Rainforests

1
Rainforests

• An outline for upper elementary students

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Rainforest Facts

• There are two types of Rainforests Temperate
  and Tropical
• Tropical Rainforests
• These types are found in 85 countries around the
  world
• They are located in the area around the Equator,
  where temperatures stay above 80 degrees
• Temperate Rainforests
• The soil in these rainforests have a lot more
  nutrients in it.
• Temperate rainforests arent as common as
  Tropical.

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More Facts about Rainforests

• Many of the animals found in rainforests are
  found no where else on Earth.
• Some humans also live in rainforests, today,
  there are under 200,000 people living in the
  rainforests.
• Rainforests cover about 2 of the Earths
  surface, but over half the plant and animals on
  Earth live in the rainforest.

• Nearly half of the worlds plants, animals, and
  microorganisms will be destroyed or threatened in
  the next 25 years due to deforestation.
• There are about 3,000 fruits found in the
  rainforests.
• About 2000 trees a minute are cut down in a
  rainforest.

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The 3 layers of a rainforest

• The Forest Floor
• This layer has poor soil.
• Most of the insects live in this layer.
• The Understory
• Many small scrubs and trees are found here.
• Smaller animals (lemurs, tree kangaroos) live
  here as well.
• The Canopy
• Made up of the tops of trees.
• Tropical birds, monkeys and apes are found here.

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Birds in the rainforest

• In a small area in Costa Rica, there are over 500
  different kinds of birds!
• Most of the birds that live in the rainforest are
  big, colorful and loud.

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Other animals in the rainforest

• Monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees are some
  animals that are commonly found in rainforests.
• There are also many different kinds of frogs,
  insects and cats that live there.

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Plants in the rainforest

• Most tropical plants are exotic and very
  beautiful.
• Canopy trees are common in rainforests, and
  many of them can stand up to 100 feet tall!
• Many foods come from rainforest plants, such as
• Pineapples
• Bananas
• Coconut
• Chocolate!

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Types of plants in the rainforest

• Lianes
• The roots of these plants are on the forest
  floor, but they rely on trees for support.
• Epiphytes
• These also get their nutrients from other sources
  but are grounded with roots. Where the nutrients
  come from depends on the species of plant.
• Stranglers
• These start out as Epiphytes but eventually
  produce roots that wrap around the trees they
  live on.

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Where are Rainforests located?
Rainforests are located in a band around the
Equator. This area is called the Tropics.
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Why are rainforests important?

• Plants in the forest create carbon dioxide, which
  helps keep the air we breathe clean.
• The plants and animals in the rainforest provide
  us with food, fuel wood, shelter, jobs and
  medicine.

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Deforestation

• Thousands of rainforests are being cut down.
• Every second, an area of rainforest the size of a
  football field is destroyed.

• When the trees are cut down, it makes it easier
  for rain to wash away the land.
• Without the trees and other plants, floods happen
  in the areas where there used to be trees.

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Deforestation through the years

• Scientists say the rate of deforestation will
  continue for the next 10 to 15 years, then there
  wont be enough forest left to sustain the
  cutting.

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What happens when forests are destroyed?

• Song birds, which help farmers by eating insects,
  cant migrate to Tropical Rainforests
• The people who live in the forests lose their
  homes, culture, and sometimes their lives.
• Some plants that may have medicines in them and
  arent discovered yet, will never be discovered.

• The climate will change because the lack of trees
  will cause the wind to change directions.
• Thousands of species of plants and animals will
  be destroyed forever.
• Floods and drought will become more common
  because the rainforests cant soak up the water
  if they dont exist.

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A cool experiment

• To show how the cutting down of rainforests
  really effects the soil, here is an experiment to
  try
• Put a mound of dry soil in each of two shallow
  containers (like pie pans). Place a sponge
  securely on top of one mound of soil. Slowly pour
  water from a measuring cup onto the sponge until
  the sponge is completely soaked and the soil is
  partly wet too. Pour exactly the same amount of
  water on the soil in the other container. What
  happens to the soil in each container when you
  pour the water? Which soil dries out first?

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Things YOU can do

• Use less paper- most of the paper you write on
  comes from trees that were in rain-forests.
• Use less gas and plastic- These things come from
  oil, which is found in rainforests
• Eat less red meat- After the rainforests are
  slashed and burned, the land is used for pastures
  for cows.

• Fundraise for the rainforest- raising money is
  important to help save the rainforest. Find an
  organization to donate to.
• Write a letter- writing letters to presidents of
  companies that destroy rainforests.
• Educate yourself and others- learn about why they
  are so important

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Some fun Rainforest games

• Memory Game
• Rainforest Word Search