Endangered Rain Forests: Investigating Rain Forests in Crisis
CHAPTER 1 What Is a Rain Forest A stream flows through a rain forest in Thailand Enter into the warm and colorful tropical rain forest Different shades of green are everywhere Sounds of howling monkeys and croaking frogs come from all directions Cool rain begins to fall Rain forests are rich with life They are home to a huge number of organisms Flowers and vines grow among the trees Birds fly above Snakes slide around below Insects occupy the forest floor Every living thing has its own role in this ecosystem organism a living thing ecosystem a group of animals and plants that work together with their surroundings
Rain forests are not just beautiful and full of life They are necessary for the planet Life on Earth depends on the rain forest in many ways Today rain forests all over the world are in danger of disappearing People are cutting and burning down rain forest trees at a rapid rate These actions destroy plant and animal habitats and have an impact on the whole planet But people can stop the destruction if they are careful Protecting and saving the rain forests takes a global effort a damaged part of a rain forest in Brazil
What's in a Rain Forest EMERGENT TREE Most rain forests are tropical rain forests These forests grow near the equator They are wet and warm year round They grow in Central and South America Africa Asia and Australia CANOPY Rain forest trees grow to different heights Canopy trees are big and tall shading over the other trees Emergent trees shoot out above the canopy Sub canopy trees grow right under the canopy Below the sub canopy are the understory trees More plants grow along the forest floor SUB CANOPY UNDERSTORY Each layer of the rain forest supports different life forms FOREST FLOOR
FACT Scientists believe the earth is home to about 8 7 million species Only 1 2 million species have been discovered It could take up to 1 200 years to record the rest of Earth's species Rain Forest Life Only 2 percent of Earth is covered by rain forests but they house 50 percent of all known plants and animals Some species live only in one area and are found nowhere else on Earth The termite trapping pitcher plant grows only in one location in Malaysia Mountain gorillas live only near the forest bordering Congo and Uganda If one of these species dies out in one forest it is lost forever equator an imaginary line around the middle of Earth species a group of living things with similar features a group of gorillas in the rain forest in Rwanda
