An ecosystem is a community of all organisms in a given area, and the physical environment which they interact with. On the land there are terrestrial ecosystems such as forests, grasslands or rain forests; and in the water there are freshwater and marine ecosystems such as lakes and, say, coral reef. The rain forest is an energetic ecosystem. This means that the rain forest vegetation grows quickly and when dead, decomposes extremely quickly. Rain forest biome is very complex. It includes a myriad of different species of plants and animals that are all adapted to rain, and lots of it. There are different levels of plants in the rain forests. The highest are the tall trees that often, particularly in tropical rain forests, form a closed canopy. On the next level are vines, orchids and epiphytes that grow high up in trees to reach more sunlight. Lower down are tree ferns and similar short trees, and next there is the forest floor - dark but far from lifeless. There are usually four layers in the rain forests. The next layer is the canopy. It is the thick layer that catches all the sunlight and leaves only 5% of light for the plants below. Consequently, the next layer - trees like tree ferns, and other shorter trees, are adapted to very little or no sunlight. Finally, the fourth layer the forest floor gets only 2% of sunlight and is not very crowded with plants. Animal life is also complex. Insects are deeming in what is very favorable conditions for them. Frogs and reptiles thrive. Bird life is noisy and colorful with many species of parrots and cockatoos. Since birds live mostly in the rain forest canopy, rain forest snakes are often tree snakes. Many mammals also live up in trees, whether they are herbivores or carnivore... ... middle of paper ... ...es these forests so dense, lush and rich on species. But, tropical rain forests typically get more rain than temperate ones. They grow in low pressure zone along the equator, while temperate rain forests typically grow on coastal mountains, where the mountain ranges bring high rainfall. The rain forest plays an important role in all our lives, and soon it will all come to an end that will affect us all in some way. So to save the rain forest something must be done fast before, the rain forest becomes nothing but a simple myth. Works Cited http://www.ran.org/ran/info_center/index.html http://www.davesite.com/rainforests/review1.shtml http://www.stevensonpress.com/intro.html http://www.ran.org/ran http://www.mtc.com.my/lib/formal/fact4/overview.htm Nichol, John. The Mighty Rainforest. The Netherlands: David and Charles Printing, 1990.
Depending on the biomes, rainfall and soil can vary. However, the rainfall is typically ranges from 30 cm to 200 cm. In mountainous regions and forest biomes, there would be plenty of rainfall. While in the grasslands, there’s little rainfall. In the temperate zone, there are two main types of trees, coniferous and deciduous. The deciduous trees, in the South, drop their leaves in the winter. Generally, the trees are usually small in height unless in the forest areas. The forests tend to have wide leaves and tall, large trees. The soil in deciduous forests is found to be very fertile. The different amount of rainfall in the forest areas and the grasslands cause the difference between the trees and plant height. The rainfall in forest regions can lead them to be very common with the rainforests. Furthermore, the changes and variation of weather could be the reason as to why the forests shed or don’t shed their leaves. The leaves show a correlation between the fair amount of sunlight during the summer causing the leaves
Tropical rainforests are an extremely unique and diverse ecosystem that are located around the earth’s equator. They once covered roughly 7% of the world, but due to human encroachment that has dwindled to just 2%. It is a highly moisture rich environment that typically receives anywhere between 60 and 400 inches of rainfall annually and average humidity ranges from 70 to 90%. A high average year round temperature, coupled with the moisture rich environment, creates an ecosystem that allows for a level of biodiversity seen nowhere else on the planet. This also results in a specific type of layering design that allows the system to survive and recycle its nutrients.
The canopy is the primary layer of the forest forming a roof over the two remaining layers. It contains the majority of the largest trees, typically 30–45 m in height. Tall, broad-leaved evergreen trees are the dominant plants.
The Boreal Forest and Tropical Rainforest are two important and crucial biomes on the planet. They are a necessary part of an ecosystem that sustains plant and animal life. In understanding these biomes, it helps researchers and the public become more aware of the delicate balance needed for their continued survival and also, their protection from increasing anthropogenic activities. Given the global impact of these biomes, it is important to understand as much as we can.
There are many different types of forests that include different types of trees such as coniferous, and deciduous, such as boreal forests, mixed forests, deciduous forests, grasslands, cordilleran vegetation, west coast forests, and many more.
There are many rainforests in the world but one of the biggest one is the Amazon rainforest, which is located in the northern half of South America and lies in the countries of Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia. The Amazon also lies in between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. The size of the Amazon resembles the size of the United States from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains. Since this rain forest lies next to the Equator, the climate is warm and humid. The average temperature is in between sixty-eight to ninety- three degrees. The Amazon has two seasons but each one is six months each. They are classified as the wet season and the dry season. The wet season occurs between December to May and the dry season occurs between June to November. The average rainfall is fifty to two hundred and sixty inches per year. The forest floor only gets up to two to five percent of sunlight since the canopy blocks the sunlight from getting to the forest floor. The Amazon rain forest got the nickname, the world’s pharmacy, because many medicines have been found in the tree bark, the tree’s leaves, and other parts of the trees.
“In the time you can read this sentence, eight acres of tropical rain forest will have been bulldozed and burned out of existence” (Bloyd 49). However, this destruction has been neglected and overlooked for years. Many people do not understand the long-term consequences of losing the earth’s rain forests. The rain forests have provided people with many natural resources and medicines. The benefits that rain forests provide to people will be destroyed if the depletion continues to be disregarded.
A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type which occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north and south of the equator. The forests are dominated by tall, closely spread trees, with a predominately continuous canopy. This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall during the year. Elements of the biophysical environment of the biome and their interaction with each other Ecosystems develop in response to the interactions between biotic and abiotic components. Certain conditions in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere must occur for the formation of tropical rainforests.
The natural resource of wood is being used at an unsustainable rate, with minimal effort to change societal views on the depletion of this valuable natural resource. Much of the wood we use today comes from old-growth tropical forests, and in many regions it is harvested illegally. Recently in England, it was revealed that the major department store, Marks&Spencers, made much of its garden furniture out of Nyato wood which was logged illegally from Indonesian rainforests. Looking at this problem from a micro-level orientation, we can clearly see how the actions of individuals in both Britain and Indonesia affect one another.
The Human Impact on Rainforests Human Impact on Rainforest is it a necessity? Rainforest are the beautiful gift of Mother Nature. It consists of the most magnificent species and plants in the world. 4.2% of the world’s animals live in the rainforest. This statistic it self shows how bad it would be to destroy such essential part of the worlds biodiversity.
Simply speaking, rainforests are basically the foundation of the earth. The most important role that rainforests play is ‘the lungs of the earth’. This is extremely vital to the earth’s survival as the trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide which they use to help grow and let out oxygen which we need to live. This system is known as the carbon-oxygen cycle and with numbers of rainforests declining, it is highly threatened. The largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon, alone is known to produce half of the world’s oxygen. A break down in the carbon-oxygen cycle means that we will not only have less oxygen, but an increase in carbon dioxide which eventually leads to global warming. This occurs as carbon dioxide traps heat which actually keeps the earth warm, with the right amount of carbon dioxide that is. This is called the greenhouse effect and occurs naturally however due to decreasing number of trees, there is more carbon dioxide than needed which traps extra heat making the earth hotter than needed, this is known as global warming which also causes a rise in sea level.
What is a tropical rain forest? A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem that is anywhere near the equator. These areas are located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. A tropical rainforests experience high average temperatures and high amounts of rain fall. Tropical rainforests are divided into three parts. The uppermost part is the canopy. This is the layer with the tallest tress. Trees in this climate can reach up to 240 feet (blueplanetbiomes.com). The next layer is the lower canopy. This layer is made up of the smaller tress. The last layer is the forest floor. This is made up of all the plants and bushes. You can find tropical rainforests in many parts of the world like Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, Central America, Mexico and also on the Pacific, Caribbean, and Indian Ocean islands.
The branch of science that deals with how living things, including humans, are related to their surroundings is called ecology . The Earth supports some 5 million species of plants, animals, and microorganisms. These interact and influence their surroundings, forming a vast network of interrelated environmental systems called ecosystems. The arctic tundra is an ecosystem and so is a Brazilian rain forest. The islands of Hawaii are a relatively isolated ecosystem. If left undisturbed, natural environmental systems tend to achieve balance or stability among the various species of plants and animals. Complex ecosystems are able to compensate for changes caused by weather or intrusions from migrating animals and are therefore usually said to be more stable than simple ecosystems. A field of corn has only one dominant species, the corn plant, and is a very simple ecosystem. It is easily destroyed by drought, insects, disease, or overuse. A forest may remain relatively unchanged by weather that would destroy a nearby field of corn, because the forest is characterized by greater diversity of plants and animals. Its complexity gives it stability.
The Disappearing Rainforests Conserving the rainforest is a global issue of great importance. Tropical rainforests provide a habitat for animals, a unique ecosystem for vegetation, and an abundance of resources for humans, yet they are being destroyed at an astonishing rate. Experts estimate that if these endangered territories continue to be consumed in this manner, no more will be standing in forty years (Rainforest). Examining the social, environmental, and economic costs of the continued destruction of the Earth's tropical rainforests will prove that deforestation for short-term profit is ultimately not viable.
The biosphere is sufficiently larger than anyone could ever imagine. It could possibly have up to thirty million different types animals, plants, fungi, and all other organisms. Considering the ocean covers seventy percent of Earth and all of it’s matter, scientists and oceanographers have only explored and mapped five percent of it. This amazing fact shows us, humans, how little we all know about the biosphere. The life forms of the biosphere of Earth vary from animals, plants, fungi, and various others. Out of the possible thirty million different species of life forms, scientists have only discovered a small portion of over one million of them. Every single one of these species need trees...