Kids > Discover Rainforests
When you first lookat a rainforest, you might see only a green wall. If you look a second time, you might see something exciting. Every nook and cranny of the forest bursts with birds and mammals, insects, reptiles and amphibians, trees and vines--zillions of living things. At the tops of the trees, in the soil, under leaves, in rivers and streams, nature is having a loud, happy party!
Rainforests are importantto life everywhere on Earth. They cover only 6 percent of the planet's surface, but they are home for more than half of the Earth's plant and animal species. This healthy variety of species is called BIODIVERSITY.
| A SPECIES is a group of plants or animals that are able to mate and produce fertile offspring. A species shares the same common and scientific names. For example, American crocodiles are a species with the scientific name, Crocodylus acutus, and human beings are the species Homo sapiens.
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Fossilsshow that rainforests have been around for 70 million years. Rainforest species survive by adapting in unique ways to their special habitats and to each other. Each species of plant and animal in the forest is connected to every other species in a complex WEB OF LIFE. This community of animals and plants is called an ECOSYSTEM.
Scientists and explorershave learned a lot about rainforests, but the forest is still full of surprises! Scientists believe that we have not yet discovered the most important things about the rainforest ecosystem.
How does the forest nurture so much life?
The deeper a scientist looks the more there is to see.
Discoveries are endless.
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Rainforest Layers: Treetops to Root Tips
Rainforests are alivewith plants, insects, birds and other animals from the tops of the trees to the moist soil surrounding roots. Like tall buildings, rainforests have something different happening on every floor.
The highest tree tops are the
EMERGENTlayer. They tower over the rainforest and can reach more than 150 feet. That's as tall as a 15-story building! Insects, birds, orchids, and many other living things inhabit this dry, windy world above the forest.
Most of the rainforest action takes place in the
CANOPY. Tree tops here are about 80 feet tall. Their leaves grow so thickly that they form an unbroken sea of green and absorb most of the sunshine that falls on the forest. Vines climb into the canopy reaching for light. Orchids and bromeliads perch on strong branches. Monkeys, sloths, and other canopy animals spend most of their time in the treetops.
Below the canopy is the
UNDERSTORY. Only about 2% of the sunlight shining on the forest reaches the small trees and bushes that grow here. The air is humid and cool. Leaves are big and glossy to absorb the dim light. Bright flowers and hang from stems, and fruits like cocoa, bananas, and coffee grow in the deep shade.
The
FOREST FLOORreceives almost no sunlight. Ferns, fungi, and mosses grow among the litter of dead leaves. Buttress roots fan out from the trunks of tall trees. Jaguars, peccaries and other large animals roam here. Ant trails crisscross the litter. Insects, worms, and other decomposers break down dead plants and animals and return their nutrients to the soil.
Rivers, streams, swamps and marshes create the rainforest's
AQUATIClayer. Rushing down a mountain, rippling in a pond, or quietly pooling in a marsh, water is important rainforest habitat. Fish, snails, and shellfish abound, and storks, crocodiles and otters live in water and on shore.
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Where in The World Are Rainforests?
Tropical rainforestscircle the world near the Earth's EQUATOR, where sunlight and rainfall concentrate. Rainforests grow on four continents: South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. More than half of the world's rainforests are located in three countries on three continents: Brazil in South America, Zaire in Africa, and Indonesia in Asia. South America has the largest area of rainforest in the world.
WARM, STEAMY, AND DENSE!In rainforests near the equator, the daily temperature is 75 degrees F to 85 degrees F year-round. Most receive 80 inches of rain every year, although some may receive as much as 320 inches in a year. Average humidity in tropical forests is high, from 70 to 90 percent. Warm temperatures and humidity combine to make a comfortable habitat for many evergreen plants, so tropical forests are lush and beautiful.
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