All About Rainforests |
RAINFOREST VINE
STRING
Animals of the
Rainforests
An
incredible number of animals
live in rainforests. Millions of insects,
reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals call them home. Insects are
the most numerous animals in rainforests. Tropical rainforests have a
greater diversity of plants and animals than temperate rainforests or
any other biome.
In temperate rainforests, most of the animals are ground dwellers and
there are fewer animals living in the forest canopy.
Where are
Rainforests?
Tropical rainforests are found in a belt around the equator of
the Earth. There are tropical rainforests across South America,
Central America, Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia (and nearby
islands). Click here for
more information.
Temperate rainforests are found along the Pacific coast of the USA
and Canada (from northern California to Alaska), in New Zealand,
Tasmania, Chile, Ireland, Scotland and Norway. They are less abundant
than tropical rainforests.
Rainfall
It is almost always raining in a rainforest. Rainforests get over 80
inches (2 m) of rain each year. This is about 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm)
of rain each week.
The rain is more evenly distributed throughout the year in a tropical
rainforest (even though there is a little seasonality). In a
temperate rainforest, there are wet and dry seasons. During the "dry"
season, coastal fog supplies abundant moisture to the forest.
Temperature
The
temperature in a rainforest never freezes and never gets very hot.
The range of temperature in a tropical rainforest is usually between
75° F and 80° F (24-27° C). Temperate rainforests
rarely freeze or get over 80° F (27° C).
The Soil in a
Rainforest
The
soil of a tropical rainforest is only about 3-4 inches (7.8-10 cm)
thick and is ancient. Thick clay lies underneath the soil. Once
damaged, the soil of a tropical rainforest takes many years to
recover.
Temperate rainforests have soil that is richer in nutrients,
relatively young and less prone to damage.
The Importance of
Rainforests
Tropical rainforests cover about 7% of the Earth's surface and are
VERY important to the Earth's ecosystem. The rainforests recycle and
clean water. Tropical rainforest trees and plants also remove carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their roots, stems,
leaves, and branches. Rainforests affect the greenhouse
effect, which traps heat inside the
Earth's
atmosphere.
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Some of the foods that were originally from
rainforests around the world include cashew nuts, Brazil nuts,
Macadamia nuts, bananas, plantains, pineapple, cucumber, cocoa
(chocolate), coffee, tea, avocados, papaya, guava, mango, cassava (a
starchy root), tapioca, yams, sweet potato, okra, cinnamon, vanilla,
nutmeg, mace, ginger, cayenne pepper, cloves, oranges, grapefruit,
lemons, limes, passion fruit, peanuts, rice, sugar cane, and coconuts
(mostly from coastal areas).
People Living in Tropical
Rainforests
There are many indigenous groups of people who have live in the
tropical rainforests. Many of these groups, like the Yanomamo tribe
of the Amazon rainforests of Brazil and southern Venezuela, have
lived in scattered villages in the rainforests for hundreds or
thousands of years. These tribes get their food, clothing, and
housing mainly from materials they obtain in the forests.
Forest people are mostly hunter-gatherers; they get their food by hunting for meat (and fishing for fish) and gathering edible plants, like starchy roots and fruit. Many also have small gardens in cleared areas of the forest. Since the soil in the rainforest is so poor, the garden areas must be moved after just a few years, and another part of the forest is cleared.
Most indigenous populations are declining. There
are many reasons for this. Their primary problems are disease (like
smallpox and measles, which were inadvertently introduced by
Europeans) and governmental land seizure.