1. Tropical rainforest

2. Tropical Rain Forest

3. Rain Forest Family Forever United Streaming 13:28 http://app.discoveryeducation.com/sea rch?Ntt=rainforest+family+forever

4. -found near the equator -temperature varies little from approximately 23°C -the length of daylight varies from 12 hours by less than one hour -rainforest>2000mm Tropical Rain Forest

5. How many species are lost from tropical forests annually? Over 20,000 How big is the Amazon Rainforest? Half the size of the USA 6% of the land area on Earth but has over 50% of its organisms

6. Rainforests are home to over 50% of the world’s species Brazil has the world’s largest total tropical rain forest acreage Many acres are cleared to raise cattle. There is now 50% less rain forests that 50 years ago.

7. Effects of Deforestation http://app.discoveryeducation.com/playe r/?assetGuid=EA2E9E17-F6CD-4D44- 9481- AD80F4AFD7A3&fromMyDe=0&isPrint erFriendly=0&provider=&isLessonFrom Health=0&productcode=US&isAssigned =false&includeHeader=YES&homework Guid=

8. Tropical Rain Forest -canopy trees up to 55 m tall -largest biome, on an area basis -soils are generally unfertile -nutrients and carbon stored in plant biomass, not soils

9. Tropical Savanna/Seasonal Forest

10. -found in the tropics (but > 10° latitude) -pronounced dry season with <5 cm rainfall in some months Tropical Savanna/Seasonal Forest

11. Strong scent and bright colours of flowers attract insects which assist in pollination Strong scent of fruits attracts animals, which feed on the fruit and assist in dispersal of the seeds Thick, waxy surface of leaves protects against hot sun, heavy rain, and strong winds Aerial roots of epiphytes absorb moisture from the air Tall straight trunks no side branches Thin, smooth bark Buttress roots Shallow spreading root system

12. Orchid - sun-loving roots attached themselves to branches and absorb nutrients Pitcher plant - a carnivorous plant. slippery rim tendril Insects falling into the pitcher are digested, and nutrients which are released are absorbed by the plant. Parasitic plant

13. Structure of the rainforest The dominant plants in a rainforest are giant trees. The hot wet climate enables them to grow all year round, and they remain evergreen, continuously shedding their leaves and growing new ones. The average height of rainforest trees is about 45 metres, although the emergence (trees which tower above the others) may go as high as 90 metres. Smaller trees growing the under story (layer between the canopy and the forest floor). Several layers can be identified within the forest

14. Rainforest plants And the enormous the number of different species of plants grow in rainforests, with many species occurring only in one particular region. Unlike other forests, rain forests have an abundance of : Epiphytes plants which live above the ground growing on tree trunks and branches, Example orchids, ferns, mosses Climbing plants including large woody climbers called lianas which are rooted in the soil and usually reach the canopy. The climbers twist around the tree trunks, and loop from one tree to another in the canopy, binding the trees together.

15.  Tom Abbott, Biddulph High School and made available through www.sln.org.uk/geography and only for non commercial use in schools A Emergent tree canopy B Large trees of Middle layer C Lower tree layer D Shrub/small tree layer E Ground vegetation 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

16. Canopy layer - formed by the crowns of the tall trees and contains a mass of branches, Leaves, flowers and fruit. Conditions in the canopy vary, and include: Hot sunshine Heavy rainfall Tropical storms Middle layer - the Vegetation here is more sparse. The trees tend to have pointed crowns and, when a giant tree falls, they grow quickly to fill a gap in the canopy Conditions within the forest on more or less constant: There is little variation in temperature The air is moist and still Rain on the canopy drips to the forest floor several minutes later A breeze is rare, even during storms

17. ON THE FOREST FLOOR Shrub layer - scattered shrubs, saplings (young trees) and ferns. Herb layer - a few non-woody, soft stemmed plants with thin leaves. Leaf litter - thin layer covers the forest floor. Soil layer - most roots growing the top 10 centimetres whether nutrients are found.

18. Wealth of the Rain Forest The Amazon Rainforest has been described as the "Lungs of our Planet" because it provides the essential environmental world service of continuously recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen. More than 20 percent of the world oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest. More than half of the world's estimated 10 million species of plants, animals and insects live in the tropical rainforests. One-fifth of the world's fresh water is in the Amazon Basin. One hectare (2.47 acres) may contain over 750 types of trees and 1500 species of higher plants. At least 80% of the developed world's diet originated in the tropical rainforest. Its bountiful gifts to the world include fruits like avocados, coconuts, figs, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, bananas, guavas, pineapples, mangos and tomatoes; vegetables including corn, potatoes, rice, winter squash and yams; spices like black pepper, cayenne, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sugar cane, tumeric, coffee and vanilla and nuts including Brazil nuts and cashews.

19. RAIN FOREST IS A MEDICINE CABINET Rainforest plants are rich in secondary metabolites, particularly alkaloids. Biochemists believe alkaloids protect plants from disease and insect attacks. Many alkaloids from higher plants have proven to be of medicinal value and benefit. Currently, 121 prescription drugs currently sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources. And while 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less than 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists..

20. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3000 plants that are active against cancer cells. 70% of these plants are found in the rainforest. Twenty-five percent of the active ingredients in today's cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rainforest. Vincristine, extracted from the rainforest plant, periwinkle, is one of the world's most powerful anticancer drugs. It has dramatically increased the survival rate for acute childhood leukemia since its discovery

21. In 1983, there were no U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers involved in research programs to discover new drugs or cures from plants. Today, over 100 pharmaceutical companies and several branches of the US government, including giants like Merck and The National Cancer Institute, are engaged in plant research projects for possible drugs and cures for viruses, infections, cancer, and even AIDS