What do you already know? Rainforests Fill in as many things as
you know already about rainforests.
Slide 4
KEY WORDS Floor Understorey Tropical Half Habitat Emergent
Extinct Echo Helps Epiphyte Conifers Parasite Temperate Chocolate
KEY WORDS Floor Understorey Tropical Half Habitat Emergent Extinct
Echo Helps Epiphyte Conifers Parasite Temperate Chocolate Click
here Click here to load cross word website Click here Click here to
load cross word website Rainforest find-a-word
Slide 5
Australian Rainforests Tropical rainforests in Australia can be
divided into four different types according to landform and type;
Tropical rainforests Sub-tropical rainforests Warm temperate
rainforests Cool temperate rainforests The largest area of tropical
rainforest in Australia lies between Cooktown and Ingham on the
hot, wet north-Queensland coast DID YOU KNOW? There are over 2000
species of plants found in rainforests. Among these are a variety
of native fruit trees that are found nowhere else in the
world.
Slide 6
History of Rainforests in Australia About 55 million years ago,
Australia, Antarctica and South America were joined together as the
last remaining continents of Gondawana Land. Today animals and
plants from South-East Asia and Gondawana Land live in Australias
rainforest. Click here to learn more about Gondawana Land Click
here to learn more about Gondawana Land
Slide 7
Until about 120 million years ago, the worlds southern
continents, including Australia, Antarctica, South America and
Africa were joined together in one super continent called Gondawana
Land. About 120 million years ago, Gondawana Land began to break
up. The continents slowly moved across the surface of the Earth in
a process called continental drift Click here Click here to go back
to Rainforests in Australia Click here Click here to go back to
Rainforests in Australia
Slide 8
Climate Changes About 45 million years ago Australia had broken
away from Antarctica. This continental drift created a sea between
the two countries. A cold current began to circle Antarctica, which
made Australias climate more dry. This also made the difference in
climate between north and south Australia also increased- the north
remained tropical (warm and wet most of the year) whilst the south
of Australia became temperate, with four seasons.
Slide 9
Species Australia continued to move north towards South- East
Asia. About 15 million years ago there was a series of ice ages
that made the sea levels a lot lower than they are today. This
meant there were stretches of land connecting New Guinea and
Australia. Plants and animals from tropical South-East Asia
eventually crossed to northern Australia. Some of these animals and
birds consist of: Birds Nest Fern Tube Nosed RatLong-tailed pygmy
possum
Slide 10
Rainforests Today During the massive climate changes of the
past 55 million years, the climate of northern Australia has
remained similar to that of Gondawana Land. This has meant that
many species of the original forest survived in the north. Today
subtropical rainforests grow in South-East Queensland and
north-east New South Wales.
Slide 11
Rainforests Today Warm temperate rainforests have lots of ferns
with just a few tree species and vinery small patches of warm
temperate forests grow in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
Cool temperate rainforests grow in Tasmania. They are forests of
tall trees that tower above a thick carpet of mosses, lichens and
ferns. Click on the for the states and territories of Australia to
be taken to a website to find out more. QUESTION: Why is there no
link for Australian Capital Territory and South Australia? Click on
the question mark for the answer. ANSWER: Those states and
territories dont have any rainforests!
Slide 12
Layers of the rainforest There are four layers of the
rainforest: Emergent Layer Canopy Layer Forest Floor Understorey
Layer Click on the name of each layer to learn more about each
Slide 13
The Emergent Layer The emergent layer, or top layer is made up
of the smallest trees. These may be as tall as 45 metres. The trees
in the Emergent Layer have small, waxy leaves. The waxy coating
helps the leaves to stay moist and not to dry out, this helps the
plants to survive the hot, dry conditions. Click here Click here to
go back to the other layers Click here Click here to go back to the
other layers
Slide 14
The Canopy Layer The canopy is made up of lower- growing trees
whose leaves and branches interlock to form a shady green cover, or
rood for the forest. It is the area with the biggest diversity of
species and it is understood to be home to 40% of all plant
species. Click here Click here to go back to the other layers Click
here Click here to go back to the other layers
Slide 15
The Understorey Layer The understorey layer is made up of small
trees, such as palms, and younger trees struggling to reach the
light. Because these trees get less sunlight than the trees in the
canopy, this layer is not as dense. Hundreds of tree trunks of all
shapes, sizes and colours can be seen in the understorey, their
bark often decorated with epiphytic lichens and mosses giving it a
mottled appearance. Many animal species are supported by the
diversity of plant life in the understorey. Click here Click here
to go back to the other layers Click here Click here to go back to
the other layers
Slide 16
The Forest Floor This layer is made up of shrubs and very small
trees and flowering plants. This undergrowth on the forest floor
also is home to old fallen leaves and fruits, rotten branches,
ancient or diseased trees, mosses, lichens, fungi and many animal
species. These plants do not need a lot of light to grow. Did you
know that every minute, somewhere in the world a rainforest the
size of a football field is being cleared
Slide 17
Plants of the Rainforest As rainforest trees have to keep
pushing their way towards the light, they grow into tall, slender
shapes without low branches. The highest branches spread out and
interlock in their struggle for sunlight. Trees Strangler trees,
mostly fig trees, grow from seeds that have been eaten by birds.
The seeds pass through the birds and end up on the tree branches in
their droppings. Seeds then grow, and sends roots down its host
trunk. Over the years more roots grow, they thicken and join
together to hold onto the host tree, robbing the host tree of its
nutrients until it dies. Strangler Trees Epiphytes are plants that
grow on other plants, but do not get nutrients from the host plant.
They get their nutrients in a number of ways; have leaves that grow
in the shape of baskets to collect other nutrients that decay,
leaves that soak up and hold water, collect their energy from the
sun and leaves that absorb moisture from the air and rain. Lichins,
mosses and funghi are all epiphytes Epiphytes Click on each of the
plant pictures to learn more about each of them
Slide 18
Animals of the Rainforest Amethystine Python King Parrot
Lacewing Butterfly Cassowary Bird White-throated Kingfisher
Saw-shelled Turtles Red-legged Pademelons Tree Kangaroo Green Tree
Frog Click on the animals to see what they are called
Slide 19
Aboriginal Impact About 60 000 years ago, Australias first
humans- Aboriginal peoples arrived. Their affect on the rainforest
was very small. The rainforest provided Aboriginal people with lots
of different foods. The creeks provided food such as jungle perch
and turtle. Many different types of fruits were eaten Aboriginal
people discovered how to cook poisonous plants to make them safe to
eat. Aboriginals also learnt how to read the changes in seasons,
which meant they knew when foods were ready to be eaten.
Slide 20
Aboriginal Impact Aboriginal peoples ate rainforest foods such
as the fruit of the Palm Lily. Aboriginal peoples learnt how to
make black beans safe to eat by mashing and soaking them in water
to remove the poisons. Aboriginal peoples knew that when the
October glory plant flowered it was time to dig up the brush turkey
eggs from their mounds. Click on each picture to find out how
Aboriginals used each of these items. Palm Lily Glory Plant Black
Beans DID YOU KNOW? The Wet Tropics region of north-eat Queensland
included several different Aboriginal language groups. This region
was occupied by groups including the Tjabukai and KuKu-Yulangi
people.
Slide 21
Aboriginal Survival Aboriginal people cut bark off trees to
make shelters (midyahs). Other trees such as the yellow jack
(giddul), were used to make canoes. Water carriers were made of
bark that was sewn with split cane. Bark of the fig tree was used
to make strong string for fishing. Hardwood trees were used to make
boomerangs and spears The aboriginal people also used forest plants
for medicine.
Slide 22
Issues since European Settlement Issues Clearing for farming
Clearing for timber Introduced plant species Bringing of new
animals Settlement on rainforests Mining Tourism and roads Climate
change
Slide 23
Threats to rainforests The biggest threat to rainforests is
man. Clearing for mining, timber and farming. Since 1978, three
quarters of Australias rainforests have been cut down. Introduced
plant species are now weeds that are killing rainforest species.
Introduced species compete with native species for food, light or
space. Animals were brought into Australia as household pets. It
didnt take long for them to escape and turn feral. These include
cats, foxes, pigs and cane toads. As rainforests are beautiful
places to visit, tourists are attracted to the area. Tourists can
damage the areas they come to admire and enjoy. Rainforest land has
been cleared for roads. Vehicles can spread plant diseases from
soil, as well as killing plants and animals Click on the pictures
to learn more
Slide 24
Australian Rainforest Foundation
Slide 25
Deforestation Game Click here to help our hero Congo Jones
defeat Larry the Logger and his logging machine before he destroys
the whole rainforest, plants and animals! Click here Click here to
help our hero Congo Jones defeat Larry the Logger and his logging
machine before he destroys the whole rainforest, plants and
animals! Click here
Slide 26
Climate Change Climate change is probably the biggest
environmental threat that not only Australia faces, but the whole
world. The greenhouse gas effect is caused by gases, such as carbon
dioxide, trapping some of the heat from the sun. This causing the
world to heat up. Today the greenhouse effect is increasing as more
people are using cares, aeroplanes and electricity. These all burn
fuels, which produce greenhouse gases. Clearing forests also
contributes to the greenhouse effect as trees take in carbon
dioxide. Click here Click here to visit the Australian Governments
website for climate change. Click here Click here to visit the
Australian Governments website for climate change.
Slide 27
Climate change and Australian Rainforests Rainforests Long
droughts bushfires Stronger storms & cyclones Floods Frequent,
hotter & longer heatwaves
Slide 28
The Amazon Rainforest The Amazon Rainforest is the largest
rainforest on Earth. It covers 40% of the South American continent
as well as eight South American countries including Brazil,
Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname.
The basin is drained by the Amazon River, the world's largest river
in terms of discharge, and the second longest river in the world
after the Nile. 30% of the worlds animal species are found in the
Amazon. Since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square
miles) of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. Click here Click
here to visit the Amazon rainforest website Click here Click here
to visit the Amazon rainforest website
Slide 29
Quiz 1.Australian rainforests can be divided into four
different types. Can you name them? 2. Australia, South America and
Antarctica millions of years ago were all joined called? 3.What are
the four layers of the rainforest? 4.Which two states or
territories in Australia do not have any rainforests? 5.What type
of plants are epiphytes? 6.How did Aboriginals know when foods
found in the rainforest were ready to be eaten? 7.Why does the
clearing of rainforests contribute to the greenhouse gas effect?
8.Climate change increases the severity of which natural
disasters?
Slide 30
Answers! 1.Tropical rainforests, Sub-tropical rainforests, Warm
temperate rainforests, Cool temperate rainforests. 2.Gondawana
Land. 3.Emergent, Canopy, Understorey, Forest Floor. 4. Australian
Capital Territory & South Australia. 5.Plants that grow on
other plants, but do not get nutrients from the host plant. 6.They
learnt to read the seasons. 7. Trees take in carbon dioxide.
8.Bushfires, cyclones, droughts & floods.
