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Rainforests. An outline for upper elementary students. Rainforest Facts. There are two types of Rainforests: Temperate and Tropical Tropical Rainforests These types are found in 85 countries around the world
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Rainforests An outline for upper elementary students
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 aren’t as common as Tropical.
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 Earth’s surface, but over half the plant and animals on Earth live in the rainforest. Nearly half of the world’s 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. More Facts about Rainforests…
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Where are Rainforests located? Rainforests are located in a band around the Equator. This area is called the “Tropics.”
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.
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. Deforestation
Deforestation through the years • Scientists say the rate of deforestation will continue for the next 10 to 15 years, then there won’t be enough forest left to sustain the cutting.
Song birds, which help farmers by eating insects, can’t 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 aren’t 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 can’t soak up the water if they don’t exist. What happens when forests are destroyed?
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?
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 president’s of companies that destroy rainforests. Educate yourself and others- learn about why they are so important Things YOU can do
Some fun Rainforest games… • Memory Game • Rainforest Word Search
