Title: Welcome to the Rainforest
1Welcome to the Rainforest
2Rainforests cover 2 of the Earths surface, yet
they house over half the plant and animal
species on Earth.
3Tropical rainforests are defined by two factors
Location
Amount of rainfall they receive
4Four layers divide the rainforest into distinct
areas
Emergent
Canopy
Understory
Forest floor
5Emergent
Towers over the rest of the forest, some reaching
200 feet.
Canopy
Most animals live in this green, leafy layer.
Large broad leaves catch and block rain and
sunlight.
6Understory
Made up of tall shrubs, mosses, algae, and fungi.
Forest Floor
Dark, humid. Animals such as jaguars,
tapirs, and ocelots hunt their prey.
7Life at the Top
Birds that live in the canopy spend their time
flying and squawking among the branches.
They stock up on ripe fruit and nuts.
Their feet never need to touch the ground.
8FOREST FAMILIES
Most animals leave their young to look after
themselves.
Others take great care of them.
Young gorillas will stay with their parents
until they are more than 10 years old.
Each baby sloth spends 6 to 9 months hanging on
to the fur on its mothers stomach.
9Flower Power
This giant rafflesia grows on the forest floor
in parts of Asia.
It can be as wide as you are tall.
It has thick warty petals and a spiky center that
stinks of rotten meat.
This smell attracts swarms of flies.
10Going, Going, Gone
Half of the worlds plant and animal species live
in the Tropical Rainforests of the world.
Thirty acres of trees are cut every minute.
Many animals are becoming endangered or extinct.
11THE END