Tropical Rainforest Elizabeth Daugherty

Precipitation Range The average yearly rainfall of a tropical rainforest ranges from 80 to 400 inches, or 200 to 1000 centimeters. It rains heavily extremely often.

Temperature Range The average temperature of a tropical rainforest ranges from 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, or 21 to 30 degrees Celsius. The humidity usually ranges from 77% to 88% year-round.

Soil Characteristics Tropical soils are often several meters deep, but the soils are often washed out, with large amounts of nutrients and minerals being removed from the subsoils. Over many millions of years this leaching has left most of the soils lacking many of the fundamental nutrients needed by the above ground vegetation.

Plant Adaptation The leaves of forest trees have adapted to cope with the high rainfall. Many tropical rainforest leaves have a drip tip. These drip tips enable rain drops to run off quickly. Plants need to shed water to avoid growth of fungus and bacteria in the warm, wet climate.

Animal Adaptations Many animals, such as walking sticks and sloths, use camouflage to hide themselves from predators. Other animals, like boas, are nocturnal, because it is easier for them to catch their prey at night. A final adaptation is poison, commonly used by poison dart frogs. The frogs use this as a defense mechanism against predators.

Locations Tropical rainforests are located in a band around the equator (Zero degrees latitude), mostly in the area between the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N latitude) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° S latitude). This 3,000 mile (4800 km) wide band is called the "tropics." The largest rainforests are in the Amazon River Basin (South America), the Congo River Basin (western Africa), and throughout much of southeast Asia. Smaller rainforests are located in Central America, Madagascar, Australia and nearby islands, India, and other locations in the tropics.

Special Characteristics and Sensitivities The rainforests are home to half of the Earth's plant and animal species. They are winter homes to many birds that breed in temperate latitudes. Tropical rainforests help maintain global rain and weather patterns. The ecosystem of the rainforest is based on the most complex interdependence of plants and animals. This is both the forest's strength and its weakness: highly specialized organisms are particularly vulnerable to disturbance, because they cannot adapt fast enough to survive the change.

Citations The Tropical Rainforest. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.soil- net.com/dev/page.cfm?pageid=casestudies_trf&loginas=anon_casestudies n.d.). Retrieved from http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/rainforest.html Krause, J. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/rforest/plants/adapt.htm (n.d.). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/tropical-rainforest- animal-adaptations.html (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/rainforest/Where.shtml Krause, J. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/rforest/explore/special.htm