T ROPICAL R AINFOREST B IOMES A Presentation By: Kayla Matchett Evironmental Science 122

W HERE A T ROPICAL RAINFOREST CAN BE FOUND Tropical rainforests are commonly known as large landmasses with many trees and year round warmth. On average, about 50 to 260 inches of rain falls each year in your typical rainforest. Rainforests are listed as belonging to the tropical/ wet climate group. This causes the temperature to rarely ever be listed higher than about 34 degrees Celsius. Rainforests are now said to cover less than about 6% of the earths surface. It is also said that scientists estimate that about half of the worlds plant and animal species call the rainforest their home.

C LIMATE Because about 260 inches of rain falls each year in the tropical rainforest, this causes the climate to become very hot and humid. The average humidity of any tropical rainforest is usually between 77 and 88%. Because most rainforests lay near the earths equator. It is because of this humid climate that the trees are known to reach heights of more than 164 feet. And it is these trees that are responsible for producing about 40% of the earths total oxygen supply.

W ILDLIFE There are many different species of animals commonly found in the tropical rainforests. And all of these animals share many common characteristics. These characteristics include adapting to life in the trees, living on a diet that mostly consists of fruit and having loud vocals so they are easily heard. It is insects however, that make up the largest single group of animals that live in tropical rainforests. These can include huge colonies of ants, colorful butterflies and large populations of mosquitoes. It is the rainforest biomes that are responsible for housing the largest varieties of plant and animal species in the world. There can be up to 100 different species living in just 2.5 acres of land.

P LANT LIFE Because the rainforest receives up to 260 inches of rain each year, plants have been forced to make adaptations to the environment around them in order to survive. Some of these adaptations include having to shed water off their leaves more quickly so that the branches do not get weighed down and snap. Many plants do this by producing a thin oily coating to shed water. The leaves of plants found in tropical rainforests are known to be very large. This is so the plants can absorb as much sunlight as possible in the darkest layers of the rainforest. Because the soil is so wet and shallow in your typical rainforest, trees have adapted to have widening bases and stilt roots for extra support.

R AINFOREST FOOD WEB Jaguar Bat Alligator Snake Toucan Beetle Frog Parrot Canopy Trees Flowering Plants Fungi Monkey