The Rainforest Biome Tropical Madagascar Rainforest By: Muhammad Anwar

What is a Biome? A biome is a large group of ecosystems characterized by a specific climate type of climate and similar communities. Some examples of the ecosystem that can be found is the rainforest, grasslands, deserts and etc.

The Rainforest Biome Rainforests hold the greatest biodiversity of any biome Rainforests are important producers of oxygen Rainforests receive 160-400 inches of rain per year and stay between 69 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit Important products such as medicine, coffee, flavorings, fruits, lumber, rubber, fibers, oils, nuts, and teas come from the rainforest Jaguars, tigers, anacondas, macaws, toucans, parrots, tapirs, and sloths are animals that can be found in rainforests. Tigers can be found in Asian rainforests. Rainforests cover 6% of the Earth’s surface. They are home to 50% of the earth’s species Rainforests are found between the tropic of caner and tropic of Caper corn.  Most rainforests are found near the equator in areas where the rainfall is consistent and rich, such as the Amazon, Africa, the Madagascar and etc.

Map

The Tropical Madagascar Rainforest Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. It is located about 400 km off the southeastern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. The island has three major geographic regions: the central highlands, a sedimentary plain along the western coast, and a narrow and steep escarpment along the eastern coast. The tropical rainforests of Madagascar are located in the low-elevation, humid, and narrow regional strip along the eastern coast of the island More than 2,000 mm of rain fall over this Eco region. Due to its isolation, the island is a biodiversity hotspot with many common species.

Climate In Madagascar the climate is along the tropical coast, temperate inland, and arid in south. They get about 52.8 inches of rain a year.  The wet season in Madagascar is also the hottest time of the year, with temperatures hitting a daily average maximum of 28º C (82º F) in December with a daily low of 17º C (63º F). July is the coolest month with daily average temperatures ranging between a 21º C (70º F) and 9º C (48º F). The daily temperature range averages around 8 º C (46º F) year-round

Plants and Animals The plants that are usually found in the tropical Madagascar rainforest is banana, mango, passion fruit, baobab trees, Madagascar palm trees, pitcher plants, Madagascar orchids, and many other unique Madagascar plants. The animals that are also usually found is Aye-aye, Bamboo lemur, Black lemur, Dwarf lemur, Indri, and thousands of many more animals!

The Madagascar food web is full of unique species The Madagascar food web is full of unique species! The bananas and the orchids act as the producers. The primary consumers include the mouse and the bugs. Next comes the bats, lemurs, frogs, and iguanas as the secondary consumers. Lastly, are the tertiary consumers, which include crocodiles, snakes, and mongoose. We took the many food chains in the food web and made a simple food chain to help better demonstrate the relationship between the different levels of consumers.

Mutualism, Parasitism, Commensalism, Competition, and Predation Ants and fungi are a good example of Mutualism. The ants actively nurture and defend the fungi. The fungi provides nutrients for the ants and both the fungi and the ants benefit therefore it is mutualism. An example of parasitism is between Pearl fish and Sea Cucumber. The Pearl fish live in the Sea Cucumber's cloaca which they enter through the anus. The Pearl fish then breaks through the respiratory membrane and situates its home. An example for commensalism, is bromeliads (plants living on trees in rainforests) and frogs; the frogs get shelter and water from the bromeliad, but the bromeliad is unaffected. An example for predation would be the Lemur’s behavior as the prey, which may be strongly influenced in its avoiding predation by stealthy predators, such as Henst’s goshawk or the fossa

Thank you!

Bibliography "Madagascar's Tropical Rainforest." Madagascar's Tropical Rainforest. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2013. <http://madagascartropicalrainforest.blogspot.ae/2011/11/madagascars-tropical-rainforests.html>. "Geography and Climate of Madagascar." Geography and Climate of Madagascar. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2013. <http://www.east-buc.k12.ia.us/00_01/AF/mad/mad_geo.htm>. "Madagascar Weather, Climate and Geography." Madagascar Weather, Climate and Geography. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2013. <http://www.worldtravelguide.net/madagascar/weather-climate-geography>. "Madagascar Plants." Madagascar Plants. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2013. <http://www.rainforest-facts.com/madagascar- plants.html>. "The Real Animals of Madagascar." The Real Animals of Madagascar. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2013. <http://www.wildmadagascar.org/wildlife/animals.html>. "Introduction." Burns1. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2013. <http://burns1.wikispaces.com/Madagascar Lowland Rainforest>. "What Is an Example of Mutualism in Tropical Rain Forests?" WikiAnswers. Answers, n.d. Web. 04 May 2013. <http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_an_example_of_mutualism_in_tropical_rain_forests>. "What Is an Example of Parasitism in the Tropical Rainforest?" WikiAnswers. Answers, n.d. Web. 04 May 2013. <http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_an_example_of_parasitism_in_the_tropical_rainforest>. "What Is an Example of Commensalism in the Rainforest?" WikiAnswers. Answers, n.d. Web. 04 May 2013. <http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_an_example_of_commensalism_in_the_rainforest>. Karpanty, Sarah M., and Patricia C. Wright. "Predation on Lemurs in the Rainforest of Madagascar by Multiple Predator Species: Observations and Experiments." Springer Link. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2013. <http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-0- 387-34810-0_4.pdf>.