1. Tropical Rainforests A Guide to Understanding Rainforests

2. Rainforest Basics  3 locations: Latin America, Western Equatorial Africa, South- East Asia  Forest containing thousands of different species  Fungi, plants, trees, animals  Has been evolving over millions of years  Extreme diversity among all species  Hot and humid climate year round, consists of rain and sunlight  Deforestation is a major concern for rainforest’s survival (IMAX-Presents)

3. Vertical Structure of the Rainforest  Ground Level  Forest floor, little growth and minute amount of light  Location of extreme decomposition  Understory  Layer of lower canopy, varied levels of leaves and branches  Canopy  Ceiling of tree branches and leaves, largest amount of vegetation  Function: conversion of sunlight to energy through photosynthesis  Overstory  Highest level of the rainforest, consists of trees 20 – 100 ft above the canopy layer (Pantas) http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/canopy/canopy-tour- costa-rica.jpg

4. Deforestation  The act of cutting down trees for personal benefits  Major motivation is for economic purposes  Has a global impact on species, loss of ecosystems, loss of renewable resources, and reduction of carbon sinks (Butler)  Many federal governments have stepped in to help stop (“Preventing Pillage”) http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0901.htm

5. “TREES”- Five Basic Steps to Saving Rainforests  TEACH others about the environment, why it is important, and what they can do to help save the rainforests.  RESTORE the damaged ecosystems by helping replant trees on land previously cut down.  ENCOURAGE others to live without harming the rainforest and environment  ESTABLISH parks to protect rainforests and wildlife  SUPPORT companies and organizations that have made a pledge to help minimize damaging effects to the environment (Butler)

6. Animals of the Rainforest  Consists of up to 50 million species (Pantas)  Over 50% of the world’s species live in the rainforest  When deforestation occurs, animals are forced to either migrate or they die  Animals have special adaptations that enable them to live in the extreme climate  Ex. Parrots, orangutans, ocelots, lemurs, gorillas, etc. http://www.duke.edu/web/nicholas/bio217/jmz28/parrots. jpg http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/wes/webquests_themes/animals/r ainforest_animals/images/ocelot.jpg (Rainforest)

7. Conservation Efforts  Ecotourism  Enables locals to raise money themselves by entrance fees, creating tourism jobs, utilizing accommodations and amenities by locals  Bio-prospecting fees  Giving scientists and other countries the right to use native plants and species for their own benefit without any harm, scientists and countries will give country money for compensation  Corporate sponsorships  Enabling companies and individuals to adopt parks (Butler)

8. References  Butler, Rhett A. “How to Save Tropical Rainforests - Introduction.” Mongabay.com / A Place Out of Time: Tropical Rainforests and the Perils They Face. 9 January 2006. http://rainforests.mongabay.com/1001.htm.  IMAX Presents - Tropical Rainforest. Dir. Ben Shedd. Perf. Geoffrey Holder. Vista Point Ent, 1992. Film.  Pantas, Lee James. "About Rain Forests." Liza's Reef -Coral Reef Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2009.  "Preventing pillage in the rainforest." Economist 390.8620 (2009): 39. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Nov. 2009.  "Rainforest." Rainforest Animals. The Animal Spot, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2009..