|
Tropical rainforests are
also known as equatorial: they are located near the equator.
Brazil has the largest tropical
rainforest (The Amazon), others are in Southeast Asia, the Pacific
Islands, and Western Africa.
Temperatures average between
70-85F (21-29.5C). These areas are warm all year long.
Tropical areas cover 6-7% of the
Earth's surface.
Having an average of 400 inches
per year, rainforests are a perfect place for trees and plants to grow.
Cacao and Coffee, as well as
Lianas are products that come from these areas.
Bamboo, Bananas, Sugar Cane,
Rubber, Ginger, and Black Pepper are all native of these regions.
Because of the dense and
diversified vegetation a great number of animal species can be found in
the rainforest.
Many different types of birds
(such as the Blue Bird of Paradise) and insects (such as the Flying
Dragon) live only in the rainforest.
Many primates such as the
Orangutan, the Gorilla, and the Chimpanzee live there.
The rainforest is also a
dangerous environment with many poisonous snakes, such as the Vine
snake.
Carnivorous animals like the
Puma and Cougar, are the great hunters of the Rainforest.
There also exist Temperate
Rainforests, which are smaller tropical areas.
The ecosystem of the Temperate
Rainforest is similar to the one of the Tropical Rainforest, with the
exception of dry seasons.
This type of climate is found in
South America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. |