Transcript Rain forest

What makes up a tropical rain forest?
Why are rain forests important?
What problems are there for the rain
forest?
What is our responsibility to the rain
forest?
This power point was done using many different
sources as well as personal pictures and
information.
The following were really helpful:
Enchanted Learning
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum
Virtual field trips done by Gerald R. Urquhart
A power point by Paula Weigelt
Jungle photos
Tropical rain forests receive more than 80 inches of rain a
year. Some rain forests can receive as much as 200-400 inches
of rain a year! These forests also have large amounts of
humidity, or water vapor in the air.
Temperate rain forests are forests that
have very distinct seasons and a more
moderate climate. Rain occurs evenly
throughout the whole year.
Tropical
Temperate
•200”-400” rain per year
•100” of rain per year
•broadleaf on trees
•needle leaves on trees
•hundreds of species of trees
•10 - 20 species of trees
•temperature constant
around 75ºF
•temperature average 60ºF
•endangered
•endangered
The climate of a
tropical rain
forest is very hot
and humid so the
animals and
plants that exist
there must learn
to adapt.
Where are tropical rainforests
located?
The Amazon Rain Forest is
the world's largest tropical
rain forest and covers more
than half of Brazil. The 2.5
million square miles of the
Amazon Basin is home to 500
mammals, 175 different
lizards, 300 other reptile
species,tree climbers of
every kind, and a third of the
world's birds. There are
millions of species that
remain undiscovered because
many areas have not been
explored.
Rain forest layers
In the emergent layer, trees can be 200 feet
high. Most trees are broad-leaved, hardwood
evergreens. Sunlight is plentiful. Animals found
here are eagles, monkeys, bats and butterflies.
The canopy layer forms a roof over the two
remaining layers and is a very dense layer. The
leaves on most trees are smooth and come to a
point. Food is abundant for animals such as
snakes, toucans and tree frogs.
Little sunshine reaches this layer so the plants
have to grow larger leaves to reach the sunlight.
Plants in this area seldom grow to 12 feet.
Animals that live here include jaguars, red-eyed
tree frogs and leopards and many insects.
This layer is very dark, so no plants grow
here, Things decay very quickly here. A leaf
that might take one year to decompose in a
regular climate will disappear in only 6 weeks.
This is the home for giant anteaters.
• These incredible places cover only 6 %
of the Earth's surface, but MORE THAN
1/2 of the world's plant and animal
species live there!
• At least two-thirds of the world's plant
species, grow in the rain forests.
• We eat many foods from the rain
forest and many medicines are
made from ingredients found only
in these areas.
•Cinnamon
•bananas
•rubber
•coffee
•cocoa and many more
Of the millions of animal
species in the world, over half
are found in the rain forest and
nowhere else on Earth.
MACAWS
ZOG-ZOG
All is quiet and peaceful in the forest -or is it?
People have lived in the rain forests for
thousands of years. They live in harmony
with the forest, plants and animals. Their
traditions and customs are unlike other
people.
Homes in the forest are
very different.
They don't need walls on
their houses because it
doesn't get cold t here.
Natives don't need much
privacy at all. Privacy is a
lot different than what you
may be used to and we do
go into houses without
asking.
Children are
expected to do lots
of work and they get
up early in the
morning.
The girls look after
their little sisters,
brothers, nieces, or
nephews. They also
help cook, grate
manioc, carry heavy
backpacks, and get
water.
The boys in the
village have to do
some work, too. They
fish, farm, and weave
baskets with the men
in the village. They
also spend much time
in the jungle as part
of their learning and
training to become
excellent hunters and
providers for their
families.
In their free time, both boys and girls love to go swimming
in the river, and there are plenty of rivers around in the rain
forest.
They also like to watch the animals in their village.
The girls like to play with their hand-made dolls
(since there are no stores around here to buy them).
Boys like to shoot their bows and arrows and play in the
forest.
Guess who is in
the yellow rain
coat?
How has it helped us?
•Fifty percent of the medicines used every
day come from rain forest plants.
•The corn plant originally came from the
forests in Mexico and South America.
•Rice came in Asian rain forests.
•Orange juice, tea, eggs, and bananas
originally came from Asian rain forests.
•Over 50% of the fruits you eat originally
came from tropical rain forests.
The Rain Forest is in Trouble:
In addition to being one of our most precious
natural resources, tropical rain forests are among
the most endangered habitats on earth because of
deforestation.
Causes of Deforestation:
* clearance for roads and railways
* forest fires
* mining and drilling for fuel wood
* international timber trade
* collection and clearance for living space
Humans already have destroyed half of the rain forest area,
with most damage occurring in the last 200 years.
A delicate ecosystem destroyed
1. Rainfall is absorbed by the trees.It is
pulled up to the canopy where it
evaporates into the air.
2. Trees and plants receive most of their
nutrients from decaying matter such as
fallen leaves and organic debris.
3. Plants and trees hold down the topsoil.
This keeps it from washing away in
heavy rains.
4. When the land is cleared and crops are
planted the soil doesn't stay fertile for
long because it doesn't have nutrients
from the decaying matter.
5. Once plants are removed, heavy rains
wash away the topsoil.
Rain forests are important to everyone on the planetnot just to those who live in or near them. They help
control the world's climate. When the rain forests are
burned and cleared, carbon is released into the
atmosphere.Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere prevents
the sun’s radiation from escaping back to the
atmosphere. This causes the weather to be much
hotter on the whole planet.
(This is called the greenhouse effect.)
When the beautiful forest is gone where do the
animals go?
WATCH OUT FOR OUR EARTH
WAYS THAT YOU CAN HELP TO SAVE THE RAIN FOREST:
•Write letters to your senators or
representatives to let them know that you are
concerned about rain forest destruction.
• Ask that they support programs that help
protect tropical areas throughout the world.
•Write letters to other organizations that can
help.
ANOTHER WAY THAT YOU CAN HELP TO SAVE THE RAIN FOREST:
•Go in with some friends and buy an acre of rain forest. The
Nature Conservancy's "Adopt-an-Acre Program" lets you
purchase the protection of an acre of rain forest in a specific
nature preserve.
WATCH OUT FOR OUR EARTH
MORE WAYS THAT YOU CAN HELP TO SAVE THE RAIN FOREST:
•Turn off the lights or TV when you leave a room
•Recycle: paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, metals--everything
you can!
* Walk or ride your bike instead of driving.
Last Songbirds
The songbirds,
which help
farmers in the
U.S. by eating
insects, will no
longer winter in
tropical forests.
Extinction
Thousands of
species of
rainforest plants
and animals will
be lost.
Forest People
Forest people will
lose their homes,
and their culture.
Their knowledge
of the forest is
also lost .
Changed Climate
Burning huge areas
of rainforest releases
carbon, which causes
changes in wind
currents and rainfall
around the world.
Undiscovered
Medicines
Plants that might
provide new
medicines
extinct before
they can even be
studied.
Here is a website
you can use that is
really neat. You are
finished with the
slide show at this
point.
http://www.bsrsi.msu.edu/rfrc/tour/active.html