RAINFORESTS

Environment
Rainforests are very dense, warm, wet forests. They are havens for millions of plants and animals. The plants of the rainforest generate much of the Earth's oxygen. These plants are also very important to people in other ways; many are used in new drugs that fight disease and illness.

Climate
It is almost always raining in a rainforest. Rainforests get over 2 m (80 inches) of rain each year. This is about 3.8 cm (11/2 inches) of rain each week. The range of temperature in a tropical rainforest is usually between 24-27° C (75° F and 80° F).

Where are Rainforests?
Tropical rainforests are found in a belt around the equator of the Earth.

Animals of the Rainforests
An incredible number of animals live in rainforests. Millions of insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals call them home. Insects are the most numerous animals in rainforests.

Plant Life.
Different animals and plants live in different parts of the rainforest. Scientists divide the rainforest into strata (zones) based on the living environment. Starting at the top, the strata are:

EMERGENTS: Giant trees that are much higher than the average canopy height. It houses many birds and insects.
CANOPY: The upper parts of the trees. This leafy environment is full of life in a tropical rainforest and includes: insects, birds, reptiles, mammals, and more.
UNDERSTORY: A dark, cool environment under the leaves but over the ground.
FOREST FLOOR: Teeming with animal life, especially insects. The largest animals in the rainforest generally live here.
Other features The Importance of Rainforests
Tropical rainforests cover about 7% of the Earth's surface and are VERY important to the Earth's ecosystem. The rainforests recycle and clean water. Tropical rainforest trees and plants also remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their roots, stems, leaves, and branches. Rainforests affect the greenhouse effect, which traps heat inside the Earth's atmosphere.