Rainforests

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RainforestsWhat do you already know?

Fill in as many things as you know already about rainforests.

Gondawana LandUntil about 120 million years ago, the worlds southern continents, including Australia, Antarctica, South America and Africa were joined together in one super continent called Gondawana Land.About 120 million years ago, Gondawana Land began to break up. The continents slowly moved across the surface of the Earth in a process called continental driftClick here to go back to Rainforests in Australia

Climate ChangesAbout 45 million years ago Australia had broken away from Antarctica.This continental drift created a sea between the two countries. A cold current began to circle Antarctica, which made Australias climate more dry. This also made the difference in climate between north and south Australia also increased- the north remained tropical (warm and wet most of the year) whilst the south of Australia became temperate, with four seasons.

History of Rainforests in AustraliaAbout 55 million years ago, Australia, Antarctica and South America were joined together as the last remaining continents of Gondawana Land. Today animals and plants from South-East Asia and Gondawana Land live in Australias rainforest.

Click here to learn more about Gondawana LandSpeciesAustralia continued to move north towards South-East Asia. About 15 million years ago there was a series of ice ages that made the sea levels a lot lower than they are today. This meant there were stretches of land connecting New Guinea and Australia. Plants and animals from tropical South-East Asia eventually crossed to northern Australia. Some of these animals and birds consist of:

Birds Nest Fern Tube Nosed RatLong-tailed pygmy possumRainforests TodayDuring the massive climate changes of the past 55 million years, the climate of northern Australia has remained similar to that of Gondawana Land.This has meant that many species of the original

forest survived in the north.Today subtropical rainforests grow in South-East Queensland and north-east New South Wales.Rainforests TodayWarm temperate rainforests have lots of ferns with just a few tree species and vinery small patches of warm temperate forests grow in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.Cool temperate rainforests grow in Tasmania. They are forests of tall trees that tower above a thick carpet of mosses, lichens and ferns.

Click on the for the states and territories of Australia to be taken to a website to find out more.QUESTION: Why is there no link for Australian Capital Territory and South Australia? Click on the question mark for the answer.ANSWER: Those states and territories dont have any rainforests!Layers of the rainforestThere are four layers of the rainforest:

Emergent LayerCanopy LayerForest FloorUnderstorey LayerClick on the name of each layer to learn more about each

The Emergent LayerThe emergent layer, or top layer is made up of the smallest trees. These may be as tall as 45 metres. The trees in the Emergent Layer have small, waxy leaves. The waxy coating helps the leaves to stay moist and not to dry out, this helps the plants to survive the hot, dry conditions.

Click here to go back to the other layers

The Canopy LayerThe canopy is made up of lower-growing trees whose leaves and branches interlock to form a shady green cover, or rood for the forest.It is the area with the biggest diversity of species and it is understood to be home to 40% of all plant species.Click here to go back to the other layers

Plants of the RainforestAs rainforest trees have to keep pushing their way towards the light, they grow into tall, slender shapes without low branches. The highest branches spread out and interlock in their struggle for sunlight.

TreesStrangler trees, mostly fig trees, grow from seeds that have been eaten by birds. The seeds pass through the birds and end up on the tree branches in their droppings. Seeds then grow, and sends roots down its host trunk. Over the years more roots grow, they thicken and join together to hold onto the host tree, robbing the host tree of its nutrients until it dies.

Strangler TreesEpiphytes are plants that grow on other plants, but do not get nutrients from the host plant. They get their nutrients in a number of ways; have leaves that grow in the shape of baskets to collect other nutrients that decay, leaves that soak up and hold water, collect their energy from the sun and leaves that absorb moisture from the air and rain. Lichins, mosses and funghi are all epiphytes

EpiphytesClick on each of the plant pictures to learn more about each of themAnimals of the RainforestAmethystine Python

King Parrot

Lacewing Butterfly

Cassowary Bird

White-throated Kingfisher

Saw-shelled Turtles

Red-legged Pademelons

Tree Kangaroo

Green Tree Frog

Click on the animals to see what they are called

Aboriginal ImpactAbout 60 000 years ago, Australias first humans- Aboriginal peoples arrived. Their affect on the rainforest was very small. The rainforest provided Aboriginal people with lots of different foods.The creeks provided food such as jungle perch and turtle.Many different types of fruits were eatenAboriginal people discovered how to cook poisonous plants to make them safe to eat.Aboriginals also learnt how to read the changes in seasons, which meant they knew when foods were ready to be eaten.

Aboriginal ImpactAboriginal peoples ate rainforest foods such as the fruit of the Palm Lily.

Aboriginal peoples learnt how to make black beans safe to eat by mashing and soaking them in water to remove the poisons.

Aboriginal peoples knew that when the October glory plant flowered it was time to dig up the brush turkey eggs from their mounds.

Click on each picture to find out how Aboriginals used each of these items.Palm LilyGlory PlantBlack BeansDID YOU KNOW?The Wet Tropics region of north-eat Queensland included several different Aboriginal language groups. This region was occupied by groups including the Tjabukai and KuKu-Yulangi people.

Aboriginal SurvivalAboriginal people cut bark off trees to make shelters (midyahs).Other trees such as the yellow jack (giddul), were used to make canoes.Water carriers were made of bark that was sewn with split cane.Bark of the fig tree was used to make strong string for fishing.Hardwood trees were used to make boomerangs and spearsThe aboriginal people also used forest plants for medicine.

Issues since European SettlementThreats to rainforestsThe biggest threat to rainforests is man. Clearing for mining, timber and farming.

Since 1978, three quarters of Australias rainforests have been cut down.Introduced plant species are now weeds that are killing rainforest species. Introduced species compete with native species for food, light or space.

Animals were brought into Australia as household pets. It didnt take long for them to escape and turn feral. These include cats, foxes, pigs and cane toads.

As rainforests are beautiful places to visit, tourists are attracted to the area. Tourists can damage the areas they come to admire and enjoy.

Rainforest land has been cleared for roads. Vehicles can spread plant diseases from soil, as well as killing plants and animals

Click on the pictures to learn moreAustralian Rainforest Foundation

Deforestation GameClick here to help our hero Congo Jones defeat Larry the Logger and his logging machine before he destroys the whole rainforest, plants and animals!

Climate ChangeClimate change is probably the biggest environmental threat that not only Australia faces, but the whole world.The greenhouse gas effect is caused by gases, such as carbon dioxide, trapping some of the heat from the sun. This causing the world to heat up.Today the greenhouse effect is increasing as more people are using cares, aeroplanes and electricity. These all burn fuels, which produce greenhouse gases.Clearing forests also contributes to the greenhouse effect as trees take in carbon dioxide.Click here to visit the Australian Governments website for climate change.

Climate change and Australian Rainforests

The Amazon RainforestThe Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest on Earth.It covers 40% of the South American continent as well as eight South American countries including Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname. The basin is drained by the Amazon River, the world's largest river in terms of discharge, and the second longest river in the world after the Nile.30% of the worlds animal species are found in the Amazon.Since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed.

Click here to visit the Amazon rainforest website

QuizAustralian rainforests can be divided into four different types. Can you name them? Australia, South America and Antarctica millions of years ago were all joined called?What are the four layers of the rainforest?Which two states or territories in Australia do not have any rainforests?What type of plants are epiphytes?How did Aboriginals know when foods found in the rainforest were ready to be eaten?Why does the clearing of rainforests contribute to the greenhouse gas effect?Climate change increases the severity of which natural disasters?

Answers!Tropical rainforests, Sub-tropical rainforests, Warm temperate rainforests, Cool temperate rainforests.Gondawana Land.Emergent, Canopy, Understorey, Forest Floor. Australian Capital Territory & South Australia.Plants that grow on other plants, but do not get nutrients from the host plant.They learnt to read the seasons. Trees take in carbon dioxide.Bushfires, cyclones, droughts & floods.