeys are found in the
tropical rainforests of Central and
South America, as well as in
regions as far north as Mexico.
They dwell in the evergreen
rainforests, mangrove forests and
even lowland to mountain forests.
These monkeys prefer wet forests
rather than dry regions and are
mostly found living in the upper
canopy, almost never coming near
the ground. The spider monkey is
considered to be a primitive new
world monkey, which means they
originated in the North or South
America. They have less complex
brain, unopposable thumbs, wide
apart nostrils, feet with big toes
and small heads. They have slender
bodies (weigh about 20 pounds),
hands and limbs and depend highly
on their keen binocular vision.
Before heading to the interesting
spider monkey facts, let us check
out the scientific classification of
ANACONDAS
An anaconda kills its prey by coiling its
muscular body around the creature
and squeezing until the can no
longer breathe. Jaws attached by
stretchy ligaments allow the to
swallow its whole, no matter the
size. Anacondas can go weeks or
months without eating after a big
meal. Anacondas like to be in or
near water, and they are excellent
swimmers. Their eyes and nostrils
are on top of their heads, so they
can keep their body hidden
underwater as they wait for
. Humans are the anaconda’s most
dangerous . In many parts of South
America, they are hunted, both
legally and illegally for their skin
and for sale in the illegal pet trade.
Often, these snakes are killed just
because people fear and dislike
them.
RAINFOREST PLANTS
• There is a fantastic variety of rain forest plant life. A typical 10km
square area contains 1,500 kinds of flowering plants and 750 tree
species. These plants form a system of layers. The top layer
consists of giant trees up to 75 metres tall that tower over the rest of
the forest.
• Canopy Trees, 20 to 30 metres tall, form the next layer. Shrubs and
young trees make up the under layer, whilst the last layer is the
forest floor itself. Ferns, herbs and seedlings that need little sunlight
for growth are found in this bottom layer. Small plants called
epiphytes that need more sunlight attach themselves to the trunks
and branches of the canopy trees. They never touch the ground, but
their aerial roots absorb water from the moist air. Vines that have
roots in the ground climb trees of the top layer to obtain the sunlight
they require.
• Most tropical rain forest plants are exotic and very beautiful. Orchids
and bromeliads for example are found throughout the canopy and
under-story. The flowering Rafflesia arnoldi which grows on the
forest floor has the largest flower in the world measuring up to 1
metre across. Unfortunately it smells like rotting meat! How ever the
odour attracts flies which carry out the necessary pollination.
RAINFOREST PLANTS
• The huge top layer trees are also quite strange. Many of them have
huge base fins known as buttresses, which help support them in the
poor soil, and prevent them being blown over by the high winds that
can accompany the monsoon. Other trees send their roots down
from their branches to provide extra support. Many trees have also
evolved protection from leaf eating insects and animals, as they
produce disagreeable chemicals in their leaves making them
unpalatable. Others grow spines on their trunks and branches
making it hard for animals to reach their leaves. Some have hollows
in their branches for ants to nest in, and they return the favour by
attacking those insects and vines that can harm the tree.
• Many rainforest plants are very useful. Food such as pineapple,
banana, grapefruit, avocado and coconut originated there, as did
many spices like chocolate, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, black
pepper, ginger and paprika. Chicle, (chewing gum) as well as
bamboo and balsa wood also come from the rainforest.
WATER LILIES
Water lilies are the world's largest flowers.
Water lilies can reach up to 6 feet wide.
They are found in lakes or rivers, in calm
water. Water lilies are lightweight and float
on the top of the water. They can hold a
small child, and are pollinated by a beetle
that is attracted to the fragrance. Water
lilies are used as food for many
invertebrates, including insect larvae,
worms and crustaceans.
ORCHIDS
More than 230 orchid species are located in
Queensland rainforests of Australia. They
grow on trees, on rocks and in the ground,
and some do not require sunlight to grow
and thrive. They rely on fungi and are
pollinated by animals and the wind.
Insects are also attracted to the fragrance
of the orchids. Many people collect and
propagate orchids.
BIRD OF PARADISE FLOWER
Bird of paradise is found in the South African
rainforests. The bird of paradise is related
to the banana plant, and is 3 to 5 feet tall.
Although the bird of paradise cannot
tolerate prolonged freezing temperatures, it
can tolerate temperatures as low as 24
degrees Fahrenheit for brief periods of
time. The plant is an evergreen in the
rainforest, and it blooms nearly all year.
Bird of paradise is popular in gardens and as
a cut flower.
I learned a lot from
doing this project and
I hope you all did too .
Also a big thank you
to Ms.Sheehan for all
of her help and
assistance .