Tropical Rain Forests
By: Veronica Pedraza, Alex Sidi, and Mya Wright
 Description and Locations
Tropical rain forests are lowland rain forests. They contain several layers of trees and plants.
Each layer is home to groups of species and helps the rain forests. When the clouds are close to
the trees it is called a clod rain forest. Tropical rain forests can be found in South America, the
Congo Region, Central America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Northeast Australia. The largest
rain forest is the Amazon.
Rain forests cover 5-7% of the world’s surface. That is equivalent to the size of the United
States. Tropical rain forests can be found in hot, wet climates. Two-thirds of the world’s rain
forests are found in Brazil. Where tropical rain forests have a dry and wet, season deciduous
trees can be found. Those forests are known as dry tropical rain forests.
 History
Tropical rain forests are known as the oldest form of vegetation that is still present today.
Rain forests have existed for over 100 million years. The Earth has been in an ice age for the last
2 million years. One theory that scientists believe, is that during the ice age there were drier areas
where rain forests retreated to because the soil was wetter. The areas where near foothills in the
Andes or alongside rivers.
Some scientists think that the rain forests near basins are affecting the water level and
flooding, because the Amazon basin use to be a lake with dotted islands. Scientists thought the
rain forests’ animals and plants were more isolated on those islands, and that encouraged
evolution. When the sea level dropped there wasn’t rivers everywhere so, the species moved to
land.
 Water Amounts
Rain forests grow in wet areas that usually have at least 80 inches on rainfall a year. If
collected the rainfall from each rain forest, each year you could fill up two billion Olympic sized
pools. In the rain forests it rains almost everyday. There are also has dry periods but they don’t
last long.
 Human Issues
The indigenous people are people who have lived in the rainforest all their lives. Only take
what is needed for survival of themselves and their tribes. Many tribes in the Amazon Rain
Forest may actually have to go. Brazil sent an expedition to find gold. It seems like the
indigenous people are in the way. Brazil’s government is actually thinking of passing laws that
enforce that they can use the lands of the indigenous people. Destroy their lives and home.
 Government Attitudes and Laws

Usefulness
The rain forests produce over 25- 30% of the worlds oxygen. Tropical rain forests are also
very profitable for loggers due to their large variety of trees, such as mahogany, canopy, etc.
The rain forest also provides homes for animals and plants. Some of the plants the rain forest
inhabits are used for medicine.
The rain forest also inhabits the indigenous people. To survive they only take what they need,
they don’t take stuff for pleasure. They have lived in the forests for their whole lives. They know
ho to take material from the forest without creating long lasting damage.
 Global Warming Effects
Global warming affects animal species in the rain forests. Gases such as carbon dioxide,
methane, and CFCs are found in refrigerators. When these gases are released, they trap heat in
the Earth. The by process which the Earth catches heat can also be called the greenhouse effect.
Every year, the average world temperature rises by 4.5°F. The rising of the temperature is the
reason that the ice caps are melting. When the ice caps melt the sea level rises. Evaporation from
the seas and oceans will continue increase.
 Living Organisms
The rain forests have the largest variety of plants and animals on Earth. A square mile of rain
forest is home to 1,500 of butterflies and species. I the rain forest one tree can have fifty plants or
more growing on it. Half of the world’s species are found in rain forests. Each organism in the
rain forest does its own job.
Many species live together because there is plenty is plenty of food for all of them to eat.
Most of the organisms in the forests are insects. There are also twice as many birds as there are
mammals. The trees that are layered receive different amounts of light. The tallest trees receive
the most light, while the shortest trees and plants do not get as much. Most of the animals that
live in these forests are mainly active at night.
 Problems
Every minute 100 acres of the rain forest is destroyed. In a year, the rain forests lose land
equivalent to the size of England, or the equivalent 87,000 square feet of land. Every year
animals are being deprived of their home environment. Thousands of species are going extinct
before scientists have a chance to identify them.
 Future