By: Dave Bor and Chris George
Click on one of the following links for Information:
The Tropical Rain forest biome is located in Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Africa and Australia. It is found in most equatorial areas. We are specifically looking at the Tropical Rain Forest of the Amazon in South America.
The temperature in the Amazon's Tropical Rain forest is hotter than that outside of the rain forest. Rain comes with the corresponding seasons of Fall and Spring, and there are a few dry months when less than 100 cubic inches of rain fall. No areas in the rain forest are wet throughout the year. There are two rainy seasons, and roughly two dry months.
The 4 kingdoms that we are looking up are Fungi, Plantae, Monera, and Animalia. In the Tropical Rain Forest, there are orchids and moss which represent Plantae, for Monera, we choose to represent general bacteria. Also, there are Sac Fungi in the kingdom Fungi, and Animals such as Chimpanzees in this biome.
Chimpanzees, or Pan Troglodytes, are primates classified in Kingdom Animalia. Primates have highly developed brains and complex social behavior. Also, they have excellent binocular vision and five digits on their hands and feet.
Pythons, or Python Regius, are classified in Kingdom Animalia and Class Reptilia. Reptiles have dry, scale covered skin, three-chambered hearts, and fertilize internally.
The Jaguar, or Panthera Onca, are classified in Kingdom Animalia, and Class Mammalia. Mammals nourish young with milk, have a four- chambered hear, four legs, and breath with lungs.
Wood Ants, or Formica Rufa, are insects classified in Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda, and Class Insecta. Arthropods are classified as having three sections of the body.
The Sac Fungi is classified in Kingdom Fungi, and Phylum Ascomycota. Phylum Ascomycota is characterized by sexual or asexual reproduction, cell walls of chitin, and multi-cellular organisms.
Moss Pink, or Phlox Subulata, is classified in Kingdom Plantae and Phylum Bryophyta. Phylum Bryophyta is characterized by multi-cellular, green plants, lacking true roots, leaves and stems, and water is required for reproduction.
Animals with brown or green coloring are already adapted to the rain forest environment. Since brown and green colors are everywhere in the rain forest, those animals are perfectly camouflaged and protected. The best camouflaged creature is the chameleon. Chameleons change their body color according to the background of whatever it is surrounded by or standing on.
Farmers are a large problem for the Tropical Rain forests in South America. When farmers run out of land to use, they begin to cut trees down in the rain forest to clear room to farm. It is estimated that 6.57 billion cubic feet of rain forest trees will be cut down by the year 2,000. Also, after a few years, the land used by farmers where trees once stood becomes infertile.
Birds and mammals love to eat fruits from trees. When fruits are dropped from fruit trees, even fish go for them. The Amazon River has fish that eat fruit falling from trees. When animals eat the fruit, it helps the tree. The seeds from the fruit are taken by the animals, and scattered through different parts of the rain forest. Then the seeds grow into trees throughout different parts of the rain forest.
www.cotf.edu/ETE/scen/rainforest/whatls.html
www.ran.org/ran/kids_action/animals.html
www.chicojr.chico.k12.ca.us/student/Rainforest/Rainforest.html
McNally, Rand. World Wildlife. New York: Rand McNally & Company, 1973.