What Are Rainforests?

Map by Scholastic, Inc.

Tropical rainforests are located close to the Equator between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. This means that it is

always hot – between 70 and 85o F.

Where are tropical rainforests located?

Photo by David Dudenhoefer

Rainforests are forests where more than 100 inches of rain fall each year so they are always green and full of life. More than half

of the world’s plant and animal species live in rainforests.

Plants need sunlight to grow. At the top of the rainforest, there is more sunlight and so there are more plants.

Some animals can live in the trees while other animals can only live on the ground.

Rainforests have 4 “Layers of Life.”Different plants and animals live in each layer. Why?

©1997 Science Museum of Minnesota / www.ThinkingFountain.org

Very little sunlight reaches the forest floor so few plants can grow. However, there are thousands of species of insects such as ants, beetles and termites crawling around. This agouti paca lives on the forest floor

along with other animals such as jaguars, anteaters and snakes.

THE FOREST FLOOR

Photo by Art Wolfe

Jaguar

Photo by Gerry Ellis

Ocellated Turkey

Photo by Julianne Schrader

Poison Dart Frog

Photo by John Netherton

Each ant in the colony has a different role such as looking for food, keeping predators away, taking care of baby ants and, of

course, cutting leaves. They take the leaves underground and usethem to make fungus in their gardens. Photo by Art Wolfe

Leaf-cutter Ant

From the Forest Floor grows the Understory. It is shaded by the top layers of the rainforest. Many common houseplants come from the Rainforest. The plant that you have in your home or your classroom might grow here! You will also find animals such as butterflies and snakes.

UNDERSTORY

Photo by Labeeb Abboud

Blue Morpho Butterfly

Photo by David Julian

Bromeliads have bright orange, red, blue or purple flowers. Their leaves catch the rain like buckets. Some small frogs, snails, salamanders

and crabs may live their entire lives on a bromeliad. Photo by Chris Wille

Bromeliad

Red-eyed tree frog

Photo by David Julian

The Forest Canopy is like a big umbrella of thick leaves and flowers that shade the parts below it. In these upper layers there is a LOT of sunlight that helps leaves, fruit and seeds grow. Most rainforest animals such as monkeys, bats and birds live up here to be near food and never leave –

even though the canopy can be 90 feet above the ground!

THE CANOPY

Photo by Chris Wille

Scarlet Macaw

Photo by Chris Wille

Black Howler Monkey

Photo by Art Wolfe

Some trees grow so high they peak out from the top of the canopy up to 200 feet. This layer receives the most sun and wind. Animals climb

up here to find food, sunbathe or escape from predators.

EMERGENT LAYER

Photo by Daniel Katz

White-tailed Hawk

Photo courtesy of SalvaNatura

Squirrel Monkey

© M. Alexiades

Rainforests are home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species. Some animals can only be found in the rainforest..

Why are rainforests so important?

Spectacled Bear

Tapir

Toucans

All photos by Art Wolfe

Trees use carbon dioxide and provide oxygen – just the opposite of people. By using a lot of carbon dioxide each day, rainforests keep the temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind levels of the Earth stable. If

there is too much carbon dioxide, those things might change.

The rainforest plays a big role in the Earth’s climate!

Photo by Klabin

There’s a reason why rainforests are called the “world’s largest pharmacies”! We have already developed medicines such as those

used to fight cancer, diabetes and heart diseases from rainforest plants. More cures might be found here one day!

Medicines

Bark from the Cinchona tree has been used to produce Quinine, a drug used to prevent and treat malaria. Cinchona comes from South America.

Photo by C.H.Lamoureux

All of these things originated in the rainforest!

Do you eat bananas? Do you know someone who drinks coffee? Do you use anything made of wood?

Banana tree photo by Chiquita Brands International, Inc.Coffee photo by Bina VenkataramanWood photo by Julianne Schrader

What did you use today that originated in the rainforest?

Oranges Chocolate

Wooden furniture Paper

Paper photo courtesy of DomtarChocolates photo courtesy of City Bakery NYC

Furniture photo courtesy of Gardener’s Supply Co.

There are kids just like you who live very close to the rainforest. Like us, they depend on the rainforest every day.

This is Romel. He works on his family’s farm in the rainforest harvesting cacao, which becomes the chocolate that we eat.

Photo by David Dudenhoefer

All Photos by David Dudenhoefer

The Earth loses:

1 acre of rainforest each second;

60 acres each minute;

3,600 acres each hour;

86,400 acres each day;

2,592,000 acres each month;

31,104,000 acres each year.

That means that each second, we are losing enough rainforest to cover an entire football field!!!

Why Rainforests Need Protection

Photo by Walter Smith

It is hard to balance the needs of people and the protection of rainforests. With the world’s population growing every day, there is more and more pressure on forests. Many rainforests are cut down for land to live on or to create products that we all need, such as beef or paper. But wait – we

can still have our rainforest and eat our chocolate, too.

Why are rainforests disappearing?

Photo by Rebecca Butterfield

By asking your parents to choose products that are made in a way that is safe for the forest and for people, you can help save

the rainforest -- and all the plants and animals we depend on and love.

The good news is that the Rainforest Alliance is working to protect the rainforest, and YOU can, too!

Bananas photo courtesy of Chiquita Chair photo by Labeeb Abboud

Photo by David Dudenhoefer

You can also write a thank you letter to companies that are doing a great job making their products rainforest-friendly. Here are just

some of them:Chiquita BananasReybanpac BananasGibson GuitarsKraft Foods, Inc.Favorita Fruit CompanyGreen Mountain Coffee RoastersDomtar Paper

For more companies, visit: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/marketplace

Try using less paper every day. You can also re-use or recycle paper. Ask your parents and teachers how they recycle.

Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!

Photo courtesy of Mohawk Paper

Photo by David Dudenhoefer

Most importantly, the more you learn about rainforests, the more you can teach other people how important they are!

www.rainforest-alliance.org