temperate conditions Rainforests are made up of many more layers than the temperate forests that might be near your home The first layer of the rain forest is called the forest floor and it's the first layer that we'll explore As you step into this layer the first thing you might notice is the darkness You will probably also find that it's very humid There are very few plants in this layer of the rainforest because only a small amount of sunlight is able to filter down through the upper layers Soon however you will see that the forest floor is actually teeming with life Let's find out about the creatures and plants that call this dark and humid layer home Decomposers Almost everything that dies in the rainforest ends up on the forest floor The fallen leaves and dead ani mals that end up there become food for an abun dance of insects bacteria and fungi that help to decompose or break down these things into soil Together with the humidity of the forest they make the forest floor an efficient decomposing machine In fact an ordinary leaf that would take up to a year to decompose on the floor of a temperate forest near your home could completely decompose and disap pear on the floor of a tropical rainforest within six
Give Me the Dirt All that is decomposed gives life to other organisms It becomes soil that provides nutrients for plant life It becomes food for critters such as worms How do you think the dirt in your neighborhood is made It also comes from decomposing plant and animal mat ter The decomposition just happens a lot slower than in the rainforest You can see the process in action by creating your own container for compost or decomposing material What You Need A grown up to assist Garbage pail either plastic or metal See Drill Soil or peat moss
Se Grass clippings Se Shredded newspapers Water A Shovel What You Do 1 Ask a grown up to drill many large holes all around the pail This will allow air to get into the compost The bacteria and fungi that will be working to break down the matter into soil need the oxygen from the air just as we do 2 Place a layer of soil or peat moss in the bottom of the pail Sprinkle with water 3 Next add a layer of grass clippings or shredded newspaper Water Repeat the layers until you have filled the container at least halfway 4 Stir the contents of the pail about every two weeks Add enough water periodically so that the lay ers do not dry out Keeping the layers moist will make the container like the forest floor It will also keep the container from becoming too smelly After about a month or two you will have some dark rich soil to add to your garden The Worms Go In and the Worms Go Out
Worms worms worms It seems like worms are everywhere doesn't it They really are Earthworms the worms that we're most familiar with belong to a group of worms known as segmented worms There are over 9 000 species of segmented worms in the world and that is only a fraction of all the worms that are in the world You probably see the most worms after a rain has drawn them out of the soil They slither along on driveways and roadways in puddles and on sidewalks More worms are in the soil out of view There can actually be millions of worms living in your backyard Many of the worms in the rainforest do the same thing that the earthworms do in your backyard They ingest or take in dirt as they move through the soil and excrete or eliminate it after it's finely ground in their gizzard and lime from their stomachs is added to it If you want to find worms at work use a stick to poke around moist areas of decaying leaves in the evening You might catch a worm pulling the leaves into its burrow The leaves flowers and other plant matter that it pulls into its burrow help enrich the soil as these items decay Rainforest Reflection
