What are rainforests and why are they important?
What are the 5 reasons that rainforests are important?
- help stabilize the world’s climate;
- provide a home to many plants and animals;
- maintain the water cycle.
- protect against flood, drought, and erosion;
- are a source for medicines and foods;
- support tribal people; and.
- are an interesting place to visit.
What are the problems in rainforests?
- Loss of trees makes global warming worse. Through photosynthesis, trees remove carbon dioxide from the air, produce oxygen, and store carbon as wood. ...
- Impact on Ecosystems. Forests preserve water, soils, plants and wildlife. ...
- Loss of Species. ...
- Harm to Water. ...
Why are rainforest so important?
The rainforest is important resource because of its vegetation help clean the earth atmosphere , regulate the climate, and shelter millions species of plants, animals, insects, and fish. How important is the Amazon rainforest for medicine?
What are facts about rainforests?
What are The Most Interesting Facts About the Rainforest
- Rainforests cover 2.5% of the Earth’s total surface area.
- Tropical rainforests are home to half of the world’s plants and animals.
- The New Guinea rainforest has the most orchid species in the world.
- Over 450 reptile species live in the Amazon rainforest.
- Temperate rainforests make up 25% of all forests in the world.
How does the rainforest help the planet?
How do rainforests help the water cycle?
How do rainforests store water?
Why is the rainforest so poor in nutrients?
What would happen if the rainforests were not reclaimed?
What happens when oil companies remove forests?
How many species of animals are there in the tropical rainforest?
See more
How do rainforests help the world?
Rainforests help stabilize the world’s climate by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Scientists have shown that excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from human activities is contributing to climate change. Therefore, living rainforests have an important role in mitigating climate change, but when rainforests are chopped down and burned, the carbon stored in their wood and leaves is released into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
What would happen if the rainforest was destroyed?
If majority of rainforest were destroyed the affect would be catastrophic. By either causing a drought or a permanent winter. Freezing crops or dehydrating them to the point of destruction.
Location
Tropical rainforests, unsurprisingly, are located in the “tropics." These lie between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer, where sunlight hits at almost exactly a 90-degree angle. The consistent levels of sunlight allow plants to thrive in this biome.
Climate
Because tropical rainforests are located near the equator, they remain at consistently high temperatures throughout the year. On average, a typical day in the rainforest will be approximately 85 degrees Fahrenheit. In most rainforests, there is only a nine-degree difference between “summer” and “winter” temperatures.
Biodiversity
Rainforests make up less than six percent of the world’s landmass, yet contain up to 50 percent of Earth’s land-based species. In the tropical rainforests of Borneo alone, more than 15,000 species of plants have been documented—including over 2,500 species of orchids.
Plant Species
Most of the plants and animals that thrive in the tropical rainforest rely on each other for survival; the rainforest is home to a wide range of beautiful symbiotic relationships. Many plants rely on animals as pollinators, while animals rely on the plants for food.
Animal Species
Approximately half of the world’s animals live in the rainforest. The stunning blue morpho butterfly lives in the tropical rainforests of South America, along with vampire bats, and anacondas. Asia’s diverse rainforests house orangutans, Bengal tigers, and proboscis monkeys.
Benefits of the Rainforest
Rainforests are sometimes referred to as the “lungs of the planet." They help absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, stabilize the climate, provide a home for plants and animals, and are a source of a staggering amount of medicinal plants.
Conclusion
The healing properties of the rainforest are not restricted to natural medicines. Simply taking a walk through this incredible environment can expose you to a wide variety of beneficial terpenes that can benefit both your mental and physical health. If you can visit these rainforests in person, you're in for an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime treat.
What is the importance of the rainforest?
Tropical rainforests are a vital part of the Earth’s ecosystem: Biodiversity: Tropical rainforests support many different species of plants and animals—it’s estimated that around half of all known species on earth live in rainforest environments, from orangutans to bromeliads to amphibians.
What are the medicinal uses of tropical rainforests?
Over time, scientists have used the compounds found in tropical rainforest plants to develop drugs for cancer treatments, migraines, malaria, fevers, and muscular disorders.
What is Jane Goodall's contribution to conservation?
Dr. Jane Goodall shares her insights into animal intelligence, conservation, and activism.
What are the characteristics of a tropical rainforest?
A rainforest must feature the following characteristics to be classified as a tropical rainforest: 1 Year-round warm weather: Tropical rainforests require a very particular climate to support their warmth-loving plant and animal species. The average monthly temperatures never dip below 64 degrees Fahrenheit in most tropical rainforests throughout the world—even during the winter months. 2 High levels of precipitation: Tropical rainforests receive a significant amount of rainfall. An area needs to receive at least 66 inches of rain per year (with no dry season) to qualify as a tropical rainforest. Most tropical rainforests exceed that number, receiving anywhere from 69 to 390 inches of rainfall per year. Some heavily forested areas that do experience a short dry season, such as the Daintree National Park in Queensland, Australia, are classified as “seasonal tropical forests” rather than true tropical rainforests.
Why are tropical rainforests shrinking?
While rainforests are a vital part of our planet’s ecology, they are shrinking because of human activity. Here are some threats that tropical rainforests face: Tree collection: Rainforest trees are a valuable resource in tropical rainforests, but various human activities cut these trees down for other uses.
How much rain does a tropical rainforest receive?
Most tropical rainforests exceed that number, receiving anywhere from 69 to 390 inches of rainfall per year.
What is the process of deforestation?
Deforestation: Deforestation (or forest degradation) is a process by which groves of living trees are killed, and the land is converted to non-forest use— for instance, to use the land for other animals or crops.
How do rainforests help people?
These soils can be used to grow cassava and maize which is the staple diet of the local people. Influence the hydrological cycle - rainforests help to provide water for people. Trees act as a water store by intercepting rainfall.
Why are tropical rainforests important?
Tropical rainforests all over the world have immense importance as they provide a life support system for the planet as well as goods and services to the people who live in them.
How does human activity affect ecosystems?
Human activity can impact on ecosystems. One such ecosystem, the tropical rainforest, faces threats which need to be managed to ensure its survival. Part of. Geography. Weather, climate and ecosystems.
What are the crops that grow in the rainforest?
Food - rainforests can produce food, such as nuts which forms part of the diet of local people in the Amazon. Cash crops - rainforests also produce cash crops, such as the development of wild coffee that resists disease and has a higher yield than the Arabica beans traditionally used by growers in the rest of Brazil.
What happens to vegetation in the rainforest?
Erosion and Flooding. During heavy downpours, the mass of vegetation in the rainforest catches and holds much of the rain, then 'disposes' of it through evaporation and transpiration; it acts like a bog umbrella breaking the force of the rain and protecting the ground surface.
Why are trees important to the environment?
Where trees are cut down in large numbers, this natural protection is removed, soil erosion increases and minerals are washed away. Trees also help to control the amount of water that is held in the soil. In areas around the world where forests have been felled, the rainfall patterns have changed.
What are some examples of medicines that are made in the rainforest?
For example, Vincristine, a drug taken from the rosy periwinkle of Madagascar has allowed an 80% remission rate for some forms of childhood leukaemia.
How long have people lived in the rainforest?
People. In South East Asia and the Pacific Islands, people have lived in the forests for about 40,000 years, but the earliest signs of human settlement in African forests are no more than 3,000 years old. There are about 1,000 indigenous tribes in the rainforests of the world.
How many trees are there in 2.5 acres of Amazon?
In 2.5 acres of the Amazon there could be 300 different tree species, compared to the 40 found in the whole of the UK! 2.5 acres may also contain over 750 types of trees and 1500 species of higher plants.
Why is the Amazon rainforest important?
The importance of the Amazon rainforest for local and global climate. Tropical forests and woodlands (e.g. savannas) exchange vast amounts of water and energy with the atmosphere and are thought to be important in controlling local and regional climates 3. Water released by plants into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration ...
What do rainforests take from the air?
Amazon rainforests and carbon dioxide. What forests take from the air, they can also give back. When forests burn, tree carbon matter is released in the form of CO 2, which pollutes the atmosphere, and of which there are already excessive quantities.
What happens when forests burn?
When forests burn, tree carbon matter is released in the form of CO 2, which pollutes the atmosphere, and of which there are already excessive quantities. Where rainforest and savanna once stood, pastures for cattle-ranching are now appearing.
What would happen if there was no tropical rainforest?
Oxygen, which is released back into the air. Carbon, which allows the plant to grow. So, without tropical rainforests the greenhouse effect would likely be even more pronounced, and climate change may possibly get even worse in the future. 1. Amazon rainforests and carbon dioxide. What forests take from the air, they can also give back.
How does water affect the climate of the ocean?
Water released by plants into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration (evaporation and plant transpiration) and to the ocean by the rivers, influences world climate and the circulation of ocean currents . This works as a feedback mechanism, as the process also sustains the regional climate on which it depends.
Is the Amazon rainforest the only rainforest we have left?
It is also the only rainforest that we have left in terms of size and diversity. But as forests burn and global warming worsens, the impact of Amazon deforestation continues to gradually undo the fragile ecological processes that have been refined over millions of years.
How does the rainforest help the planet?
As well as the vivid beauty that comes with great diversity in plants and animals, rainforests also play a practical role in keeping our planet healthy. By absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing the oxygen that we depend on for our survival.
How do rainforests help the water cycle?
Rainforests also help to maintain the world's water cycle by adding water to the atmosphere through the process of transpiration which creates clouds. Water generated in rainforests travel around the world; scientists think that moisture generated in the forests of Africa ends up falling as rain in the Americas!
How do rainforests store water?
In fact, it is believed that the Amazonian forests alone store over half of the Earth's rainwater! Rainforest trees draw water from the forest floor and release it back in to the atmosphere in the form of swirling mists and clouds.
Why is the rainforest so poor in nutrients?
Surprisingly, soil in the rainforest is very poor in nutrients. This is because the nutrients are stored in the vast numbers of trees and plants rather than in the soil . Tree roots bind the soil together, while the canopy protects the soil from heavy rains.
What would happen if the rainforests were not reclaimed?
Without rainforests continually recycling huge quantities of water, feeding the rivers, lakes and irrigation systems, droughts would become more common, potentially leading to widespread famine and disease.
What happens when oil companies remove forests?
When oil and logging companies come to remove vast areas of forest, they bring diseases which the indigenous people have no resistance to, threatening their survival. Often they are also forced to move away from their homes to unfamiliar places, sometimes even being killed in the process.
How many species of animals are there in the tropical rainforest?
Habitat for animals and plants. Tropical rainforests contain over 30 million species of plants and animals. That's half of the Earth's wildlife and at least two-thirds of its plant species! There are also many more thousands of rainforest plants and animals species still waiting to be discovered.
Location
Climate
Biodiversity
- Rainforests make up less than six percent of the world’s landmass, yet contain up to 50 percent of Earth’s land-based species. In the tropical rainforests of Borneo alone, more than 15,000 species of plants have been documented—including over 2,500 species of orchids. Although all rainforests share common characteristics, many species of plants or animals can only be found in one loca…
Plant Species
- Most of the plants and animals that thrive in the tropical rainforest rely on each other for survival; the rainforest is home to a wide range of beautiful symbiotic relationships. Many plants rely on animals as pollinators, while animals rely on the plants for food. For instance, plants known as epiphytes grow on canopy trees yet do not deplete these trees of nutrients. They simply use this …
Animal Species
- Approximately half of the world’s animals live in the rainforest. The stunning blue morpho butterfly lives in the tropical rainforests of South America, along with vampire bats, and anacondas. Asia’s diverse rainforests house orangutans, Bengal tigers, and proboscis monkeys. Chimpanzees, gorillas, and elephants call the rainforests of Africa home. Cassowaries thrive in the Daintree Rai…
Benefits of The Rainforest
- Rainforests are sometimes referred to as the “lungs of the planet." They help absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, stabilize the climate, provide a home for plants and animals, and are a source of a staggering amount of medicinal plants. In fact, approximately 25 percent of all natural medicines have been discovered in rainforests, and about 70 percent of the plants used i…
Conclusion
- The healing properties of the rainforest are not restricted to natural medicines. Simply taking a walk through this incredible environment can expose you to a wide variety of beneficial terpenes that can benefit both your mental and physical health. If you can visit these rainforests in person, you're in for an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime treat.