Hi, I'm Mathew. I'm did this website for areport on the rain forest  in Mr. Wallace's six grade science class. I hope  you find the info here is useful. (Please look at the links at the bottom)
 
 
 
 
 

  The rainforests need your help!
Every day, rainforest trees that are home to millions of
animals around the world are being cut down and
turned into wood or "lumber" for building materials.

  While it is important to build homes for our families,
that does not mean it is O.K. to destroy the homes of
rainforest animals in the process. We must let the
companies that sell lumber know that we do not want
any more "old growth" rainforest woo, which is wood
that came from trees that are hundreds of years old, to
be sold in their stores. One company that sells old growth wood is The Home Depot.

The Home Depot is a big chain of stores that sells old growth rainforest wood like ancient red
cedar, redwood and mahogany. The rainforest trees being cut down for mahogany doors sold at
The Home Depot can be hundreds of years old and as many as 1200 species of plants and
animals live on a single tree!

       You have the power to make a difference! (A message from R.A.N)
 

ACTION ALERT ~ Some Questions And Answers  ~ Information  ~ U.S. Rainforest Some Ways For Kids To Help ~
My favorite links about the Rainforest ~ Main Menu

  A: A tropical rainforest consists of three layers of life:
the canopy, the understory and the forest floor. The
canopy is the treetops (160-220 feet tall!) which make
up the rainforest's green ceiling. Most of the animals of
the rainforest such as monkeys, birds, tree frogs and
even snakes, live in the canopy. The understory is the
young trees, ferns and shrubs that are under the canopy. Most plants in the
understory never grow to adult size because the canopy blocks out most of the
sunlight. The forest floor is the bottom layer of the rainforest. Except for rotting
vegetation which nourishes the thin tropical soil, the forest floor is almost bare.
Large mammals like jaguars and African gorillas live on the forest floor.

  A: Tropical rainforests are located around the
equator where temperatures stay near 80 degrees
year round. Rainforests receive 160 to 400 inches
(400-1000 cm) of rain each year. The largest
rainforests are in Brazil (South America), Zaire
(Africa) and Indonesia (South East Asia). Other
tropical rainforest places are in Hawaii and the
islands of the Pacific & Caribbean.

  A: Tropical rainforests are by far the richest habitat on Earth
. As many as 30 million species of plants and animals - more
than half of all life forms - live in tropical rainforests. At least
two thirds of the world's plant species, including many exotic
and beautiful flowers, as well as plants with medicinal value,
occur in the tropics and subtropics.
  Rainforests are part of the global weather system. Destroying
them alters the hydrological cycle - causing drought, flooding,
and soil erosion in areas where such events were previously
rare. The cutting of forests also changes the albedo or reflectivity
of the earth's surface, which in turn alters wind and ocean current
patterns, and changes rainfall distribution.

-Who are the tribal people of the rainforest?

  A: They are usually called Indians or indigenous
original inhabitants of the rainforests got there.
There are perhaps a thousand or more forest groups
around the world - many close to extinction! In 1900,
Brazil had 1,000,000 (one million) Indians. Today,
there are less than 200,000. Eighty-seven tribes have been killed off in Brazil
since 1900 - that's almost one tribe per year!
  Indigenous people live in small groups or tribes. They are either hunter-gatherers
or hunter-gardeners. They build their homes from trees and palm leaves. They
have their own spiritual beliefs. Rubber tappers also live in the rainforests of
Brazil. They are not Indians but have learned to take rubber from rubber trees
without killing the trees.

  A: Rainforests help control the world's climate. In the
rainforest, it rains a lot and is very hot. When it rains,
the heat makes the rainwater evaporate back into the air
this means it's recycled. Rainwater in the Amazon an be
recycled five to seven times. 50% of rain in some
rainforests comes from evaporation. The clouds that cover
the rainforests around the equator reflect the sun. this keeps the rainforest from
getting too hot.
  Rainforest canopies also absorb carbon dioxide, which is a gas in the atmosphere.
When the rainforests are burned and cleared, the carbon is released. This makes
the weather much hotter and is called the greenhouse effect.

  A: About 80% of the rainforests nutrients comes from
trees and plants. That leaves 20% of the nutrients in
the soil. The nutrients from the leaves that fall are
instantly recycled back up into the plants and trees.
When a rainforest is clear-cut, conditions change very
quickly. The soil dries up in the sun. When it rains, it washes the soil away.

-Won't a rainforest grow back?

  A: Not with the diversity of plants and animal
the Rainforest ecosystems have been developing for hundreds
of millions of years and have species that only live
there.

     Emergent Layer- contains very tall trees. Some taller than 160 feet. Butterflies and birds of prey, such as eagles, are found in this layer.

     Canopy- rises about 100 to 130 feet above the ground. It is thick with vines and trees and gets lots of sunshine. Most of the animals and plants in the rain forest live in the canopy.

    Understory- the layer beneath the canopy. Bushes, shrubs and trees grow there about 50 to 80 feet above the ground. Plants do not grow tall in this layer because it gets very little sunlight. Bats, birds and cats like ocelots live here.

    Forest Floor- the bottom layer of the rain forest has almost no direct sunlight. It is usually bare except for decaying plants and leaves, ferns, moss and other plants that don't need as much sun. Beetles, spiders, tapirs and flightless birds live here.

In the last 30 years, more than 40% of the world's rain forests have been destroyed. Efforts are being made to reverse this destruction through conversation and wise use of natural and renewable resources. This site of Green Horizons will highlight some of the conservation efforts that are now underway to save the tropical rain forests.
 
 

 Did you know we have rain forests right here in the United States? Unlike the tropical variety, these rain forests are temperate, meaning they have a mild climate, and they are dominated by huge trees.
        These forests of the Pacific Northwest once made up over 2,000 miles of lush green wilderness from northern California to Alaska.The heavy rainfall makes perfect environment for big conifers (cone bearing trees like evergreens and bushes). Some common trees are the Douglas
           Fir, Sitka Spruce, and the Red Cedar. Farther south are the Sequoias or Redwoods that can reach a height of over 300 feet.
   Today the forests that remain are much the same as they were 50 million years ago. If protected, these ancient forests could survive for hundreds of years more.
 
 

  1. Help protect endangered species from the
rainforest: don't let anyone in your family
buy anything made of ivory, coral, reptile
skins, tortoise shells, or cat pelts.

  2. Ask your family to avoid buying tropical
hardwoods (furnishings, doors, plywood or
lumber) unless they are certified as being
from sustainable sources. When in doubt,
don't buy it.

  3. Choose cereals, cookies, and nuts that are made from
rainforest products and that advertise their support for
rainforest preservation. If you eat beef, buy beef raised in
 the U.S. (or other non-rainforest countries) - otherwise the
meat may be from cattle raised on land that used to be
rainforest.

  4. Try to buy tree-free paper (paper made form kenaf, hemp,
straw, cotton or 100% post-consumer waste). A major reason
forests are cut is for paper and the less wood-based paper
we use, the less pressure there will be to log rainforests.

  5.Create Your Own Environmental Scrapbook
   Fill it with pictures of forests, animals, the ocean, magazine
and newspaper articles about different environmental issues,and
anything else you can find about the environment.

Tools You Might Need:

    3 ring binder
    paper
    crayons, pens, markers and/or colored pencils
    paints
    ink stamps
    scissors
    tape and/or glue
    magazines and newspapers
 
 

Also BE INFORMED:
Check out books from the library to learn more
about the rain forests and about the animals and
plants that live there. Share your knowledge with
family and friends.

LOOK FOR PRODUCTS MADE FROM RAIN FOREST INGREDIENTS:
See above for a list of some common products made
with rain forest ingredients. When buying wood products
that come from the rain forest, like rosewood, teak or
mahogany, look for phrases such as "sustainable harvested
wood" or "grown on plantations."

VISIT A LOCAL RAIN FOREST:
Many zoos in this country have a special section where you
can see birds, plants and animals that are commonly found in
tropical rain forests.