Rainforests- Explore Its Diverse Animal Life, Fresh Water and More!

　　Embark on a Rainforest Adventure: Uncover Their Vast Animal Kingdom, Pristine Waters, and More!

　　These vibrant domains, brimming with majestic trees, embody the essence of subtropical environments, soaked by copious rainfall. Some of these dense forests receive almost an inch of rain every day. Predominantly dispersed across Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Central and South American continents, the Amazon reigns as the planet’s paramount rainforest. These tropical oases thrive near the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, hugging the Earth’s Equator. The unyielding sun dishes out consistent warmth, cultivating a stable climate. Brazil, Congo, Peru, Indonesia, and Colombia are home to expansive areas of tropical rainforests, with nations such as Bolivia, Papua New Guinea, Mexico, Malaysia, Venezuela, and Suriname housing smaller, yet equally impressive, examples.

　　Rainforest Characteristics
Rainforests are marked by their distinctive features. Each stretches across subtropical latitudes, reaping at least 80 inches of rainfall annually, and nurtures countless animals and plants engaged in "symbiotic" alliances. This mutual dependence guarantees reciprocal advantages for all species. Every rainforest is crowned with a unique "canopy," made up of separate layers that provide refuge for an array of life forms. Most plant and animal species not found on the forest floor flourish within this verdant, alien realm known as the canopy. hovering 100 feet above the ground, the canopy forms a self-contained ecosystem, with scientists estimating that 60 to 90 percent of all rainforest wildlife lives there. Inhabitants of the canopy include monkeys, birds, snakes, small cats, lizards, sloths, and frogs, all adapted to the hotter, drier conditions up above. Many have even evolved the ability to fly, glide, or leap from tree to tree.

　　Exploring Rainforests
Children’s Ecology: Rainforest, Nature Works: Rainforests, Rainforest Education Site, All About Rainforests, Welcome to the Rainforest, Two Types of Rainforests, Rainforest Layers, Tropical Rainforest Strata: Layers of the Rainforest, Explore the Different Layers Within the Rainforest.

　　Rainforest Organisms
Covering less than 2 percent of the Earth’s surface, rainforests are a haven for over 50 percent of all living species. They protect over 170,000 known plant species, with Madagascar alone having 500 species of frogs. A space smaller than two football fields can hold more than 400 species of trees, while Manu National Park is home to over 1,300 species of butterflies. The warm climate and ample sunlight drive photosynthesis, leading to a burst of biodiversity. The canopy provides food, shelter, and hiding spots, promoting predator-prey dynamics that maintain the ecosystem’s equilibrium. Many species, especially insects and fungi, are yet to be discovered, with new species of mammals, frogs, reptiles, and birds identified annually. The rainforest shelters mammals like lemurs, elephants, tigers, jaguars, leopards, monkeys, apes, bats, and rodents, most of which are small and nocturnal. The varied bird population includes hornbills, toucans, raptors, hawks, vultures, and eagles, some of which migrate in winter. Reptiles and amphibians are also plentiful, though many species face threats from habitat loss and environmental changes. Freshwater species, many of them unidentified, prosper in the rainforest’s rivers, with common fish like angelfish and catfish originating from South American rainforests, while exotic species like Beta fish come from Asia.

　　Rainforest Alliance: Species Profiles, Rainforest Animals, Photo Essay of Rainforest Ecology, Water Creatures: A Kid’s Guide to Pond Animals.

　　Indigenous Rainforest Communities
Rainforests also cradle tribal societies that rely on the ecosystem for food, shelter, and medicine. Sadly, many of these ancient tribes have been displaced due to external settlements and governmental actions. The Amazon harbors the largest indigenous population, yet even these communities have felt the modern world’s influence. They continue to depend on hunting and gathering while embracing agriculture and modern tools. The forest’s natural remedies remain a crucial source of medicine for these indigenous groups.

　　Rainforest Tribes, Indigenous People of the Rainforest.

　　Rainforests and the Environment
Rainforests play a crucial role in global climate regulation by absorbing surplus carbon dioxide. Western consumption habits have contributed to the current climate emergency. Deforestation not only devastates ecosystems but also worsens climate change by releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere. Rainforests also help stabilize local temperatures and precipitation levels.

　　The Causes of Rainforest Destruction, Additional Resources, Tropical Rainforest, Virtual Tour of the Amazon, Africa Rainforests, Rainforest Worksheets, Rainforest Biomes, Tropical Rainforest FAQ, Tropical Rainforest Fact Sheets, Passport to the Rainforest, Rainforest Games, The Sounds of the Rainforest, Kids’ Action: Rainforests are Full of Life!, The History of Clean Drinking Water, Toxic Water: A Guide to Acid Rain.