Tropical RainforestTropical Rainforest

Krystina Smith, Nicole Bronkema

Where in the World . . .?Where in the World . . .? Tropical Rainforests are found around Tropical Rainforests are found around

the equator, between the Tropic of the equator, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

Some of the countries that fall in the Some of the countries that fall in the Tropical Rainforest Biome include:Tropical Rainforest Biome include:

• BrazilBrazil• PeruPeru• Hawaii (United States)Hawaii (United States)• IndonesiaIndonesia• New Zealand New Zealand

• MalaysiaMalaysia• ThailandThailand• MadagascarMadagascar• Dominican Republic of Dominican Republic of the Congothe Congo

What Is The Tropical Rainforest . . .?What Is The Tropical Rainforest . . .?

Videohttp://gtm-media.discoveryeducation.com/videos/10482/chp891775_256k.asf

Animals

Strata of the rainforest

Climate

ClimateClimate

falls within the Tropical Wet and Tropical falls within the Tropical Wet and Tropical Monsoon climate zones. Monsoon climate zones.

there is either a short dry season with a there is either a short dry season with a long rainy summer season, or no dry long rainy summer season, or no dry season at all. season at all.

areas of the Tropical Monsoon climate areas of the Tropical Monsoon climate zone experience a lot of rain and zone experience a lot of rain and monsoon winds during their summer monsoon winds during their summer season, and no rain during their short, season, and no rain during their short, dry season.dry season.

ClimateClimate annual rainfall annual rainfall

between 2000 and between 2000 and 2250 millimeters, 2250 millimeters, or about 78.75 to or about 78.75 to 88.58 inches.88.58 inches.

temperature temperature usually no higher usually no higher than 93 °F (34 °C) than 93 °F (34 °C) or below 68 °F (20 or below 68 °F (20 °C). °C).

average humidity average humidity is 77 and 88 is 77 and 88 percent. percent.

Annual rainfall and temperature range of Brazil

AnimalsAnimals The number of animals that live in The number of animals that live in

tropical rainforests is too great too tropical rainforests is too great too count. Some of the animals that are count. Some of the animals that are found specifically in tropical found specifically in tropical rainforests include:rainforests include:

The KinkajouThe Kinkajou The Poison Dart Frog andThe Poison Dart Frog and The SlothThe Sloth

KinkajouKinkajou found in Mexico, Central America, and the found in Mexico, Central America, and the

Amazon Basin.Amazon Basin. live high in the forest canopy, nearly a hundred live high in the forest canopy, nearly a hundred

feet off the ground.feet off the ground. use long tail and strong arms to swing from use long tail and strong arms to swing from

branchesbranches do not leap from tree to tree like monkeys, do not leap from tree to tree like monkeys,

because not part of the monkey familybecause not part of the monkey family more closely related to raccoons. more closely related to raccoons.

KinkajouKinkajou average adult weighs 4 to 7 pounds, or 2 to 3 kg.average adult weighs 4 to 7 pounds, or 2 to 3 kg. average body length is 17 to 22 inches. average body length is 17 to 22 inches. tail is 16 to 22 inches long, n addition to the body,. tail is 16 to 22 inches long, n addition to the body,. eat primarily fruit, although classified as eat primarily fruit, although classified as

carnivores.carnivores.

Poison Dart FrogsPoison Dart Frogs native to Central and South native to Central and South

America, where over 175 America, where over 175 species of poison frog can species of poison frog can be found. be found.

In Costa Rico alone, there In Costa Rico alone, there are seven species, three are seven species, three that display bright colors as that display bright colors as a warning for predators.a warning for predators.

If a predator bites, it will get If a predator bites, it will get a taste of the poison, and a taste of the poison, and either die from it or learn to either die from it or learn to stay away.stay away.

Poison Dart FrogsPoison Dart Frogs dangerous animals, can be very hard to handle dangerous animals, can be very hard to handle

since they have so much poison in them. since they have so much poison in them. only animal in the world known to be able to only animal in the world known to be able to

kill a human by touch alone. kill a human by touch alone. can jump as far as 2 inches. can jump as far as 2 inches. mostly active during the day (not nocturnal). mostly active during the day (not nocturnal). eat ants and termites, but will also eat other eat ants and termites, but will also eat other

small insects. small insects.

SlothSloth five species of the sloth, all five species of the sloth, all

which reside in tropical which reside in tropical rainforests rainforests

slowest mammal on Earth. It slowest mammal on Earth. It takes a month for a sloth to takes a month for a sloth to move one kilometer! move one kilometer!

even eat slow with a low even eat slow with a low metabolic ratemetabolic rate

do not require much water, do not require much water, because they do not use a lot because they do not use a lot of energy. It takes nearly a of energy. It takes nearly a week for a sloth to digest one week for a sloth to digest one meal. meal.

sleep about 15 to 18 hours a sleep about 15 to 18 hours a day. day.

SlothSloth arboreal animals, spend arboreal animals, spend

most of their time in trees. most of their time in trees. eat, sleep, mate, and give eat, sleep, mate, and give

birth all the while hanging birth all the while hanging upside down. upside down.

live in the rainforest live in the rainforest canopy, and basically canopy, and basically disappear in it. disappear in it.

camouflage consists of camouflage consists of coloring, slow movement, coloring, slow movement, and increase of algae and increase of algae growing on fur.growing on fur.

herbivores, eat mostly herbivores, eat mostly leaves and fruit.leaves and fruit.

Strata of Tropical RainforestStrata of Tropical Rainforest Different animals and plants of the Tropical Rainforest reside in different Different animals and plants of the Tropical Rainforest reside in different

strata, or zones, of the rainforest. strata, or zones, of the rainforest. The different The different strata include:strata include:

The Forest FloorThe Forest FloorUnderstoryUnderstoryCanopyCanopyEmergentEmergent

Forest FloorForest Floor The forest floor is mostly The forest floor is mostly

completely shaded, except completely shaded, except in cases where a canopy in cases where a canopy tree may have fallen and tree may have fallen and created an opening.created an opening.

Most areas of the forest Most areas of the forest floor receive so little light floor receive so little light that few bushes or herbs that few bushes or herbs can grow there. can grow there.

Because of the layout of the Because of the layout of the forest floor, a person can forest floor, a person can easily walk through most easily walk through most parts of a Tropical parts of a Tropical RainforestRainforest

Forest FloorForest Floor Less than 1 % of the light that strikes the Less than 1 % of the light that strikes the

top of the forest penetrates to the forest top of the forest penetrates to the forest floor. floor.

top soil is very thin and of poor quality. A top soil is very thin and of poor quality. A lot of litter falls to the ground where it is lot of litter falls to the ground where it is quickly broken down by decomposers like quickly broken down by decomposers like termites, earthworms and fungi. termites, earthworms and fungi.

heat and humidity further help to break heat and humidity further help to break down the litter. This organic matter is then down the litter. This organic matter is then absorbed by the trees‘ roots. absorbed by the trees‘ roots.

UnderstoryUnderstory consists of 60 foot consists of 60 foot

trees. trees. made up of the made up of the

trunks of canopy trunks of canopy trees, shrubs, trees, shrubs, plants and small plants and small trees. trees.

little air movement, little air movement, so the humidity is so the humidity is constantly high. constantly high.

in constant shade. in constant shade.

UnderstoryUnderstory Some animals include Some animals include

spiders, birds, white tail spiders, birds, white tail deer, wolves, squirrels, deer, wolves, squirrels, bees, snakes, frogs, bees, snakes, frogs, jaguars, red-eye tree jaguars, red-eye tree frogs and leopards.  frogs and leopards. 

plants include tree plants include tree trunks, saplings, small trunks, saplings, small ground plants (such as ground plants (such as dwarf palms)  and dwarf palms)  and vines.vines.

Due to the lack of Due to the lack of sunshine, plants seldom sunshine, plants seldom grow to 12 feet, must grow to 12 feet, must grow larger leaves to grow larger leaves to reach any sunshine. reach any sunshine. 

CanopyCanopy Most of all the Most of all the

rainforest's animals rainforest's animals live in the canopy. live in the canopy.

includes trees 60 to includes trees 60 to 130 feet tall.130 feet tall.

Light is easily Light is easily available at the top, available at the top, but greatly reduced but greatly reduced below it.below it.

so much food so much food available at this level available at this level that some animals that some animals never go down to the never go down to the forest floor. forest floor.

CanopyCanopy leaves have "drip spouts" leaves have "drip spouts"

that allow rain to run off. that allow rain to run off. This keeps them dry and This keeps them dry and prevents mold and mildew prevents mold and mildew from forming in the humid from forming in the humid environment.environment.

rain must run down the rain must run down the trunks of the trees or drip trunks of the trees or drip off the leaves because the off the leaves because the canopy stops the rain from canopy stops the rain from reaching the plants below.reaching the plants below.

animals include monkeys, animals include monkeys, sloths, bats, treefrogs, sloths, bats, treefrogs, ants, beetles, parrots, ants, beetles, parrots, hummingbirds and snakes. hummingbirds and snakes.

EmergentEmergent emergent trees are spaced wide apart, grow emergent trees are spaced wide apart, grow

100 to 240 feet tall with umbrella-shaped 100 to 240 feet tall with umbrella-shaped canopies that grow above the forest. canopies that grow above the forest.

giant trees have straight, smooth trunks with giant trees have straight, smooth trunks with few branches. Root system is very shallow, few branches. Root system is very shallow, to support their size they grow buttresses to support their size they grow buttresses that can spread out to a distance of 30 feet.that can spread out to a distance of 30 feet.

To hold onto water, leaves often have thick, To hold onto water, leaves often have thick, waxy layers. waxy layers.

EmergentEmergent trees are exposed to drying trees are exposed to drying

winds, tend to have small, winds, tend to have small, pointed leaves. Some lose pointed leaves. Some lose their leaves during brief dry their leaves during brief dry season in monsoon season in monsoon rainforests. rainforests.

may take advantage of the may take advantage of the greater air movement above greater air movement above the canopy by developing the canopy by developing winged seeds or fruits, winged seeds or fruits, which are dispersed to other which are dispersed to other parts of the forest by wind. parts of the forest by wind.

Sunlight is plentiful, animals Sunlight is plentiful, animals such as eagles, monkeys, such as eagles, monkeys, butterflies, insect-eating butterflies, insect-eating bats and snakes inhabit this bats and snakes inhabit this layer, and some never layer, and some never venture below it.venture below it.

ReferencesReferences

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/images/http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/images/g_me_r_1.gifg_me_r_1.gif

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rainforest.htmhttp://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rainforest.htm

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rnfrst_plant_page.htmhttp://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rnfrst_plant_page.htm

http://www.cap.nsw.edu.au/bb_site_intro/stage2_Modules/zoo/http://www.cap.nsw.edu.au/bb_site_intro/stage2_Modules/zoo/tropical_rainforest.htmtropical_rainforest.htm

http://www.wildernessclassroom.com/www/schoolhouse/http://www.wildernessclassroom.com/www/schoolhouse/rainforest_library/animal_library/kinkajou.htmrainforest_library/animal_library/kinkajou.htm

http://www.wildernessclassroom.com/www/schoolhouse/http://www.wildernessclassroom.com/www/schoolhouse/rainforest_library/animal_library/poison_frog.htmrainforest_library/animal_library/poison_frog.htm

http://www.wildernessclassroom.com/www/schoolhouse/http://www.wildernessclassroom.com/www/schoolhouse/rainforest_library/animal_library/sloth.htmrainforest_library/animal_library/sloth.htm