The tropical rain forest is a forest of tall trees in a region of year-round warmth. An average of 50 to 260 inches (125 to 660 cm.) of rain falls yearly.Rain forests belong to the tropical wet climate group. The temperature in a rain forest rarely gets higher than 93 °F (34 °C) or drops below 68 °F (20 °C); average humidity is between 77 and 88%; rainfall is often more than 100 inches a year. There is usually a brief season of less rain. In monsoonal areas, there is a real dry season. Almost all rain forests lie near the equator.Rainforests now cover less than 6% of Earth's land surface. Scientists estimate that more than half of all the world's plant and animal species live in tropical rain forests. Tropical rainforests produce 40% of Earth's oxygen.A tropical rain forest has more kinds of trees than any other area in the world. Scientists have counted about 100 to 300 species in one 2 1/2-acre (1-hectare) area in South America. Seventy percent of the plants in the rainforest are trees. There are four very distinct layers of trees in a tropical rain forest. These layers have been identified as the emergent, upper canopy, understory, and forest floor. Emergent trees are spaced wide apart, and are 100 to 240 feet tall with umbrella-shaped canopies that grow above the forest. Because emergent trees are exposed to drying winds, they tend to have small, pointed leaves. Some species lose their leaves during the brief dry season in monsoon rainforests. These giant trees have straight, smooth trunks with few branches. Their root system is very shallow, and to support their size they grow buttresses that can spread out to a distance of 30 feet. The upper canopy of 60 to 130 foot trees allows light to be easily available at the top of this layer, but greatly reduced any light below it. Most of the rainforest's animals live in the upper canopy. There is so much food available at this level that some animals never go down to the forest floor. The leaves have "drip spouts" that allows rain to run off. This keeps them dry and prevents mold and mildew from forming in the humid environment. The understory, or lower canopy, consists of 60 foot trees. This layer is made up of the trunks of canopy trees, shrubs, plants and small trees. There is little air movement. As a result the humidity is constantly high. This level is in constant shade. The forest floor is usually completely shaded, except where a canopy tree has fallen and created an opening. Most areas of the forest floor receive so little light that few bushes or herbs can grow there. As a result, a person can easily walk through most parts of a tropical rain forest. Less than 1 % of the light that strikes the top of the forest penetrates to the forest floor. The top soil is very thin and of poor quality. A lot of litter falls to the ground where it is quickly broken down by decomposers like termites, earthworms and fungi. The heat and humidity further help to break down the litter. This organic matter is then just as quickly absorbed by the trees' shallow roots. Besides these four layers, a shrub/sapling layer receives about 3 % of the light that filters in through the canopies. These stunted trees are capable of a sudden growth surge when a gap in the canopy opens above them.The air beneath the lower canopy is almost always humid. The trees themselves give off water through the pores (stomata) of their leaves. This process, called transpiration, can account for as much as half of the precipitation in the rain forest. Many species of animal life can be found in the rain forest. Common characteristics found among mammals and birds (and reptiles and amphibians, too) include adaptations to a life in the trees, such as the prehensile tails of New World monkeys. Other characteristics are bright colors and sharp patterns, loud vocalizations, and diets heavy on fruits.
Tropical rainforests are warm, wet forests with many tall trees. In most tropical rainforests, it rains every day with 50% of the world’s quintet animal’s species yet occurs only 2% of the world’s surface. Tropical rainforests are home to a huge number of different plants and animals. All tropical rainforests are endangered.
LAYERS OF A RAINFOREST Here is a look at 4 different layers: EMERGENT LAYER The tallest trees are the emergents, towering as much as 200 feet above the forest floor with trunks that measure up to 16 feet around. Most of these trees are broad-leaved, hardwood evergreens. Sunlight is plentiful up here. Animals found are eagles, monkeys, bats and butterflies. CANOPY LAYER This is the primary layer of the forest and forms a roof over the two remaining layers. Most canopy trees have smooth, oval leaves that come to a point. It's a maze of leaves and branches. Many animals live in this area since food is abundant. Those animals include: snakes, toucans and treefrogs. UNDERSTORY LAYER Little sunshine reaches this area so the plants have to grow larger leaves to reach the sunlight. The plants in this area seldom grow to 12 feet. Many animals live here including jaguars, red-eyed tree frogs and leopards. There is a large concentration of insects here. FOREST FLOOR It's very dark down here. Almost no plants grow in this area, as a result. Since hardly any sun reaches the forest floor things begin to decay quickly. A leaf that might take one year to decompose in a regular climate will disappear in 6 weeks. Giant anteaters live in this layer.next post
The tropical rain forest is a very wet environment, as you hear from the name that contains "rain". The total rainfall for the year is between 1500 and 2500 mm. There is no dry season. Rain falls nearly every day. The temperature during the day is around 30ºC - 35ºC. At night it drops to between 20ºC - 25ºC. There is a little difference between the warmest and the coolest months. The relative humidity is always high. The result of all of this rain, is that the rainforest is filled head to toe with lush green vegetation. Many trees in the rainforest have canopies on them, providing shade for the animals and plants. The canopies help shield the plants and animals from the scorching sunlight. The rainforests are very humid due to the warm sunlight, rain and the canopies shading over the plants keeps in the moisture.The rainforest can be found around the equator between the tropics of cancer and capricorn all around the world, in asia, africa, central and south America, Australia and pacific islands.In the continents of the Americas they are spread across the countries:Belize,Brazil,Colombia,Costa Rica, French Guiana,Guyana,Peru,Suriname and, Venezuela in central and south America.Rainforest plants live in a warm humid environment that allows an enormous variation rare in more temperate climates: some like the orchids have beautiful flowers adapted to attract the profusion of forest insects.Competition at ground level for light and food has lead to evolution of plants which live on the branches of other plants, or even strangle large trees to fight for survival.The aerial plants often gather nourishment from the air itself using so-called 'air roots';. The humidity of the rainforest encourages such adaptations which would be impossible in most temperate forests with their much drier conditions. Bromeliads, Buttress Roots ,Carnivorous Plants ,Epiphytes,LianasOrchids,Saprophytes ,Stilt/Prop Roots, Strangler Fig.It is important for humans as the rain forest has 120 drugs in its trees but the rainforest are disappearing almost 7.8 billions have disappeared and the reasons for destructions are hundreds such as farming, furniture and oil company etc. WHILE TRAVELING PACK YOUR BAGS INCLUDING:WATER PROOF RAIN COAT,COMFORTABLE,SHOES,LONG PANTS,SHIRTS ,TSHIRTS,SWEATERS Which are strongly recommended.Due to thick canopy under story sunblock is not important but incase any problem it should be there.Fact:The suns warmth heats heats the water in two ocean Pacific and Crimbis that is important in the biomes and interns a large amount of rain forest that plays an important factor in ranforest.done by anita some points taken by google and some taken from my notes :)
The tropical rain forest is a forest of tall trees in a region of year-round warmth. An average of 50 to 260 inches (125 to 660 cm.) of rain falls yearly.Rain forests belong to the tropical wet climate group. The temperature in a rain forest rarely gets higher than 93 °F (34 °C) or drops below 68 °F (20 °C); average humidity is between 77 and 88%; rainfall is often more than 100 inches a year. There is usually a brief season of less rain. In monsoonal areas, there is a real dry season. Almost all rain forests lie near the equator.Rainforests now cover less than 6% of Earth's land surface. Scientists estimate that more than half of all the world's plant and animal species live in tropical rain forests. Tropical rainforests produce 40% of Earth's oxygen.A tropical rain forest has more kinds of trees than any other area in the world. Scientists have counted about 100 to 300 species in one 2 1/2-acre (1-hectare) area in South America. Seventy percent of the plants in the rainforest are trees.
ReplyDeleteThere are four very distinct layers of trees in a tropical rain forest. These layers have been identified as the emergent, upper canopy, understory, and forest floor.
Emergent trees are spaced wide apart, and are 100 to 240 feet tall with umbrella-shaped canopies that grow above the forest. Because emergent trees are exposed to drying winds, they tend to have small, pointed leaves. Some species lose their leaves during the brief dry season in monsoon rainforests. These giant trees have straight, smooth trunks with few branches. Their root system is very shallow, and to support their size they grow buttresses that can spread out to a distance of 30 feet.
The upper canopy of 60 to 130 foot trees allows light to be easily available at the top of this layer, but greatly reduced any light below it. Most of the rainforest's animals live in the upper canopy. There is so much food available at this level that some animals never go down to the forest floor. The leaves have "drip spouts" that allows rain to run off. This keeps them dry and prevents mold and mildew from forming in the humid environment.
The understory, or lower canopy, consists of 60 foot trees. This layer is made up of the trunks of canopy trees, shrubs, plants and small trees. There is little air movement. As a result the humidity is constantly high. This level is in constant shade.
The forest floor is usually completely shaded, except where a canopy tree has fallen and created an opening. Most areas of the forest floor receive so little light that few bushes or herbs can grow there. As a result, a person can easily walk through most parts of a tropical rain forest. Less than 1 % of the light that strikes the top of the forest penetrates to the forest floor. The top soil is very thin and of poor quality. A lot of litter falls to the ground where it is quickly broken down by decomposers like termites, earthworms and fungi. The heat and humidity further help to break down the litter. This organic matter is then just as quickly absorbed by the trees' shallow roots.
Besides these four layers, a shrub/sapling layer receives about 3 % of the light that filters in through the canopies. These stunted trees are capable of a sudden growth surge when a gap in the canopy opens above them.The air beneath the lower canopy is almost always humid. The trees themselves give off water through the pores (stomata) of their leaves. This process, called transpiration, can account for as much as half of the precipitation in the rain forest.
Many species of animal life can be found in the rain forest. Common characteristics found among mammals and birds (and reptiles and amphibians, too) include adaptations to a life in the trees, such as the prehensile tails of New World monkeys. Other characteristics are bright colors and sharp patterns, loud vocalizations, and diets heavy on fruits.
Tropical rainforests are warm, wet forests with many tall trees. In most tropical rainforests, it rains every day with 50% of the world’s quintet animal’s species yet occurs only 2% of the world’s surface. Tropical rainforests are home to a huge number of different plants and animals. All tropical rainforests are endangered.
ReplyDeleteLAYERS OF A RAINFOREST
Here is a look at 4 different layers:
EMERGENT LAYER
The tallest trees are the emergents, towering as much as 200 feet above the forest floor with trunks that measure up to 16 feet around. Most of these trees are broad-leaved, hardwood evergreens. Sunlight is plentiful up here. Animals found are eagles, monkeys, bats and butterflies.
CANOPY LAYER
This is the primary layer of the forest and forms a roof over the two remaining layers. Most canopy trees have smooth, oval leaves that come to a point. It's a maze of leaves and branches. Many animals live in this area since food is abundant. Those animals include: snakes, toucans and treefrogs.
UNDERSTORY LAYER
Little sunshine reaches this area so the plants have to grow larger leaves to reach the sunlight. The plants in this area seldom grow to 12 feet. Many animals live here including jaguars, red-eyed tree frogs and leopards. There is a large concentration of insects here.
FOREST FLOOR
It's very dark down here. Almost no plants grow in this area, as a result. Since hardly any sun reaches the forest floor things begin to decay quickly. A leaf that might take one year to decompose in a regular climate will disappear in 6 weeks. Giant anteaters live in this layer.next post
The tropical rain forest is a very wet environment, as you hear from the name that contains "rain". The total rainfall for the year is between 1500 and 2500 mm. There is no dry season. Rain falls nearly every day. The temperature during the day is around 30ºC - 35ºC. At night it drops to between 20ºC - 25ºC. There is a little difference between the warmest and the coolest months. The relative humidity is always high. The result of all of this rain, is that the rainforest is filled head to toe with lush green vegetation. Many trees in the rainforest have canopies on them, providing shade for the animals and plants. The canopies help shield the plants and animals from the scorching sunlight. The rainforests are very humid due to the warm sunlight, rain and the canopies shading over the plants keeps in the moisture.The rainforest can be found around the equator between the tropics of cancer and capricorn all around the world, in asia, africa, central and south America, Australia and pacific islands.In the continents of the Americas they are spread across the countries:Belize,Brazil,Colombia,Costa Rica, French Guiana,Guyana,Peru,Suriname and, Venezuela in central and south America.Rainforest plants live in a warm humid environment that allows an enormous variation rare in more temperate climates: some like the orchids have beautiful flowers adapted to attract the profusion of forest insects.Competition at ground level for light and food has lead to evolution of plants which live on the branches of other plants, or even strangle large trees to fight for survival.The aerial plants often gather nourishment from the air itself using so-called 'air roots';. The humidity of the rainforest encourages such adaptations which would be impossible in most temperate forests with their much drier conditions. Bromeliads, Buttress Roots ,Carnivorous Plants ,Epiphytes,LianasOrchids,Saprophytes ,Stilt/Prop Roots, Strangler Fig.It is important for humans as the rain forest has 120 drugs in its trees but the rainforest are disappearing almost 7.8 billions have disappeared and the reasons for destructions are hundreds such as farming, furniture and oil company etc.
ReplyDeleteWHILE TRAVELING PACK YOUR BAGS INCLUDING:WATER PROOF RAIN COAT,COMFORTABLE,SHOES,LONG PANTS,SHIRTS ,TSHIRTS,SWEATERS Which are strongly recommended.Due to thick canopy under story sunblock is not important but incase any problem it should be there.Fact:The suns warmth heats heats the water in two ocean Pacific and Crimbis that is important in the biomes and interns a large amount of rain forest that plays an important factor in ranforest.done by anita some points taken by google and some taken from my notes :)