Tropical rainforests

rainforests cartoons

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WHY ARE RAINFORESTS IMPORTANT?    

Flying over the heart of the Amazon is like flying over an ocean of green: an expanse of trees broken only by rivers. 

Even more amazing than their size is the role the Amazon and other rainforests around the world play in our everyday lives.

While rainforests may seem like a distant concern, these ecosystems are critically important for our well-being.

Rainforests are often called the lungs of the planet for their role in absorbing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and producing oxygen, upon which all animals depend for survival.

 Rainforests also stabilize climate, house incredible amounts of plants and wildlife, and produce nourishing rainfall all around the planet.

Rainforests:

• help stabilize the world’s climate;
• provide a home to many plants and animals;
• maintain the water cycle
• protect against flood, drought, and erosion;
• are a source for medicines and foods;
• support tribal people; and
• are an interesting place to visit

The Tropical Rainforest Rainforest 

Tropical rainforests are among the most mysterious of all geographical biomes in the world. 

A biome is an area with very distinctive plants and animals that have adapted to life in that particular environment. 

Rainforests have covered large portions of the Earth for millions of years, and can have trees that are 1,000 years-old or more.

 They are called rainforests because they are among the wettest areas on Earth, receiving anywhere from 80 to 100 inches of rain a year. 

In most rainforests, the temperature ranges from 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit all year long, and the air is almost always humid. 

Rainforests have four very distinct layers of trees. 

The first is the emergent layer which has giant trees growing from 100 to 240 feet tall. These trees have umbrella-shaped crowns that grow high above the rest of the forest. They have their own distinct plant and animal life. 

The next layer is called the canopy. These trees grow up to 130 feet tall, and they form a tight canopy, or covering, over the rest of the forest which allows very little sunlight to come down. The branches and trunks of these trees are covered with smaller plants and appear to be tied together with hundreds of vines. About 90% of all rainforest animals live way up high in the canopy. 

The third layer is the understory, and it's very shady. Only about 15% of the sunlight from the canopy falls, and it tends be very warm and humid. Trees and leafy plants that require little sun grow here, with the trees growing to about 60 ft. This layer has many smaller trees, shrubs, vines, and plants, but little air movement. There are many animals and insects living in this layer. 

The final layer of the rainforest is the forest floor. It is surprisingly dark and less than 2% of the sun's light reaches this area. Because the sun's rays don't shine on the ground, there is very little plant life on the forest floor. It is an area covered with fallen leaves, seeds, dead flowers, and fruits and branches that decompose very quickly. It also has a distinctive variety of animals and plants that live here. 

Rainforest Facts

 • Rainforests produce about 40% of the world’s oxygen. 

• About 25% of all medicines come from rainforest plants.

 • 1,400 plants in the rainforest are believed to offer cures for cancer. 

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