Tropical Rainforest Thelyda J.B. & Hannah M.

Where are tropical rainforests found? Tropical rainforests are found in the hottest and most humid areas more closely to the equator. The world’s largest tropical rainforests are located in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Best known: The Amazon Rainforest (Brazil), El Yunque (Puerto Rico), & The Congo basin (Africa)

The Tropical Rainforests

climate/weather Climate: Tropical rainforests are hot and wet, with all year- round rainfall and little to no dry- season (closer to the equator) Rainforests belong to the tropical wet climate group. The temperature in a rain forest rarely gets higher than 93°F (33.5°C) or drops below 68°F (20°C) Average humidity is between 77 & 88%. Rainfall is often more than 100 inches a year.

biotic/abiotic (Fauna) Animals:Mammals: Gorilla, Bengal Tiger, Capybara, Chimpanzee, Jaguar, Lar Gibbon, Lemur, Okapi, Orangutan, Siamang, Spider monkey Birds: Great Hornbill, Harpy Eagle, Hoatzin, Parrot , Resplendent Quetzal, Southern Cassowary, Toucan Arthropods: Blue Morpho Butterfly, Leafcutter Ant, Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing Butterfly Amphibians: Poison Dart Frog, Red Eyed Tree Frog Reptiles: Anaconda, Black Caiman, Boa Constrictor, Gaboon Viper, Reticulated Python Aquatics: Manatee & Piranha

Biotic/Abiotic (flora) Flora: Bark, Lianas, Drip Tips, Buttresses, Prop and Stilt Roots, Epiphytes, Bromeliads, Mangroves, Nepenthes.

Food Chain/web

LImiting factor A limiting factor would be sunlight in this biome. Since the rain forest canopy is extremely thick, it limits the amount of sunlight that reaches the forest floor only allowing certain plants to be able to grow and thrive there. Examples:bromeliads,orchids,bougainvillea,strangler figs, etc..

Human Impacts As the human population increases, our need for agriculture, energy, and development space increases aswell.Each year over 90,000 miles of tropical rainforests are harvested by humans.This much deforestation has caused high amounts of carbon being released from machinery and vegetation.50% of the world’s biodiversity comes from these rainforests but this massive deforestation has caused nearly 2% of the rainforest to be lost annually alongside with around 137 species lost per day.This results in loss of Biodiversity,Loss of habitat and imbalance of the ecosystem.

Human lifestyle Indigenous or native people have lived in these rainforests for thousands of years . The communities organize their daily lives different from our culture, everything that they use from medicine to food to clothing comes primarily from the rainforest. They hunt, fish, and gather wild fruits and nuts. They also plant small gardens as a sustainable farming method called shifting cultivation. Due to modern day acts of greed, the indigenous people fight for their land through peaceful demonstrations that may lead to them being arrested or losing their lives.

references http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit 560s6/www/facts.html http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/tropical-rainforest- biome.php http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rainforest.htm