Tropical Rainforests

By: Ghanim Al Naimi 6D

What is the Tropical Rainforest?

Tropical rainforests are located around the equator from the Tropic of Cancer in the north, to the Tropic of Capricorn in the south. The largest rainforests are in Brazil (South America), Democratic Republic of Congo (Africa), and Indonesia (islands found near the Indian Ocean). Other tropical rainforests lie in Southeast Asia, Hawaii, and the Caribbean Islands. The Amazon rainforest in South America is the world’s largest, covering an area about two-thirds the size of the continental United States.

Temperature

The temperature in a rain forest rarely gets higher than 93 °F (34 °C) or drops below 68 °F (20 °C); average humidity is between 77 and 88%; rainfall is often more than 100 inches a year.

Map

Green places shows the rainforests in the world.

Animals that live in the rainforestSloth

ToucanSpider Monkey

The sloth is one of the most fascinating animal that inhabit the rainforests of South and Central America. It lives in the rainforest because there are many trees that help him for his survival.

There are about 40 different kinds of toucans. They vary in size from about 7 inches to a little over two feet. They have short and thick necks. Toucans are distinguished by large, colorful, yet lightweight bills.

Spider monkeys are large in size. Adult monkeys grow to be almost two feet tall excluding the tail. They have a powerful tail that they use as an extra limb. Spider monkeys like to hang upside-down with all four limbs and the tail holding on to branches which makes them look like a spider and thus their name.

Plants in the rainforest

Carnivorous Plants

This plant grows to 30 feet tall and may have pitchers 12 inches in length, usually crammed full of digested insects.

Orchids comprise one of the most abundant and varied of flowering plant families. There are over 20,000 known species and orchids are especially common in moist tropical regions.

Orchids Lianas

Ninety per cent of the world's vine species grow in tropical rainforests. Lianas are a type of climbing vine found throughout tropical rainforests. They have thick, woody stems and come in various lengths (up to 3,000 ft) and varying shapes.

Important Abiotic Factors

The tropical rainforest biome has a very warm and wet climate. It has an average temperature of 20-34 degrees Celsius . Because this biome is located very close to the equator, it has very little seasonal change in temperature or the length of a day. In this location, it has more direct sunlight hitting land and sea than most other areas. This makes it very good for the growth of plants. The sun warms the land and sea and the water evaporates into the air. The warm air can hold a lot of water vapor. As this warm air rises to meet the cooler air above the earth's surface, condensation takes place as the air is cooled down

Resourses

Medical plant (Cocoa tree): The cocoa tree produces more than 150 chemicals in its leaves, seeds, fruit, and bark. The Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs used parts from the tree to treat anxiety, fever, fatigue, and coughs. Five hundred years ago the plant was brought to Europe, where it was used to treat kidney stones and cuts and burns, among other things

Interactions

Cocoa Tree: The cocoa tree affects money by making chocolate and sweets out of the cocoa tree and selling it at shops and places. It helps the environment because it doesn't harm any thing and anyone. This tree affects the environment by people making food out of this tree and eating.

Human Activities

Human activities people do in the tropical is that they can go hunting for animal. Or they can go looking around and camping in the Tropical rainforest.

Bibliography"The Sloth." Colegio F.D. Roosevelt (The American School of Lima). Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

<http://www.amersol.edu.pe/ms/7th/7block/jungle_research/new_cards/12/report_12.html>."Animals of the Rainforest-Spider Monkey." Welcome to Space Radiation Lab, Caltech. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

<http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/animals/spidermonkeypage.html>."Rainforest Biomes." Blue Planet Biomes. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

<http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rainforest.htm>.

"The Plants of the Rainforest." Welcome to Space Radiation Lab, Caltech. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. <http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/plants/carniverous.html>.

"The Plants of the Rainforest." Welcome to Space Radiation Lab, Caltech. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. <http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/plants/lianas.html>.

"Abiotic Factors." The Tropical Rain Forest. Web. 24 Jan. 2012. <http://info.rforests.tripod.com/abiotic_factors.htm>.