1. Rainforests Part 1 Animals & Their Environment

2. What is a rainforest? What can we infer from the name? High levels of precipitation Typical rainforest has 80- 100 inches of rainfall each year. Illinois – average is only 38 inches of rainfall a year.

3. Rainforest Fast Facts Only 2% of the land masses House over 50% of species of the world! Estimates that they have between 3-50 million species! BIODIVERSITY Produce over 80% of Earth’s oxygen

4. Two types of Rainforests TropicalTemperate

5. Temperate Rainforests

6. Tropical Rainforests

7. So, what’s the difference between Tropical and Temperate Rainforests? Tropical Only a small percentage of tropical forests ARE rainforests. Must lie between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn Over 750 types of trees Warmer temperatures – warm year round Temperate Made up of deciduous or coniferous trees Contain the tallest trees in the world (Redwoods) Cooler temperatures – cold winters, hot summers

8. ITCZ Inter Tropic Convergence Zone This is what supports the Tropical Rainforests of the world Belt of Low Pressure that circles the earth around the equator Where the Northern & Southern Trade Winds converge Noted for severe thunderstorms http://www2.palomar.edu/users /pdeen/Animations/23_Weather Pat.swf http://www2.palomar.edu/users /pdeen/Animations/23_Weather Pat.swf http://www2.palomar.edu/users /pdeen/Animations/23_Weather Pat.swf http://www2.palomar.edu/users /pdeen/Animations/23_Weather Pat.swf