RainforestSavannah Resler, Sarah Elste, Laura Wesnofske, and Kaity Martin

Location

Climate

Plants

Bengal Bamaboo Genus: Bambusa Found in South Asian Rainforest Grows as an undergrowth scattered or in

patches in the forest Likes a lot of rainfall and temperatures from

40-100 degrees Can grow anywhere between 40 feet and 80

feet in height

Fun Fact: Rainforests have170,000 of the world’s 250,00 known plant species

Plants (cont.)

Coconut Tree Symbol of romance in the tropics Grows to be 50-80 ft tall Leaves grows to be 15-17 ft long Hard outside and white meat beneath with a

hollow center in which there is coconut milk, after the cluster of flowers bloom

Grows in hot areas Frost free areas, and grows in Africa, Asia, Latin

America, and the Pacific region

Plants (cont.)

Kapok Tree Can grow to 150 ft or more West Africa, Southeast Asian, Malay Peninsula,

and the Indonesian Archipelago Trunks can have diameter of 9 ft Branches grow in horizontal tiers Shed most leaves during the dry season

Environmental Concerns

Pollution: Forests are polluted by air and water pollution, oil spills. Toxic by-products, and mining accident, rainforests in specific are seriously affected by air pollution. The Atlantic forest in Brazil was greatly damaged in Cubatao by pollution in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Hunting: Causing damage to the forest ecosystem it tampers with the balance of species. In Asia specifically tiger populations have gone down due to habitat loss. In Brazil, Colombia, Nigeria, Madagascar and other countries the pet trade has drastically brought down their animal population.

Tourism has brought many negative environmental and social effects on the rainforest as well as its inhabitants. With the new demand for hotels and resorts in areas with many nature attractions such as the rainforest it puts more stress on the need for lumber.

Topography

Rivers and streams run through the rainforests.

Large quantity of water

Act as drainage system

The Amazon river is over 3,000 miles long

0-1000 meter in elevation

Animals

Europe has 321 butterfly species while a park in the rainforest of Peru has 1,300 species

Why do rainforests have so many animals? Due to the canopy structure of rainforests there are more places for animals to live. The structure also offers better food, shelter, and hiding places for the animals.

The climate is also best suited for a lot of animals in the rainforest. There is a lot of sunlight in tropical rainforest meaning there is a lot of energy in the plants for animals to eat. Since there is a lot of energizing food that means many animals and plants can prosper.  

Bibliography

http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm

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

http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0813.htm

http://www.rainforest-facts.com/tropical-rainforest-biome.html

http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/troprain.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/26634/forest/climate.htm

http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/where.html