Rainforest
When you visit the Rainforest you can enjoy exotic, beautiful waterfalls. This serene setting will bring you up close and personal with the most mysterious places on earth! You will be surrounded by thousands of different plants and animals that are unique to this region.
Location:
The Rain Forest is located in southern North America, Africa, and Asia. It covers approximately 14% of the earth's land surface.
Climate:
In the rain forest it gets really hot (93°-68° F) so you would need light clothing. You need to keep in mind that you will be traveling in dense forest and there are a ton of mosquitoes. The best thing to wear would be light clothing, but it should be clothing like pants and long sleeve shirts. You'll also need hiking boots to get through this area. Another necessary item is a raincoat. It rains most of the time here, anywhere from 50-260 inches a year! That is a lot of rain and you'll need protection to keep yourself dry.
Wildlife:
There are several different kinds of plants and animals in the Rain forest. In fact, almost half of the species on earth live here. Many mammals and birds live in the trees here to keep them safe and away from predators. One animal that has adapted to live in trees is the new world monkey. These monkeys have tails that allow them to live in trees. Another specific adaptation include camouflage. The dawn bat, for example, only comes out at night. It's black coloring makes it very difficult to spot in the dark.
Some plants that live in the rain forest include Bengal Bamboo, Strangler Figs and the Coconut tree. Plants in the rain forest have the opposite problem from plants in other biomes. While plants in other areas struggle to get enough water, plants in the rain forest get too much water. They shed most of it. Many plants here have an oil coating that allows water to drip off quickly.
Critical Issues
Rain forests are disappearing at about 80 acres per minute. As the population in the world grows, the rain forest is being steadily destroyed to build cities and homes. Loggers also destroy the rain forest. This is a growing problem and needs to be stopped. This deforestation affects the entire world, not just the rain forest itself.
Acid rain is a huge issue in the rain forest biome. Acid rain occurs when pollutants released into the sky and create clouds. When these clouds get heavy with moisture, they produce rain that can completely destroy large parts of the rain forest. This has happened many times and is a growing threat.
Interesting Facts:
*Vines climb onto other trees or plants so they can get to the upper canopy and get sunlight.
* There are over 2500 species of vine here.
*Giant bamboo plants can grow up to 9 inches per day.
*One out of every four ingredients in our medicines is from rain forest plants.
*An area the size of a football field is destroyed here every second.