Rainforest
Climate- Rainforests are VERY humid and tropical places and get 50- 260 inches of rainfall yearly. Almost all rainforests live near the equator. The average humidity lies between 77-88%. The average temperature is about 68-93 degrees F.
Adaptations- Less than 1% of sunlight that hits the canopy gets to the forest floor. So shrubs and plants living on the ground must adapt to get less sunlight and many variations of sun-capturing forms can be found. The most common is seeing a plant that is wide and thin.
The next variation also has to do with plants on the forest floor. About 3% of rainfall that gets to the canopy reaches the forest floor; even though there is so much rain. Plants have to compensate for this by adapting cupped leaves. This ensures that all water that is rained on a plant will be obtained by the plant.
The next variation has to do with the trees that are blocking all the plants on the forest floor. The trees have to compete against each other by growing taller because the tallest tree gets the most rainfall. Also, if a tree grows over another tree, then it will block the other tree from getting rain and it will take it all for itself.
The next variation has to do with the plants on the forest floor. Since little plants can grow on the forest floor, Vampire bats have to get their food from elsewhere. They cling on to the flesh of other animals and suck their blood like leeches.
The next variation has to do with the animals that are on the forest floor. They can’t get much food from plants because none grow. Instead they feed on other animals so they can get their nutrients. To improve the chance of them getting the animal they are hunting, they use camouflage to hide and sneak up on the prey.
The next variation has to do with the prey that the predators that use camouflage are hunting. The prey need to hide from the predators. They build homes high up in the trees to get away from predators. Animals such as the dawn bat and toucan do this.
The next variation has to do with eating habits of the prey. Since they cannot go to the forest floor without risking getting eaten, animals eat the food they can find in the trees. An example would be chimpanzees or monkeys eating bananas.
The last adaptation has to do with the trees living at the top of the layers of the rainforest. The trees try to grow outwards once they get higher than the surrounding trees to get more water and eliminate competition.
Layers of a rainforest- 1st layer-Trees known as emergent trees are the top layer of the rainforest. They are spaced wide apart, but can grow up to 100 to 240 feet tall! Their umbrella shaped canopies allow these trees to grow over the rest of the forest. They have small; pointed leaves due to them being exposed to the winds above the forest. These giant trees have straight and smooth trunks and have very few branches.
Second layer-This layer contains trees about 60-130 feet from the forest floor. Light is easily available at the top of this layer, but the canopy greatly reduces any light from shining below this layer. The majority of animals that live in the rainforest live in this layer.
Third layer-The understory, also known as the lower canopy, contains 60 foot trees. This layer consists of the trunks of the trees in the layers above it, tall shrubs and plants and a few small trees that will soon die from little rainfall or sunlight or grow up and live. This level is constantly shady due to the higher layers.
Fourth layer-The forest floor is almost always shaded completely except where a tree has fallen which will make an opening, which is quite rare. Almost all of the forest floor will obtain such little light that very few bushes or herbs can grow. This also causes the top soil to be very thin and poor quality.
Questions-
Name one layer of the rainforest and one fact about that layer.
About how much rain do rainforests get per year?
About what is the humidity level of a rainforest?
Name one adaptation in a rainforest.
About how much sunlight gets to the floor of a rainforest?
About how much rain gets to the floor of a rainforest?
How many layers are there in a rainforest?
Adaptations- Less than 1% of sunlight that hits the canopy gets to the forest floor. So shrubs and plants living on the ground must adapt to get less sunlight and many variations of sun-capturing forms can be found. The most common is seeing a plant that is wide and thin.
The next variation also has to do with plants on the forest floor. About 3% of rainfall that gets to the canopy reaches the forest floor; even though there is so much rain. Plants have to compensate for this by adapting cupped leaves. This ensures that all water that is rained on a plant will be obtained by the plant.
The next variation has to do with the trees that are blocking all the plants on the forest floor. The trees have to compete against each other by growing taller because the tallest tree gets the most rainfall. Also, if a tree grows over another tree, then it will block the other tree from getting rain and it will take it all for itself.
The next variation has to do with the plants on the forest floor. Since little plants can grow on the forest floor, Vampire bats have to get their food from elsewhere. They cling on to the flesh of other animals and suck their blood like leeches.
The next variation has to do with the animals that are on the forest floor. They can’t get much food from plants because none grow. Instead they feed on other animals so they can get their nutrients. To improve the chance of them getting the animal they are hunting, they use camouflage to hide and sneak up on the prey.
The next variation has to do with the prey that the predators that use camouflage are hunting. The prey need to hide from the predators. They build homes high up in the trees to get away from predators. Animals such as the dawn bat and toucan do this.
The next variation has to do with eating habits of the prey. Since they cannot go to the forest floor without risking getting eaten, animals eat the food they can find in the trees. An example would be chimpanzees or monkeys eating bananas.
The last adaptation has to do with the trees living at the top of the layers of the rainforest. The trees try to grow outwards once they get higher than the surrounding trees to get more water and eliminate competition.
Layers of a rainforest- 1st layer-Trees known as emergent trees are the top layer of the rainforest. They are spaced wide apart, but can grow up to 100 to 240 feet tall! Their umbrella shaped canopies allow these trees to grow over the rest of the forest. They have small; pointed leaves due to them being exposed to the winds above the forest. These giant trees have straight and smooth trunks and have very few branches.
Second layer-This layer contains trees about 60-130 feet from the forest floor. Light is easily available at the top of this layer, but the canopy greatly reduces any light from shining below this layer. The majority of animals that live in the rainforest live in this layer.
Third layer-The understory, also known as the lower canopy, contains 60 foot trees. This layer consists of the trunks of the trees in the layers above it, tall shrubs and plants and a few small trees that will soon die from little rainfall or sunlight or grow up and live. This level is constantly shady due to the higher layers.
Fourth layer-The forest floor is almost always shaded completely except where a tree has fallen which will make an opening, which is quite rare. Almost all of the forest floor will obtain such little light that very few bushes or herbs can grow. This also causes the top soil to be very thin and poor quality.
Questions-
Name one layer of the rainforest and one fact about that layer.
About how much rain do rainforests get per year?
About what is the humidity level of a rainforest?
Name one adaptation in a rainforest.
About how much sunlight gets to the floor of a rainforest?
About how much rain gets to the floor of a rainforest?
How many layers are there in a rainforest?