Rainforest in Peru

WHAT MAKES A RAINFOREST?

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Each rainforest is unique, but there are certain features common to all tropical rainforests.

• Location: rainforests lie in the tropics [map].
• Rainfall: rainforests receive at least 80 inches (200 cm) of rain per year.
• Canopy: rainforests have a canopy, which is the layer of branches and leaves formed by closely spaced rainforest trees [picture]. Most of the plants and animals in the rainforest live in the canopy. The canopy may be 100 feet (30 m) above the ground.
• Biodiversity: rainforests have a high level of biological diversity or “biodiversity”. Biodiversity is the name for all living things—like plants, animals, and fungi—found in an ecosystem. Scientists believe that about half of the plants and animals found on Earth’s land surface live in rainforests.
• Symbiotic relationships between species: species in the rainforest often work together. In a symbiotic relationship, two different species benefit by helping each other—you can think of it as a partnership. For example, some plants produce small housing structures and sugar for ants. In return the ants protect the plants from other insects that want to feed on the plant’s leaves [picture].

• About rainforests
• Rainforest animals
• Rainforest people
• Why are rainforests important?
• Why are rainforests disappearing?
• How can we save rainforests?

FAQs May I use graphics from mongabay.com for my projects? Yes, you may provided that you don't remove the mongabay label from the images. You may use information from the site for class projects and can cite kids.mongabay.com as the source. Is this web site credible? Mongabay is the world's most popular source for information on tropical forests. The site is highly acclaimed by a number of the world's leading tropical scientists and is run independently, meaning it is has no affiliation with advocacy groups or outside corporations. Rhett Butler, who founded Mongabay in 1999 and runs the site today, has published several scientific papers. Can I interview the founder of mongabay.com for my school project? Unfortunately due to the large number of requests and the need to work on the main Mongabay site, Rhett is not available for interviews. However he has answered some common questions on the Rainforest Interview page. Do you have any games or activities? Currently there are a few on the resources page. There may be more in the future. Who are some scientists who study rainforests? Take a look at the Interviews with rainforest experts page. How can I help save rainforests? Some ideas are listed on the Rainforest Solutions page. Where can I learn more about rainforests? There is a wealth of information at the main rainforest site