Tropical Rain Forest

The Tropical Rain Forest is one of the world’s most essential biomes. Humid and

warm, this biome is specialty supports most of the world’s plants and animals. This

terrain also plays a major role in the earth’s environment; and in fact without it, life

anywhere else would be in peril.

Climates in the tropical rain forest are much warmer then most climates of the

world. Due to the fact that these areas are located near the equator, they receive immense

amounts of the sun’s rays; therefore, causing a warm and humid climate. In most areas of

the rain forest, and average afternoon morning can reach up to averagely seventy-seven

degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, their rainfall exceeds more then 200 centimeters per

year. At the equator, extreme amounts of heat and sunlight causes water to evaporate at a

quicken rate. The water is taken from rivers, streams, lakes and oceans; as well as from

plants and animals. The water, in the form of warm humid air, rises above the cooler air;

and then, begins to cool down. Since cool air is retains less water then warm air, the cool

air then release droplets of water, which causes rain.

The tropic climates of the rain forest can have malicious or beneficial effects on

its communities. Equatorial regions are very unstable due to the conveying air masses. In

these areas, people may experience a variety of tropical storms: monsoons, floods,

cyclones, droughts, and fires.

The monsoon is a weather condition of immense rain with a combination of

strong winds. Frequent during the wet season, these monsoons earn their name as the

monsoon season. Winds of a monsoon can travel and average of 15 miles per hour. These

monsoons are vital to the survival of areas such as Africa and India. The huge water
supply insures survival for animals and plants alike. However, when arrived in quantities

too great, monsoons can give birth to catastrophic floods.

Floods occur due to a variety of reasons. First, extreme arrivals of water from

precipitation can cause a flood. Water from over flowing rivers, caused by precipitation,

or man made agents, can submerge an area underwater. Secondly, volcanic activities can

also cause floods. Areas close to the coast are susceptible to this type of flooding. The

Tropical rain forest, which is near the equator, is also close to the ridges of tectonic

plates. When these tectonic plates act, huge tidal waves are formed; they are also called

tsunamis. These tsunamis can engulf an entire area of land and sweep through with large

amounts of water: devastating homes, destroying terrains and soil through erosion, and

killing many lives.

Cyclones are weather conditions of extremely strong winds. These cyclones are

consisting of an average of thirty-five miles per hour winds and have a diameter of these

storms are at an average of 1,250 miles-2,000 miles. These strong winds, traveling in a

clockwise direction, can uproot countless trees, smack out homes, and so on. Usually

forming at sea, it is hope that these cyclones weaken, as they get closer to the coastal

areas. For a fact, these cyclones are called “Willie willies” in Australia.

Droughts and fires are conditions causes by weather and geography. When one

travels further away from the equator, the amount of rainfall decreases. These droughts

are frequent in the upper levels of the canopy; the upper canopy protects the lower

canopy. Drought occurs during the dry season and can lead to fires due to dry leaves and

trees. Through the help of human agents, or thunderstorms, the dry upper canopies of the

forest may spark. This may reduce a tropical rain forest to a savannah.
 In the tropical rain forest, there is a diversity of plants and animals. It is the home

to the world’s most exotic plants and animals. In fact, over 50% of the world’s species of

plants and animals are in the rain forest alone. This diversity also provides humans with

nearly all of its medicines. It is absolutely amazing that, even-though scientist are able to

send a space rover to Mars, they are still unable to identify all of the organisms in a

tropical rain forest.

There are a variety of plants and animals in the rain forest; each having an

adaptation essential to its survival and the survival of other organisms. The calliope

humming bird for instance, ranging in sizes of 10-21 cm, extract nectar with their long,

curved beaks. As they extract this nectar, pollen is stuck on their bodies. This allows

them to pollinate the flowers as they travel from flower to flower. Then, there is the

Rafflesia plant. One of the world’s largest flowers in the world, these parasitic plants

produce a horrendous smell, which smells like rotting carrion. This smell aids it in

reproduction as it attracts flies that act as pollinators. Sarcastically, some believe that

these flowers, for their size and intense scent, are the perfect valentines gifts to love ones.

Finally, there is the chromatophore chameleon. Their skin has pigments that can alter its

color, according to the background. This adaptation helps it avoid predators, and allow it

to hunt with ease. Their tongue also helps them survive in the wild. Chameleons are

capable of expanding their tongue to the length of their body. Equipped with a sticky end,

and born with lightning speed reflexes, this creature can capture bugs at an instant. This

is only a sample of the diversity of the rainforest, and it’s majestic beauty.

The Tropical Rainforest is home to the world’s most unique organisms, and home

to many of the solutions to our problems; but however, this biome is facing severe
problems and may one day face extinction to all of it’s vast contents. The first problem of

discussion is deforestation. Due to the spread of disease by mosquitoes, the dwelling area

of these organisms (the tropical rain forest) can be of great nuisance. Disease such as

yellow fever, malaria, Lympatic filariasis, and HIV, are they main concern for

deforestation. Furthermore, industrialization, or farming of the area, where trees have to

be cleared out for man made improvement, is also a desire for deforestation. The second

threat to the rain forest is global warming. Due to increasing carbon emissions, the ozone

layer traps more heat then normal in the atmosphere, while at the same time increase the

worldwide temperature. These increase in temperatures cause havoc in the weather

patterns of plants, and animals, thus changing the landscape. In other words, altering the

rain forest.

The consequences for clearing the rain forest or any other biome can become

deadly. First of all, clearing the rain forest can furthermore worsen the problems of global

warming. Due to the fact that the rain forest is composed of miles and miles of trees,

plants, and animals, it serves as a huge storage area for carbon. When this area of carbon

is burnt down, it is release into the atmosphere, thus increasing the greenhouse affect of

the ozone layer. In result, temperatures will rise, droughts will increase, and water will be

scarce. Secondly, more then 20% of the world’s oxygen is produce in the Amazon Rain

Forest alone. Imagine how much of the oxygen is produce from the rainforest in total.

Deforestation of the rain forest can lead to the world depletion of oxygen, and the

increase of carbon. Lastly through deforestation of the rain forest, any of its secrets will

be lost as well. Most of the known medicines used today is found in the rain forest. It

diversity of plants and animals provide an enormous field database for many chemical
compounds. The chemical compounds, which may cure cancer, HIV, or even

Alzheimer’s may be lost with the rain forest if deforestation continues.

I didn’t want to waste another piece of paper just to type the one source I used to

write this paper. In fact I got this book from the Prep Charter Library and ,for the first

time, refrained from using the internet.

Ecosystem Tropical Rain Forest Book by Peter D. Moore, Illustrated by Richard Garratt

Copyrighted in 2008