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Breanna Purnell
Mrs. Wiscount
Basic Keyboarding
13 April 2010
Rainforests
Introduction
Rainforests cover only six percent of the world and provide more than 20 percent of the
air we breathe, it is also known as “the lungs of our planet”. Rainforests are a special type of
forest; they contain more than 80 percent of the world’s diet. The two types of rainforests are
temperate and tropical, the difference is the location. If the forest is closer to the equator, it is
considered to be tropical, but if it is far from the equator, it is a temperate. People do not realize
it but we are making it worse for ourselves, people are cutting down most of the food and air
supply. Rainforests even help lower the extreme climates, like wind or heat. Also, they provide a
comfortable area for large mammals to live. Rainforests are a rare type of forest, and are
endangered because of pollution and people cutting them down for our own uses, Rainforests are
important to our world and health. Both types of forests have four layers, from lowest to highest,
the forest floor, the understory, the canopy, and the emergent layer. These forests are so dense
the sunlight can hardly hit the forest floor (Raintree Nutrition Inc.).
Temperate Rainforests
Temperate forests are located in wet, cool climates. There are large amounts of rainfall
caused by ocean and land air collision. It usually rains about 100 inches per year, which is
nothing compared to tropical rainforests. You can find these kinds of forests along the Pacific
coast of the US and Canada. These forests have distinct season change, unlike tropical where it is
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the same all year round. In temperate forests the trees are deciduous. These trees are very
valuable, which is why there is little left of the temperate forests. Some specific trees in this
forest are oak, hickory, beech, hemlock, maple, elm, cottonwood, and willow, these trees are
withering.
Tropical Rainforests
Tropical rainforests are found between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
They have an average warm temperature; they can get up 80-400 inches of rain each year and
grow in areas with strong sunlight. To be considered a tropical forest, it has to maintain a
temperature of 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit (Missouri Botanical Garden). Tropical rainforest do not
show regular seasons. Tropical rainforests only have two, rainy and dry. Tropical forests are
much more diverse than temperate and hold more predators. Birds usually stay in the canopy and
monkeys and animals that can climb in the middle of the tree, and predators like wart hogs and
big cats stay on the forest floor. Many tropical rainforests are found in Brazil, New Zealand,
central and south America, and central Africa. The largest intact tropical rainforest is in Brazil,
surrounding the Amazon River (Hansen). One of the reasons this particular forest is so lush, is
because one-fifth of the world’s fresh water is in the Amazon Basin (Raintree). When they cut
down this area down, it is called it slash and burn (USDA Forest Service).
Deforestation
Rainforests hold many food and medicine resources, but instead people decide to cut
them down. This is the one major reason why hardly anyone gets to visit these places. Fifty
million creatures that live in the rainforests can only live in that environment; the animals will
die off if we continue to do this (Raintree). Most rainforests are cleared because of reasons such
as agriculture, fuel wood cutting and harvesting of the trees. The biggest reason is for agriculture
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because the rainforests have very rich soil. Because of all this deforestation, thousands of birds
and animals are endangered and some close to extinction because the forests were their only
home or food source. Even though no one has found the cure for cancer, it may be somewhere
deep in the temperate or tropical forests, it is just not found yet. 25 percent of our medicines
come from on either tropical or temperate rainforest (Stock and Rochen). If people continue
cutting these forests down, the United States may lose all medicine, many sources of food, and
most of the oxygen the forests provide (USDA Forest Service).
Conclusion
Rainforests are important to the earth and many people do not realize how much we need
them. Both forests are in danger but temperate forests are not as rare. Tropical forests are more
rare and hold more exotic animals and plants (Stock and Rochen). Deforestation hurts the
animals and plants that live there, but it will hurt everyone, in some way, even if people do not
realize how much rainforests give up. I am sure that if people find these very important things
out, they will care more and maybe stop the deforesting of the tropical and temperate forests.
Many people live in one of these forests, and enjoy them but don’t realize somewhere else a
forest is cut down, or a family of animals is losing their home. People should stop and think
about this when they put two words on a paper, and throw it away, or use paper for not a good
reason and don’t use it. This won’t stop the Deforestation of these beautiful forests but it will use
up what we took, if we are going to take it at all.
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Works Cited
Matthew Hansen Matthew Hansen Deforestation. "'Climate change is the greatest threat mankind
has ever faced ' 'Halting tropical deforestation must be part of the response'." Times of
London. 17 Oct. 2009: 4. eLibrary. W
Missouri Botanical Garden. “Types of Rainforests.” Rainforests. Missouri Botanical Garden,
2002. Web. 12 Apr. 2010. <http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/rforest/index.htm>.
Raintree. “The Disappearing Rainforests.” Rainforests Facts. Raintree, 1996. Web. 12 Apr.
2010. <http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm>.
Rochen, Andy, and Jocelyn Stock. “Why Trees Matter.” The Choice: Doomsday or Arbor Day.
N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. <http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/
deforestation.htm>.
USDA Forest Service. “Deforestation.” A Student Guide to Tropical Forest Conservation. N.p.,
Oct. 1997. Web. 13 Apr. 2010. <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/lzone/student/tropical.htm>.