Tropical Rainforest Nisha Kalathara Danielle Sturdivent

Global Distribution Four Realms – The Afrotropical Rainforest Realm Congo (Zaire) River Basin – The Australian Rainforest Realm – The Indomalayan Rainforest Realm – The Neotropical Rainforest Realm Amazon River Basin Four Realms – The Afrotropical Rainforest Realm Congo (Zaire) River Basin – The Australian Rainforest Realm – The Indomalayan Rainforest Realm – The Neotropical Rainforest Realm Amazon River Basin

Climate Warm annual mean temperature The average climate of a tropical rainforest is high humidity due heavy rainfall The average rainfall is 150 cm per year. It rains about 1/8 of an inch per day and more than 90 days a year. This biome is found near the equator, which means that there is more direct sunlight. The average temperature of a rain forest is about 77° Fahrenheit and never drops below 64° Fahrenheit.

Regional Variations The Amazon – 1/5 of world’s plants and birds – 1/10 of world’s mammal species Africa – high cloud forest – mangrove swamps – flooded forests Southern Asia – hot and humid all year round Australia – Isolated – Undergrowth in Australia's tropical forests is dense and lush

Resources Woods Fibers Gums & Resins Oils Medicines Many foods ( Avacado, Breadfruit, Cane Sugar, Mayonaisse, and Passion fruit)

Changes throughout geologic time The tropical seasonal rainforest in southern Yunnan conspicuously decreased from a cover of 10.9% of the total area of the region in 1976 down to 3.6% in 2003, mainly due to rubber planting The large island of Madagascar was once intensively forested, but now much of it is gone.

Adaptations Plants – Dominated by broadleaf evergreen plants – Dense canopy formed by tree tops block light from reaching forest floor – Plants on the ground level have large leaves to capture what little sunlight filters through Animals – The single largest group of animals are made of insects. – Some of the insects that can be found are brightly colored butterflies, mosquitoes, camouflaged stick insects, and huge colonies of ants. – There is incredible biodiversity and there may be 40 to 100 different species in 2.5 acres ( 1 hectare) of a tropical rain forest.

Environmental Problems Farmers use most of the tropical rainforest for agricultural production. Damming of the tropical rivers has traditionally caused about ten percent of the total annual deforestation in the tropics. Deforestation and other factors like the search for minerals and oil are forcing them into a steadily decreasing area.

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