WHAT IS A RAINFOREST? Rainforests are the Earth's oldest living ecosystems.

1. rainforest WHAT IS A RAINFOREST? Rainforests are the Earth's oldest living ecosystems. They are so amazing and beautiful. These incredible places cover only 6 %of the Earth's surface but yet they contain MORE THAN 1/2 of the world's plant and animal species! A Rainforest can be described as a tall, dense jungle. The reason it is called a "rain" forest is because of the high amount of rainfall it gets per year. The climate of a rain forest is very hot and humid so the animals and plants that exist there must learn to adapt to this climate.

2. Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey: Golden lion tamarin monkeys are squirrel-sized monkey with long, silky reddish-brown fur that live in the lowland rainforest of the Atlantic coast of Brazil. They eat fruit, flowers, gums and nectars of plants, insects, snails, frogs, lizards and birds' eggs. They are the smallest monkeys in the world. They are the most endangered species in the world. There are approximately 800 of these monkeys left in the wild. The reason for their extinction is their beautiful coloured fur, which the poachers sell for an amount close to $20,000. Gorilla: Gorillas are shy, gentle, peaceful animals. Mountain Gorillas are found in the Virunga volcanoes region in eastern Zaire, Rwanda and Uganda, and eastern lowland gorilla is found in eastern Zaire and western lowland gorilla is found in the West Africa and Congo basin. Mountain and eastern lowland gorillas are completely vegetarian; eating leaves, stems and fruit of plants such as bamboo whereas Western lowland gorillas also eat insects and small invertebrates. It is estimated that about 80 percent of the gorilla population is extinct. Gorillas face threat in wherever place they live. Destruction of habitat, hunting by humans and diseases caused by Ebola virus are the reasons for extinction.

3. There are about 40 different kinds of toucans. They vary in size from about 7 inches to a little over two feet. They have short and thick necks. Toucans are distinguished by large, colorful, yet lightweight bills. The color of the bill may be black, blue, brown, green, red, white, yellow or a combination of colors. The bright colors on his bill help to attract a mate. Toucans also have a narrow, feather-like tongue. They can be noisy birds with their calls sounding harsh and raspy. The Red-Eyed Tree Frog is located in Southern Mexico, Central America including but not limited to Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama, and northern South America. Diet Red-Eyed Tree Frogs are carnivorous and eat mostly insects, including crickets. They will also feed on other smaller frogs.

4. Plants and fruits Plants need four things: sunlight, water, minerals, warmth. Leaves are the food factories for plants. In a process called photosynthesis, sunlight triggers a chemical reaction between water and minerals, absorbed by the roots, combine with chlorophyll, a remarkable chemical that gives plants their green color, in the leaves that produce starches and sugars (food for the plants) and oxygen.

5. Water is absorbed through tiny hairs and rootless that extend from the plant's roots. The water is supplied to the leaves trough tubes in the stems, barnacles and/or trunk. If the soil is fertile nutrients are carried to the leaves in the water. In rainforest that roots are often shallow because water is abundant. In the desert the roots often extend deep into the earth, often to all the way to the water table, many feet below the surface. Roots are near the surface so the plants can absorb rain water before other plants do. The surface is also where most of the nutrients from decaying leaves is located. Buttress help hold the tree up. During a severe drought the water column system breaks down. In these conditions the tree is so stressed it produces a clicking sound analogous to a person gasping for air.