PowerPoint Presentation
WHAT IS A RAINFOREST?
Rainforests are the Earth's oldest living ecosystems. They are
so amazing and beautiful.
These incredible places cover only 6 %of the Earth's surface but
yet they contain MORE THAN 1/2 of the world's plant and animal
species!
A Rainforest can be described as a tall, dense jungle. The
reason it is called a "rain" forest is because of the high amount
of rainfall it gets per year. The climate of a rain forest is very
hot and humid so the animals and plants that exist there must learn
to adapt to this climate.
rainforest
Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey:Golden lion tamarin monkeys are
squirrel-sized monkey with long, silky reddish-brown fur that live
in the lowland rainforest of the Atlantic coast of Brazil. They eat
fruit, flowers, gums and nectars of plants, insects, snails, frogs,
lizards and birds' eggs. They are the smallest monkeys in the
world. They are the most endangered species in the world. There are
approximately 800 of these monkeys left in the wild. The reason for
their extinction is their beautiful coloured fur, which the
poachers sell for an amount close to $20,000.
Gorilla:Gorillas are shy, gentle, peaceful animals. Mountain
Gorillas are found in the Virunga volcanoes region in eastern
Zaire, Rwanda and Uganda, and eastern lowland gorilla is found in
eastern Zaire and western lowland gorilla is found in the West
Africa and Congo basin. Mountain and eastern lowland gorillas are
completely vegetarian; eating leaves, stems and fruit of plants
such as bamboo whereas Western lowland gorillas also eat insects
and small invertebrates. It is estimated that about 80 percent of
the gorilla population is extinct. Gorillas face threat in wherever
place they live. Destruction of habitat, hunting by humans and
diseases caused by Ebola virus are the reasons for extinction.
There are about 40 different kinds of toucans. They vary in size
from about 7 inches to a little over two feet. They have short and
thick necks. Toucans are distinguished by large, colorful, yet
lightweight bills. The color of the bill may be black, blue, brown,
green, red, white, yellow or a combination of colors. The bright
colors on his bill help to attract a mate. Toucans also have a
narrow, feather-like tongue. They can be noisy birds with their
calls sounding harsh and raspy. The Red-Eyed Tree Frog is located
in Southern Mexico, Central America including but not limited to
Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama, and northern South America.
Diet
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs are carnivorous and eat mostly insects,
including crickets. They will also feed on other smaller frogs.
Plants need four things: sunlight, water, minerals, warmth.
Leaves are the food factories for plants. In a process called
photosynthesis, sunlight triggers a chemical reaction between water
and minerals, absorbed by the roots, combine with chlorophyll, a
remarkable chemical that gives plants their green color, in the
leaves that produce starches and sugars (food for the plants) and
oxygen. Plants and fruits
Water is absorbed through tiny hairs and rootless that extend
from the plant's roots. The water is supplied to the leaves trough
tubes in the stems, barnacles and/or trunk. If the soil is fertile
nutrients are carried to the leaves in the water. In rainforest
that roots are often shallow because water is abundant. In the
desert the roots often extend deep into the earth, often to all the
way to the water table, many feet below the surface.
Roots are near the surface so the plants can absorb rain water
before other plants do. The surface is also where most of the
nutrients from decaying leaves is located. Buttress help hold the
tree up. During a severe drought the water column system breaks
down. In these conditions the tree is so stressed it produces a
clicking sound analogous to a person gasping for air.