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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.
The Mongabay Kids site (kids.mongabay.com) aims to help children learn about rainforests and the environment. This site is still under development and I am working to add additional content as time permits. If you have comments or are interested in submitting educational content for the site, please feel free to contact me.
The site is available in many different languages, including Portuguese, Chinese, French, Spanish, Japanese, and German.
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