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Rainforest in Peru
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WHAT MAKES A RAINFOREST?
Each rainforest is unique but there are certain features common to all tropical rainforests.
- Location: rainforests lie in the "tropics"
- Rainfall: rainforests receive at least 80 inches of rain per year
- Canopy: rainforests have a canopy which is the layer of branches and leaves formed by closely spaced rainforest trees. Most of the plants and animals in the rainforest live in the canopy. The canopy may be 100 feet 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. A symbiotic relationship is a relationship where two different species benefit by helping each other. For example some plants produce small housing structures and sugar for ants. In return the ants protect the plants from other insects that may want to feed on the plant's leaves.
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All about Rainforests
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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.
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.com site, Rhett (the person who runs mongabay.com) 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 mongabay.com's rainforest site
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