The Rainforest

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THE RAINFORESTS
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WHERE CAN YOU FIND THE RAINFOREST

• Tropical Rainforests are found
• close to The Equator ,The
• Equator is a imaginary line
• around the earth, half way
• between the north and south
• poles while Temperate
• Rainforests are found along
• Coats in the temperate
• zone.

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The tallest trees are the emergent's, 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
EMERGENT LAYER

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 tree frogs.

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.

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TRIBES

• We often overlook the millions of people that
  live in
• the rainforests.  Did you know that there are
• about 50,000,000 tribal people living in world's
• rainforests?  These people depend on the forests
• for their food and shelter.  As we cut more and
• more trees and destroy more and more of the
• forests, we are also killing people.  Many native
  
• tribes have been exterminated already because
• their governments failed to protect them from
• logging companies, the mining companies and the
  slash and
• burn farmers.

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TRIBES

• The Hula
• The Hula are one of the many tribes that
• live in the remote highland forests of Papua
• New Guinea.  They live by hunting,
• gathering plants and growing crops.  Men
• and women live separately, in large group
• houses.  The men decorate their bodies with
• coloured clay and wear elaborate
• headdresses for ceremonies. 

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TRIBES

• The Panorama
• One of the largest groups of Amerindian
• people in South America is the
• Panorama.  Their village life is cantered
• around the yank, or communal house.  The
• yank is a large, circular building constructed
• of vine and leaf thatch, which has a living
• space in the middle.  This picture shows
• Panorama men eating a meal. 

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HOW TO SAVE THE RAINFOREST

• Rainforests are disappearing
• very quickly. The good news is
• there are a lot of people who
• want to save rainforests. The
• bad news is that saving
• rainforests is not going to be
• say. It will take the efforts
• of many people working
• together in order to ensure
• that rainforests and their
• wildlife will survive for your
• children to appreciate, enjoy
• , and benefit from.

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RAINFOREST ANIMALS

• There are over 5.6 million animals living in the
  rainforest .And more than half are endangered
  species . The lost of these animals is cause by
  people cutting down to make space for farm land.

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SPIDER MONKEYS

• . Spider monkeys are found in the tropical
  rainforests of Central and South America, as well
  as in regions as far north as Mexico. They dwell
  in the evergreen rainforests, mangrove forests
  and even lowland to mountain forests. These
  monkeys prefer wet forests rather than dry
  regions and are mostly found living in the upper
  canopy, almost never coming near the ground. The
  spider monkey is considered to be a primitive new
  world monkey, which means they originated in the
  North or South America. They have less complex
  brain, unopposable thumbs, wide apart nostrils,
  feet with big toes and small heads. They have
  slender bodies (weigh about 20 pounds), hands and
  limbs and depend highly on their keen binocular
  vision. Before heading to the interesting spider
  monkey facts, let us check out the scientific
  classification of spider monkeys

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ANACONDAS

• An anaconda kills its prey by coiling its
  muscular body around the creature and squeezing
  until the can no longer breathe. Jaws attached
  by stretchy ligaments allow the to swallow its
  whole, no matter the size. Anacondas can go weeks
  or months without eating after a big
  meal. Anacondas like to be in or near water, and
  they are excellent swimmers. Their eyes and
  nostrils are on top of their heads, so they can
  keep their body hidden underwater as they wait
  for . Humans are the anacondas most dangerous .
  In many parts of South America, they are hunted,
  both legally and illegally for their skin and for
  sale in the illegal pet trade. Often, these
  snakes are killed just because people fear and
  dislike them.

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RAINFOREST PLANTS

• There is a fantastic variety of rain forest plant
  life. A typical 10km square area contains 1,500
  kinds of flowering plants and 750 tree species.
  These plants form a system of layers. The top
  layer consists of giant trees up to 75 metres
  tall that tower over the rest of the forest.
• Canopy Trees, 20 to 30 metres tall, form the next
  layer. Shrubs and young trees make up the under
  layer, whilst the last layer is the forest floor
  itself. Ferns, herbs and seedlings that need
  little sunlight for growth are found in this
  bottom layer. Small plants called epiphytes that
  need more sunlight attach themselves to the
  trunks and branches of the canopy trees. They
  never touch the ground, but their aerial roots
  absorb water from the moist air. Vines that have
  roots in the ground climb trees of the top layer
  to obtain the sunlight they require.
• Most tropical rain forest plants are exotic and
  very beautiful. Orchids and bromeliads for
  example are found throughout the canopy and
  under-story. The flowering Rafflesia arnoldi
  which grows on the forest floor has the largest
  flower in the world measuring up to 1 metre
  across. Unfortunately it smells like rotting
  meat! How ever the odour attracts flies which
  carry out the necessary pollination.

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RAINFOREST PLANTS

• The huge top layer trees are also quite strange.
  Many of them have huge base fins known as
  buttresses, which help support them in the poor
  soil, and prevent them being blown over by the
  high winds that can accompany the monsoon. Other
  trees send their roots down from their branches
  to provide extra support. Many trees have also
  evolved protection from leaf eating insects and
  animals, as they produce disagreeable chemicals
  in their leaves making them unpalatable. Others
  grow spines on their trunks and branches making
  it hard for animals to reach their leaves. Some
  have hollows in their branches for ants to nest
  in, and they return the favour by attacking those
  insects and vines that can harm the tree.
• Many rainforest plants are very useful. Food such
  as pineapple, banana, grapefruit, avocado and
  coconut originated there, as did many spices like
  chocolate, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, black
  pepper, ginger and paprika. Chicle, (chewing gum)
  as well as bamboo and balsa wood also come from
  the rainforest.

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WATER LILIES

• Water lilies are the world's largest flowers.
  Water lilies can reach up to 6 feet wide. They
  are found in lakes or rivers, in calm water.
  Water lilies are lightweight and float on the top
  of the water. They can hold a small child, and
  are pollinated by a beetle that is attracted to
  the fragrance. Water lilies are used as food for
  many invertebrates, including insect larvae,
  worms and crustaceans.

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ORCHIDS

• More than 230 orchid species are located in
  Queensland rainforests of Australia. They grow on
  trees, on rocks and in the ground, and some do
  not require sunlight to grow and thrive. They
  rely on fungi and are pollinated by animals and
  the wind. Insects are also attracted to the
  fragrance of the orchids. Many people collect and
  propagate orchids.

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BIRD OF PARADISE FLOWER

• Bird of paradise is found in the South African
  rainforests. The bird of paradise is related to
  the banana plant, and is 3 to 5 feet tall.
  Although the bird of paradise cannot tolerate
  prolonged freezing temperatures, it can tolerate
  temperatures as low as 24 degrees Fahrenheit for
  brief periods of time. The plant is an evergreen
  in the rainforest, and it blooms nearly all year.
  Bird of paradise is popular in gardens and as a
  cut flower.

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MY CONCLUSION

• I learned a lot from doing this project and I
  hope you all did too . Also a big thank you to
  Ms.Sheehan for all of her help and assistance .

BY HEATHER McGHEE