Where on earth do rainforests flourish?
The largest rainforests are in the Amazon River Basin (South America), the Congo River Basin (western Africa), and throughout much of southeast Asia. Smaller rainforests are located in Central America, Madagascar, Australia and nearby islands, India, and other locations in the tropics.
What creates the rainforest layers?
Most rainforests are structured in four layers: emergent, canopy, understory, and forest floor. Each layer has unique characteristics based on differing levels of water, sunlight, and air circulation.
What makes a rainforest different from other forests?
A rainforest is an ecosystem characterized by heavy rain and a dense tree canopy that lets very little light through to the understory. A forest ecosystem must receive over 60 inches of rain per year to be considered a rainforest. The temperate rainforest biome has fewer species due to its cooler climate.
What makes the rainforest unique?
The rainforests are home to half of the Earth’s plant and animal species. They are winter homes to many birds that breed in temperate latitudes. The forests are a potential source of medicinal plants that may benefit everyone on Earth. …
Why do rainforests grow where they do?
Tropical rainforests are found near the equator due to the amount of rainfall and the amount of sunshine these areas receive. Most tropical rainforests fall between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The high temperatures means that evaporation happens at a fast rate, resulting in frequent rainfall.
What are the different layers of forest Class 7?
The Structure of a Forest The five layers of a forest vegetation starting from top and going down are : Canopy, Understorey, Shrub layer, Herb layer and Forest floor. The amount of sunlight available in each layer of the forest decides which type of plants grow and survive there.
Why do different plants and animals live in different layers of the rainforest?
Rain forests are divided into four layers, or stories: emergent layer, canopy, understory, and forest floor. Each layer receives a different amount of sunlight and rainfall, so different types of animals and plants are found in each layer.
How are forests formed?
People can make forest by planting a lot of trees over an area and have them developed into mature trees. Forests can also occur naturally over time. One tree can pop up through a seed and then create millions of other trees.
How are tropical rainforest and temperate rainforest different?
There are two types of rainforests, tropical and temperate. Tropical rainforests are found closer to the equator where it is warm. Temperate rainforests are found near the cooler coastal areas further north or south of the equator. The tropical rainforest is a hot, moist biome where it rains all year long.
What makes the tropical rainforest unique?
The tropical rainforest biome has four main characteristics: very high annual rainfall, high average temperatures, nutrient-poor soil, and high levels of biodiversity (species richness). Despite relatively consistent rain in these ecosystems, there are distinct dry seasons in some rainforests.
What are the four layers of the tropical rainforest?
The tropical rainforest is a complete environment from top to bottom. In general, it is divided into four layers: emergent layer, canopy layer, understory, and the forest floor. These layers host several species of tropical animals and tropical plants. Learn more about these layers below.
How are the rainforests of the world formed?
1 The rainforests of the world are formed of four layers that receive different amounts of rain, wind, and sun, and as… 2 There are rainforests on all continents except Antarctica. 3 There is so little sunlight on the rainforest floor that very few plants grow there, but there are animals that love the… More
Why is the forest floor the darkest part of the rainforest?
Forest Floor Layer. The forest floor is the darkest of all rainforest layers, making it extremely difficult for plants to grow. Leaves that fall to the forest floor decay quickly. Decomposers, such as termites, slugs, scorpions, worms, and fungi, thrive on the forest floor.
What makes the animals in the rainforest live?
Such humidity level is what keeps the animals in this layer alive. The understory also called the strata, is composed of shrubs, herbaceous plants, ferns, climbing plants, and young trees that are well adapted to areas receiving low sunlight. The tree trunks found in this layer come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, thickness, and textures.