Rainforest Ecosystem

Rainforest Lands A tropical rain forest in one of the wettest parts of the world. It is almost always raining. An average of 50 to 260 inches of rain falls yearly. Tropical rainforests produce 40% of Earth's oxygen.

Rainforest Weather There is so much water in the air it feels sticky. The temperature of the rainforest usually stays around 93 degrees. The temperature doesn’t change from day to night or throughout the year.

Rainforest of the World Rainforests now cover less than 6% of Earth's land surface.

Rainforest Life Because it is so wet, more than two out of every three plant species in the world grow here. More than half of all the world’s animal species live in the rain forest.

Rainforest Plants The plants in a rainforest grow so thick that they block out the sun. The ground under the trees is dark. The plants seem to grow in layers.

Let’s look at the plants in the Rainforest.

Emergent Plant The kapok tree can grow to 150 feet or more. It is often described as majestic. Many plants and animals grow and live in the branches of the kapok tree.

Canopy Plant The durian grows from 90 to 130 feet. They live between 80 to 150 years. It is believed that durians only die when they are blown down in a storm or cut down by man.

Canopy Plant Figs are one of the most important plant species of a rainforest. Figs are very important to the animals of the rainforest. This is because figs bear fruit several times a year.

Rainforst Plants Bougainvillea Jambu Bengal Bamboo

Let’s look at the animals of the Rainforest.

Rainforest animals Toucans do not fly very well. Instead, they hop among the trees. Spider Monkeys use their long tails to hang from branches and move quickly through the trees.

Rainforest animals Jaguars pounce from trees onto their prey Red-eyed tree frogs are nocturnal, or active at night.

Rainforest animals Flying dragons use flaps of skin to glide from tree to tree. Giant anteaters use their long tongues to catch and eat ants and termites in the ground.

How rainforest animals protect themselves Camouflage- some animals, like the chameleon, use color to blend into their surroundings. This lets them hide from enemies.

How rainforest animals protect themselves Scare Predators – Some animals have body features or markings that frighten enemies. The frilled lizard displays a brightly colored flap of skin that makes it look larger.

How rainforest animals protect themselves Warn predators with colors – Some poisonous animals, like the poison dart frog, warn enemies of their danger with their bright colors.