Tropical Rainforest

Tropical Rainforests

You are standing in the middle of a hot and muggy tropical rainforest near the equator. As you feel rain hit your head you look up to see trees upon trees which are hundreds of feet tall.When you look at around the area surrounding you, you notice many types of life. Whether it be small plants like ferns or large animals such as jaguars and apes. The tropical rainforest is a very important piece of our earth. This is because they provide much life such as trees and plants. These trees and plants provide oxygen for us and our world. Which is why it is so important to treat it well.This paper will share information about the climate, the food chain, and the landscapes of the tropical rainforests.

Location

Rainforests

Sloths are slow-moving mammals that spend most of their life upside down in trees. They are about the size of an average cat which is about 2 feet. They eat leaves and fruit they find in trees. They are important because they give back nutrients to the tree by the algae that grows on their back. They rub algae on the tree when upside down which gives nutrients back to the tree. Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterflies are butterflies that are the size of an average bird. Its wingspan is about 1 foot. Unfortunately, they are on America’s list of endangered species. They go through the normal butterfly life cycle which is an egg to caterpillar to pupa to butterfly. They are a poisonous butterfly to the predators that prey upon them. Their importance is because they pollinate plants and flowers (“A sampling of Tropical Rainforest

Every living thing in the rainforest is dependent on it. Without it plants would die and so would animals because of the lack of food sources. Photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplasts. In order for photosynthesis to take place, it needs water, the sun's energy, and carbon dioxide. Water is taken in through the roots while carbon dioxide is taken in through chlorophyll in the leaves of the plant. Photosynthesis produces a sugary substance called glucose and also produces oxygen. The products of photosynthesis are then used in the cycle of cellular respiration. This takes place in the mitochondria. In this cycle Cellular respiration takes in the glucose and oxygen produced by photosynthesis and then produces energy(ATP), water, and carbon dioxide. The process then starts again. Both of these cycles are key parts in the carbon cycle (Hackett, Kelly). The carbon cycle is the process in which carbon dioxide is passed throughout the biome. The sun first produces the energy for the plants, such as trees, to use for photosynthesis. Then when the tree or plant dies decomposers ,such as fungi, worms, and bacteria, break down the dead tree and transfer the trees nutrients back into the soil for other plants and animals to use. Animals produce carbon dioxide through cellular respiration and when dead will also be decomposed. Some of the decomposed organisms will turn into fossil fuels which