Tropical rainforests exist within 28 degrees of the equator, receiving high rainfall annually between 50-260 inches. They cover less than 6% of the Earth's land but are home to over 50% of all animals and plants, and produce 40% of the planet's oxygen. Within a single hectare of rainforest there can be over 42,000 insect species and 1,500 plant species. Major rainforest types include lowland equatorial evergreen, moist deciduous seasonal, montane, and flooded forests. The layers of a rainforest are the forest floor, understory, canopy, and emergent layer, with different environmental conditions and species in each level.
2. • within the latitudes 28 degrees north or
south of the equator (in the equatorial
zone between the Tropic of
Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn).
• An average of 50 to 260 inches (125 to
660 cm.) of rain falls yearly.
• Temperature-higher than 93 °F (34 °C) or
drops below 68 °F (20 °C)
• Humidity- between 77 and 88%;
3. • Covered less than 6% of the Earth’s land
surface
• 50% of animals and plants live
• Produce 40% of Earth’s oxygen
• Two-thirds of all flowering plants can be
found in rainforests.
• A single hectare 42,000 different species
of insect, up to 807 trees of 313 species
and 1,500 species of higher plants.
7. Lowland equatorial evergreen
rain forests
• forests which receive high rainfall (more than
2000 mm, or 80 inches, annually) throughout
the year
• Occurs at the belt of the equator
8. Moist deciduous and semi-
evergreen seasonal forests
• high overall rainfall with a warm summer
• wet season and a cooler winter dry season
• Some trees shed off their leaves on winter
season
9. Montane rain forests
• cloud forests
• Found in cooler-climate mountain areas
• Latitude is between 1500 to 3300 m
12. Forest floor
• Forest Floor
– bottom-most layer
– receives only 2% of the sunlight
– Low vegetation-low sunlight penetration
– contains decaying plant, animal matter and fungi
– Several species of reptiles, amphibians and insects
– Also some large mammals
13. Understory
• Lies between the canopy and the forest
floor
• home to a number of birds, small
mammals, insects, reptiles, and predators
• about 5% of sunlight breaches the canopy
to arrive at the understory causing true
understory plants to seldom grow to 3 m
(10 feet)
• plants have broad leaves
14. Canopy
• primary layer of the forest
• contains the majority of the largest trees,
typically 30–45 m in height
• Tall, broad-leaved evergreen trees
• Supports rich flora and diverse fauna
15. Emergents
• contains a small number of very large
trees, called emergents
• reaching heights of 45–55 m
• few species will grow to 70–80 m tall
• unique faunal species inhabit this
layer(crowned eagle, king colobus, and
large flying fox