• Rainforests are so called because of the high amount of rainfall they get per year. Rainforests have an annual rainfall of at least 254 centimetres. • Rainforests are very important as the plants of the rainforest generate much of the Earth’s oxygen • There are two types of rainforest, Tropical and Temperate. • Tropical rainforests are found close to the equator where temperatures and rainfall are very high all year round. The major areas of tropical rainforests are in South East Asia, West Africa and South and Central America. The best known rain forests are found in tropical regions between the Tropics of cancer and Capricorn. • Temperate rainforests are found along coasts in the temperate zone. The largest temperate rainforests are found on North America's Pacific Coast and stretch from Northern California up into Canada. Temperate rainforests have one long wet winter/spring season, and a dry foggy summer. • Scientists divide the rainforest into strata (zones) based on the living environment. Starting at the top, the strata are: o Emergent - very sunny because it is the very top. Only the tallest trees reach this level. Birds, butterflies and small monkeys live with bats, snakes and bugs. o Canopy - much of the rain is stopped by the thick foliage. Most trees in the forest grow to this height. There are plants that grow in the canopy layer. Their roots don't reach the ground. These are called air plants. Birds, monkeys, frogs, and sloths, as well as lizards, snakes and many insects live here. o Understory - many vines, dense vegetation, not much light. Birds, butterflies, frogs and snakes live here. o Forest Floor - dark, damp, full of many dead leaves, twigs and dead plants. The forest floor is dark due to the trees above stopping the sunlight from entering the forest. It is estimated that only 2% of the sunlight actually reaches the floor. Jaguars live here in South America, gorillas and leopards in Africa and tapirs and tigers and elephants in Asia. • Many of the things we have in our homes comes from the rainforest. These include: o medicine o chocolate - Chocolate is made from cocoa. Cocoa pods grow on trees in rainforests. o sugar o spices - includes ginger, allspice, pepper, cinnamon, coconut, vanilla, turmeric and paprika. o rubber o pineapples o bamboo • 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. • The temperature in a rainforest never freezes and never gets very hot.
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• Rainforests are so called because of the high amount of rainfall they get per year. Rainforests have an annual rainfall of at least 254 centimetres.
• Rainforests are very important as the plants of the rainforest generate much of the Earth’s oxygen
• There are two types of rainforest, Tropical and Temperate.
• Tropical rainforests are found close to the equator where temperatures and rainfall are very high all year round. The major areas of tropical rainforests are in South East Asia, West Africa and South and Central America. The best known rain forests are found in tropical regions between the Tropics of cancer and Capricorn.
• Temperate rainforests are found along coasts in the temperate zone. The largest temperate rainforests are found on North America's Pacific Coast and stretch from Northern California up into Canada. Temperate rainforests have one long wet winter/spring season, and a dry foggy summer.
• Scientists divide the rainforest into strata (zones) based on the living environment. Starting at the top, the strata are:
o Emergent - very sunny because it is the very top. Only the tallest trees reach this level. Birds, butterflies and small monkeys live with bats, snakes and bugs.
o Canopy - much of the rain is stopped by the thick foliage. Most trees in the forest grow to this height. There are plants that grow in the canopy layer. Their roots don't reach the ground. These are called air plants. Birds, monkeys, frogs, and sloths, as well as lizards, snakes and many insects live here.
o Understory - many vines, dense vegetation, not much light. Birds, butterflies, frogs and snakes live here.
o Forest Floor - dark, damp, full of many dead leaves, twigs and dead plants. The forest floor is dark due to the trees above stopping the sunlight from entering the forest. It is estimated that only 2% of the sunlight actually reaches the floor. Jaguars live here in South America, gorillas and leopards in Africa and tapirs and tigers and elephants in Asia.
• Many of the things we have in our homes comes from the rainforest. These include:
o medicine
o chocolate - Chocolate is made from cocoa. Cocoa pods grow on trees in rainforests.
o sugar
o spices - includes ginger, allspice, pepper, cinnamon, coconut, vanilla, turmeric and paprika.
o rubber
o pineapples
o bamboo
• 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.
• The temperature in a rainforest never freezes and never gets very hot.
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