Humans have used tropical plant extracts as medicine since 10,000BC, Tropical rainforest soil is very poor in nutrients which means tropical forest plants have to be packed full of nutrients in order for them to grow, There is more carbon in tropical forests than in the atmosphere, It takes tropical trees 10 years to absorb 1 tonne of CO2 per year, The Amazon is home to the most species of amphibian in the world, Around 75 million tonnes of tropical fruit are harvested each year, A total of 50,000 different insects have been identified within tropical rainforests, 90% of all tropical rainforest animals are arboreal which means they spend their entire life living on or within tropical forests, Fungi are often found within tropical forests, Some tropical rainforest trees can grow up to 40m within 10 20 years, Tropical rainforest leaves are used to make paper, The tropical forest soils make tropical forests great for farming, It is estimated that tropical forests harbour over two-thirds of all species on earth. Bengal tigers, mountain gorillas, orangutans, jaguars, and blue poison dart frogs are just a few of the magnificent animals found in rainforests. Whats more terrifying, some Amazon facts predict the rainforest will collapse even sooner. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Sometimes the unconscious things we do can cause greater damage. Rainforests are disappearing at an alarmingly fast pace, largely due to human development over the past few centuries. 10. Canopy Layer: In fact, one small segment of the rainforest could contain more frog species than all the frogs in North America! The Brazil nut tree, a vulnerable species, can live up to 1,000 years in undisturbed rainforest habitats. Privacy Policy . Please be respectful of copyright. Sometimes it's almost double that at 450cm. Rainforests add water to the atmosphere through the process of transpiration, by which plants release water from their leaves during photosynthesis. Orangutans build nests every night out of leaves intropical rainforest trees, giving themselves a safe and comfy place to sleep for the night! Around 2% of sunlight actually reaches the ground. Lets read more amazing facts about the biggest rainforests in the world. Wealthy nations drive demand for products, and economic development increases energy use. The rainforest represents the worlds most biologically diverse ecosystems ever to be spotted on Earth! More than 50% of precipitation striking a rainforest is returned to the atmosphere by evapotranspiration, helping regulate healthy rainfall around the planet. The bottom tropical rainforest layer, or the forest floor, receives. Each layer has unique characteristics based on differing levels of water, sunlight, and air circulation. Temperate rainforest trees such as the coast redwood in the U.S. state of California and the alerce in Chile are among the oldest and largest tree species in the world.. There are rainforests in Africa, Asia, Australia, and Central and South America. More than half of the worlds animals live in the rainforest. The world's most expensive coffee is made from coffee beans picked from elephant dung. Butterflies, birds, snakes and small monkeys live in this layer. 2.5 acres of tropical forest are lost every 3 seconds. Large raptors, such as white-tailed hawks (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) and harpy eagles (Harpia harpyja), are its top predators. The Tropical Rainforest Biome Is Home to Over 15 Million Animal Species. Rainforests are important to our food supply. Tropical tropical trees such as balsa are lightweight yet very strong which means they make good building material, In tropical forests, you can find over 1 million different species of flowering plants, The Amazon tropical rainforest is home to approximately 390 billion individual trees, There are over 30,000 tropical plant species in one hectare of tropical rainforest, Tropical rainforests give us 20% of all the oxygen we breathe, Humans first evolved in tropical rainforests, Over 350 million tonnes of organic matter is recycled through decomposition within tropical ecosystems each year, There are more than 50,000 different species of tropical butterfly, There are over 3000 species of tropical fish, Tropical rainforests cover only 2% of the Earths surface but tropical forests provide habitats for more than half of all land-based creatures. It is from 0 feet to 60 feet above the ground. Fact 20: The barks of trees in rainforests tend to be thin and smooth. Although rainforests cover less than 3 percent of the planet, these ecological powerhouses are critical to nearly every aspect of the planets healthincluding our very ability to breathe. 13. Estimates vary from 40% to 75% of all biotic species being indigenous to the rainforests. Palm oil production in Para has led to Amazonian water pollution to the extent that it causes people to feel sick after swimming. Switching to reusable utensils and straws, or buying eco-friendly rubber toys for your pet will make at least a small difference. Cooler temperatures and a more stable climate slow down decomposition, allowing more material to accumulate. Not only do they provide air, water, medicine, food, and shelter to a multitude of living beings, they are also one of our best natural defenses against climate change because of their capacity to absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. 3. Bring the Facts and the Pressure to Win Systemic Change We leverage our globally-recognized research and reports, peaceful direct actions, narrative savvy, and high-level corporate negotiations to force policy and practice solutions for real change on the ground. Lions are famous as Kings of the Jungles, but they usually live in grasslands and savannas. All rights reserved. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. Coffee beans are fed to the elephants in the rainforests of Thailand, then collected and cleaned after the 15-30 hours it takes for them to pass through the elephant's system. The country also signed an agreement with an American pharmaceutical company, Merck, which sets aside a portion of the proceeds from rainforest-derived pharmaceutical compounds to fund conservation projects. The animals living in the emergent layer of the Amazon rainforest include birds, bats, gliders, and butterflies. For example, the Amazon alone has some 1,100 tributaries, 17 of which are over 1,000 miles long. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. Fascinating Facts about the Food Chain in the Tropical Rainforest, The Stunning Flowers of the Amazon Rainforest, Fascinating Facts about the Canopy Layer of the Amazon Rainforest, The Value of the Tropical Rainforest Avocado Tree to People, The Importance of Rubber Trees to the Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem, The tropical rainforest biome covers less than 10% of the Earths surface but more than half of all terrestrial species live here, Rainfall in tropical rainforests varies between 2000-5000 mm per year but tropical rainforests only have distinct wet and dry seasons, In tropical forests, there are between 1-2 million different insect species which support a very rich food chain, Tropical rainforests experience nearly 12,000 tropical storms per year, with tropical trees such as teak able to withstand hurricane-force winds, There are over 1 million different species of tropical flowering plants. #shorts #ytshorts #viral #amazonrainforest@need2knowww In this video you will see the following:The Amazon rainforest is. There is much which can be done to stop or prevent deforestation. 60 interesting Monkey Facts. Many countries are supporting businesses and initiatives that promote the sustainable use of their rainforests. Most lianas produce long shoots with tendrils that attach themselves to a support. Such rapid habitat loss is due to the fact that 40 hectares (100 acres) of rainforest are cleared every minute for agricultural and industrial development. The Tropical Rainforest Biome Covers 7% of the Earths Surface. Discover fascinating facts about toucans' distinctive bills, their conservation status, and what they do way up in the rainforest canopies. Fact 18: Rainforests hold more than two-thirds of the worlds plant species! Fact 22: As trees grow larger within the rainforest, the leaves tend to get smaller. RAINFOREST FACTS. Small, waxy leaves help trees in the emergent layer retain water during long droughts or dry seasons. This rainforest biodiversity is immense, containing. Fact 24: Climbing plants (such as Rattan palms) are abundant in rainforests. thrive. In 2017 alone, we lost 15.8 million hectares of tropical forests; all told, humans have destroyed nearly half of the worlds original forest cover. Rain Forests Facts for Kids. While there is some debate about its length, the river is generally believed to be at least 4,000 miles (6,400 km) long, which makes it the second longest river in the world after the Nile River in . Gorillas, a critically endangered genus of primate, are crucial for seed dispersal. The Amazon River, for instance, is home to the boto (Inia geoffrensis), or pink river dolphin, one of the few freshwater dolphin species in the world. Cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and ginger are just a few spices of the rainforest. 30 Fun Penguin Facts For Kids Youll Wish Youd Known, What is a Spit Landform in Geography? Nearly 1.6 billion peoplemore than 25% of the worlds populationrely on forest resources for their livelihoods, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and most of them (1.2 billion) use trees on farms to generate food and income. There is even a tropical rainforest in Alaska! . For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. A rainforest is an area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall. Her motto is Treat animals like you treat humans, with love and respect!, Youve seen reports on the horrific truth behind factory farms. 21. A fifth of all of the fresh water in the world can be found in the Amazon Basin. Examples of forests that meet these criteria can be found at the flanks of the equator in Asia, Africa, South, and Central America and South America. The Amazon basin contains the world's largest rainforest, which is nearly the roughly of the continental United States and covers about 40 percent of South America. Massive amounts of solar radiation are absorbed, helping regulate temperatures around the globe. Because of their warmth and moisture, tropical rainforests produce. Nearly two-thirds of the Amazon rainforest lies within the borders of Brazil. More than a hundred (100) millimeter of rainfalls every month (equivalent to about 4 inches of rainfall). The rainforest provides shelter and food for animals and plants. Such humid air produces extreme and frequent rainfall, ranging between 200-1000 centimeters (80-400 inches) per year. We also make medicine from some of the plants there. 8. Usually, the association is not parasitic. Logging. The flower weighs up to 7kg (approximately 15 pounds) while its petals span almost 1 meter (approximately 1 yard). Here's what everyone should know about rainforests: 1. The Amazon rainforest covers an enormous 6.7 million square kilometres. The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest. A typical exception is the Palm tree (whose bark does not follow the described trend). Most rainforests are structured in four layers: emergent, canopy, understory, and forest floor. In rainforests on the island of New Guinea, pygmy gliders populate the emergent layer. Therefore, hagfish depend on the water gradient for osmosis. In the Amazon rainforest, large-scale agricultural industries, such as cattle ranching, clear huge tracts of forests for arable land. Amazon rainforest. These species vary widely between rainforests in different world regions. Fact 21: Many plants in the rainforests tend to have large leaves (particularly those of the understory and midstory sections e.g Banana tree). They include orchids, lilies, heliconia and bromeliads. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Rainforests rich biodiversity is incredibly important to our well-being and the well-being of our planet. The fungi can even consume the plastic in an oxygen-free environment, leading many environmentalists and businesses to invest in research to investigate if the fungi can help reduce waste in urban landfills. Animals call the understory home for a variety of reasons. Rainforests are the Earth 's oldest living habitats, with some having existed for at least 70 million years. The canopy blocks winds, rainfall, and sunlight, creating a humid, still, and dark environment below. One of the tropical rainforest characteristics is the diverse terrestrial ecosystems. Tasmanias temperate rainforests have pine trees that. In the Amazon rainforest, the towering trees of the emergent layer include the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa) and the kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra). Many individuals, communities, governments, intergovernmental organizations, and conservation groups are taking innovative approaches to protect threatened rainforest habitats. Your IP: Tropical rainforests encompass approximately 1.2 billion hectares (3 billion acres) of vegetation and are sometimes described as the Earths thermostat. A falling raindrop can travel 10 minutes from a rainforests canopy to the bottom floor. Even larger predators, including leopards (Panthera pardus), skulk in the darkness to surprise their prey. Fig trees, common throughout most of the worlds tropical rainforests, may be the most familiar fruit tree in the canopy. Forests are also natural water filters, keeping pollution and debris from flowing into water supplies and slowing the movement of rainwater so it flows into underground reserves. Now, lets explore the third biggest rainforest and see why the New Guinea rainforest is important. Rainforests are home to more than half of the planets. It can take around 100 years for tropical trees to grow 1 cm, Tropical rainforests act as a carbon sink which means they absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide, African tropical rainforests create one fifth of the worlds oxygen, More than 75% of medicines have been developed from tropical plant extracts, The Amazon tropical rainforest produces approximately 10 billion tonnes worth of fruits, nuts and other useful products every year, Over 400 million people depend on tropical rainforests for their survival, African tropical rainforest lions are the smallest lions in the world, Tropical rainforests play a crucial role in climate regulation, There are over 200 different species of tropical tree per hectare, Malaria is often found within tropical forests, Sustainably harvesting tropical trees can create sustainable livelihoods, Rainforest inhabitants use more than 275 different plants for medicinal purposes, Tropical forest soils are very deep and rich, perfect for growing crops, It would take only 1 football pitch sized area of tropical forest to supply enough oxygen to support 4 adults.