Tropical Rainforest Biome

One of the most incredible biomes on earth is the tropical rainforest. The hot and wet climate make it possible for many amazing and unique creatures to thrive. Although it covers only a small portion of the Earth’s surface, the tropical rainforest contains half of the world's plant and animal species. It is truly one of nature's most amazing biome.

The tropical rainforests have an abundance of plants and animals. Covering less than 6% of the earth's surface, tropical rainforests are only found near the equator.(1?) They can be located in central America, Africa and Indo-Malaysia.(1) The tropical rainforests are warm year round with temperatures averaging between 68 degrees and 93 degrees fahrenheit. (1) There is a large amount of rainfall

It often rains over 100 inches however there is usually a season of less rain. The average humidity is between 77% and 88%. The rainforest is made up of four levels. The top level is the emergent. (3) This is the tops of the highest trees where the branches are spread far apart. (1) The emergent layer is high up and in direct contact with the sunlight, making it very hot and windy. (3) The next level is the canopy. (1) The canopy is very dense and receives lots of water from the frequent rain showers. It has the most animal activity. (3) The level below the canopy is the understory. (3) Because it receives very little sunlight, the understory is cool and shady. (3) The forest floor is the level below the canopy. (3) It also receives very little sunlight and has very few plants. (3) It is home to some of the largest as well as some of the smallest creatures of the tropical

(1) 70% of the plants in the tropical rainforest are trees and it is home to the most kinds of trees in the world. These plants have many special adaptations to survive in the wet, humid conditions. Because there is lots of rain in rainforests, plants do not need to conserve a lot of water. (5) Due to this, many large trees have thin, smooth bark. (5) The leaves of many trees also have drip tips. (5) These allow water to roll off the leaves quickly. (5) The trees may also have buttresses which provide support and aid in gathering more nutrients. (5) One example of the large trees in the rainforests is the kapok tree. (7) Though most of the plants in rainforests are trees, there are plenty of other types of plants. One example is lianas. Lianas are a type vine that climb up the bark of trees. (6) The roots of the woody vine begin in the shallow soil on the ground. (5) The rest of the plant then grows up the tree so that it can reach sunlight. (5) There are also plants like the strangler figs. Strangler figs begin to grow at the top of trees. (6) The debris collected at the top is used as a source of nutrients until the plant sends roots down to the soil. (6) The strangler fig surrounds the tree until it eventually dies and decomposes. (6) There are also other types of trees such as fan palms. The large leaves of the fan palm are shaped like fans and