• These incredible places cover only 6 %of the Earth's surface but yet they contain MORE THAN 1/2 of the world's plant and animal species!

A Rainforest can be described as a tall, dense jungle.  The reason it is called a "rain" forest is because of the high amount of rainfall it gets per year.  The climate of a rain forest is very hot and humid so the animals and plants that exist there must learn to adapt to this climate.

As many as 30 million species of plants and animals live in tropical rainforests.

At least two-thirds of the world's plant species, including many exotic and beautiful flowers grow in the rainforests

Rainforests are

between

The Tropicof

Cancer

The Tropicof

Capricorn

• The rainforest has four layers.– Forest floor

• This is on the bottom. It is 0 feet above the ground.

– Understory• This is up to 60 feet above the ground.

– The Canopy• This is 60 – 130 feet above the ground.

– The Emergent Layer. • This is 130 -160 feet above the ground.

•In an average year in a tropical rain forest, the climate is very humid because of all the rainfall, which amounts to about 250 cm per year .Trees in this climate reach a height of more than 164 feet.

• A common estimate is that approximately half of the world's animal species live in rainforests.

Click here for more plant information

Lots of plants grow in the rainforest. e.g bamboo, periwinkleLots of plants grow in the rainforest. e.g bamboo, periwinkle

• The Huli

The Huli are one of the many tribes that live in the remote highland forests of Papua New Guniea.  They live by hunting, gathering plants and growing crops.  Men and women live seperately, in large group houses.  The men decorate their bodies with colored clay and wear elaborate headdresses for ceremonies. 

• The immediate causes of rainforest destruction are clear. The main causes of total clearance are agriculture and in drier areas, fuelwood collection. The main cause of forest degradation is logging. Mining, industrial development and large dams also have a serious impact. Tourism is becoming a larger threat to the forests

• T- teach others about the importance of the environment and how they can help save rainforests.

• R- restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have been cut down.

• E - encourage people to live in a way that doesn't hurt the environment

• E - establish parks to protect rainforests and wildlife

• S -support companies that operate in ways that minimize damage to the environment