Discover the Tropical Rainforest: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Wonders

1. Rainforest Ecosystem

2. Rainforest Lands • A tropical rain forest in one of the wettest parts of the world. • It is almost always raining. An average of 50 to 260 inches of rain falls yearly. • Tropical rainforests produce 40% of Earth's oxygen.

3. Rainforest Weather • There is so much water in the air it feels sticky. • The temperature of the rainforest usually stays around 93 degrees. • The temperature doesn’t change from day to night or throughout the year.

4. Rainforest of the World • Rainforests now cover less than 6% of Earth's land surface.

5. Rainforest Life • Because it is so wet, more than two out of every three plant species in the world grow here. • More than half of all the world’s animal species live in the rain forest.

6. Rainforest Plants • The plants in a rainforest grow so thick that they block out the sun. The ground under the trees is dark. • The plants seem to grow in layers.

7. Let’s look at the plants in the Rainforest.

8. Emergent Plant • The kapok tree can grow to 150 feet or more. It is often described as majestic. • Many plants and animals grow and live in the branches of the kapok tree.

9. Canopy Plant • The durian grows from 90 to 130 feet. • They live between 80 to 150 years. • It is believed that durians only die when they are blown down in a storm or cut down by man.

10. Canopy Plant • Figs are one of the most important plant species of a rainforest. • Figs are very important to the animals of the rainforest. This is because figs bear fruit several times a year.

11. Rainforst Plants Bougainvillea Jambu Bengal Bamboo

12. Let’s look at the animals of the Rainforest.

13. Rainforest animals • Toucans do not fly very well. Instead, they hop among the trees. • Spider Monkeys use their long tails to hang from branches and move quickly through the trees.

14. Rainforest animals • Jaguars pounce from trees onto their prey • Red-eyed tree frogs are nocturnal, or active at night.

15. Rainforest animals • Flying dragons use flaps of skin to glide from tree to tree. • Giant anteaters use their long tongues to catch and eat ants and termites in the ground.

16. How rainforest animals protect themselves • Camouflage- some animals, like the chameleon, use color to blend into their surroundings. This lets them hide from enemies.

17. How rainforest animals protect themselves • Scare Predators – Some animals have body features or markings that frighten enemies. The frilled lizard displays a brightly colored flap of skin that makes it look larger.

18. How rainforest animals protect themselves • Warn predators with colors – Some poisonous animals, like the poison dart frog, warn enemies of their danger with their bright colors.