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 Tropical Rainforests by Becky & Sara

**Tropical** **Rainforests** around the world are home to a vast range of organisms. From micro organisms to secondary and tertiary consumers, rainforests are extremely diverse and provide for innumerable species. The species of the rainforest are also known to be dangerous to humans and other species alike. From Electric Eels that emit electric currents strong enough to kill anything in that body of water, to flesh eating Piranhas, a human is never safe. Because rainforests can support so many types of animals, they are sanctuaries that must be preserved for the sake of the organisms living in them, also for the sake of humans and global health. Rainforest Strata

The Rainforest is divided into different zones, also known as strata. Each zone of the Rainforest contains different species of living and living conditions. The strata are: ** Forest Floor: **  Generally the largest animals in the rainforest live in this zone along with insects. Only 2% of light projected onto the Rainforest reaches the forest floor. ** Understory: ** A cool and dark zone above the forest floor but underneath the leaves of the trees. ** Canopy: ** The higher part of the trees. The environment is great for insects, birds, reptiles and small mammals. ** Emergents: ** The tallest trees in the Rainforest which are much larger than average. This zone houses many birds and insects. Tropical Climate

Rainforests are tropical climates. The average temperature in a rainforest ranges from about 68°F- 93°F throughout the year. Average rainfall is more than 100 inches a year, and there is usually a 88% humidity. **Monteverde Forest, Costa Rica** has attracted tourists and biologists for the last 20 years. Below is a chart from 2003-2004 illustrating the yearly rainfall per monthes per season:



Natural Resources

Medicine and antecdotes are constantly being extracted from the rainforest. An example of a plant that modern scientists have taken from rainforests is **Clavillia,** which is used to kill viruses, bacteria and fungi. This type of flower is used in common antibiodics. Another plant used in popular culture is the **Cocoa Tree,** whose leaves and seeds are supposed to treat fevor, fatigue and anxiety. The Cocoa plant is also the key ingredient to one of the world's favorite foods, chocolate.

Food Webs
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 * [[image:environmentalsciencehh2/african_rf_foodweb72.jpg width="552" height="426"]] ||  ||
 * The Bambuti and Batwa people of Africa hunt and eat small monkeys. ||  ||

Native Plants & Animals


 * Plants Native to the Rainforest
 * [[image:Slc_Leopard_Lou.jpg width="288" height="214" caption="The Orchid"]] || [[image:licuala_ramsayi.jpg width="290" height="216" caption="Licuala Ramsayi"]] ||
 * [[image:brazilian_fireworks.jpg width="292" height="186" caption="Brazilian Fireworks"]] || [[image:heliconia_flower.jpg width="284" height="190" caption="Heliconia Flower"]] ||
 * [[image:bromeliads.jpg width="301" height="224" caption="Bromeliads Flower"]] || [[image:rafflesia_plant.jpg width="290" height="242" caption="Rafflesia Plant"]] ||
 * [[image:pink_powderpuff_(calliandra_maematocephala.jpg width="333" height="250" caption="Pink Powederpuff (Calliandra Maematocephala) "]] || [[image:strangler_fig.jpg width="267" height="417" caption="Strangler Fig"]] ||
 * Animals Native to the Rainforest
 * [[image:Fer-de-Lance.jpg width="315" height="234" caption="Fer-de-Lance Snake"]] || [[image:parrot.jpg width="313" height="231" caption="Parrot"]] ||
 * [[image:Tapir.jpg width="340" height="252" caption="Tapir"]] || [[image:Three_Toed_Sloth.jpg width="320" height="236" caption="Three Toed Sloth"]] ||
 * [[image:tiger.jpg width="335" height="250" caption="Jaguar"]] || [[image:Ulysses-Butterfly.gif width="304" height="225" caption="Ulysses Butterfly"]] ||
 * [[image:2711.jpg width="223" height="323" caption="Leaf Bug"]] || [[image:zoo-lemur-baby-may-09-peter-budd-300x197.jpg width="314" height="206" caption="Ringtail Lemur"]] ||

Historical and Cultural Points of Interest


 * The Amazon,** The worlds largest Rainforest, is 1.7 billion acres and it stretches across nine South-American countries. The majority of the Amazon is in Brazil (60%), although it also covers Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyanna, Suriname and French Guiana. In total, the Amazon represents half of the world's rainforests. It is believed that the Amazon has been around for 55 million years and the extinction of the dinosaurs led to a wetter climate, which may have allowed rainforests everywhere to grow.


 * [[image:amazon.rainforest8.jpg width="350" height="229" caption="Houses of the Locals"]]
 * [[image:23k7od4.jpg width="380" height="243" caption="The Amazon River"]]

Rainforests in Southeast Asia, such as the **Borneo Rainforest** of Malaysia, are the oldest enduring rainforests of all time. Some of these rainforests date back to what scientists estimate is 70 million years. The **El Niño**, an annual temporary climate change in the Pacific Ocean, of 1998 brought on a very weak monsoon season, and because of the lack of rain that year, forests all over Malaysia and Indoneesia became prone to drought and fires raged, desimating trees.


 * [[image:canopy_walkway.jpg width="287" height="343" caption="Borneo Canopy Walkway"]]
 * [[image:kalimantan-fires.JPG caption="Borneo Forest Fires"]]

**Human / Local Uses**
Many of the rainforest's plants are used for medicinal purposes. About 25% of all medicines people use are from rainforest plants. There are approximately 170,000 species of plants in the rainforest and over 2,000 tropical plants have been identified to having anti-cancer properties. The most well-known and used plant of the rainforest is the **Coco Tree**. This tree can produce over 150 different chemicals that can treat anxiety, fever, kidney stones, external cuts, and fatigue. The **Cinchona Tree** found in the rainforest produces Quinine which is used to treat malaria. The plants and resources found in the rainforest have helped people treat and cure inflammation, diabetes, muscle tension, heart conditions, skin diseases, arthritis and much more.

Tropical Rainforest's were the home of many civilizations like the **Mayans**, **Aztecs**, and **Incas** which have played a part of modern local civilizations. These indigenous people were able to build their society and culture within the rainforest. Living without technology these people used the forest as their resources and had contributed greatly to science with their knowledge of the environment.

Human Impacts
Due to the quality of lumber of many trees in the rainforest, as well as the demand for certain products, there has been a large **deforestation** movement within the past decade. Companies have bought thousands of acres of forest for a small fee and are putting up fences and taking down trees everywhere. Deforestation is detrimental to the climate as well as the well being of organisms in the habitat. 8,000 years ago the earth was covered by 14.8 billion acres of rainforest, today only 8.6 billion acres remain. Humans have successfully demolished a little less than 1/2 of the earths rainforests.



Humans have also affected Rainforests through **Pollution.** Air pollution and water pollution have seriously desimated healthy rainforests. Things such as oil spills and mining accidents have led to the endangerment of species all over. However, probably the most harmful of pollutants is **Acid Rain,** which scientists believe will soon spread to harm 15% of rainforests on the planet. Acid rain will kill not only trees and plants, but it will ruin food sources for herbivores and spread toxins among food webs.


 * Fertilizers and Pesticides** have taken a huge toll on species in the rainforest. By introducing chemicals to enhance tree or plant growth, humans have effectively wiped out an entire group of consumers. Herbivores such as flies and insects have been killed by pesticides. The lack of insects is also a problem for their predators, who must find another species to feed off of or be forced to become extinct.

Future Predictions
Scientists believe that within the next 15 years the deforestation will continue to increase and there will not be enough rainforest left. By the year 2025 scientists predict that there will be half the amount of rainforest there is now and if we keep up the same rate of deforestation and pollution by 2040 there will be no rainforests left at all. Every second an area of two football fields is destroyed, every day an area the size of New York, and every year an area twice the size of Florida is completely destroyed. As the population of the world increases, the demand for land and business also increases, this causes more deforestation. The rainforest will begin to vanish at a faster pace until it is completely gone. of rainforest will decrease to nothing. ||  ||
 * [[image:rainforest_remaining.gif width="252" height="282"]] ||  ||
 * As the population increases the amount