Location
are located near the equator. Fifty seven percent of all tropical rainforests are found in Latin America. One third of the world's tropical rainforests are in Brazil. Other tropical rainforests are located in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands (25% of the world's tropical rainforests) and West Africa (18%).
are located near the equator. Fifty seven percent of all tropical rainforests are found in Latin America. One third of the world's tropical rainforests are in Brazil. Other tropical rainforests are located in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands (25% of the world's tropical rainforests) and West Africa (18%).
Plants
Rainforests are thick and dense, full of plant life, and packed with different plants - it gets so crowded that the biggest competition is this of sunlight. Large trees grow tall and spread out their canopies and block the light from reaching the ground. Some extra tall trees, called emergents, grow through that canopy, even higher. Others, like vines climb on tree trunks to reach the sunlight high up. Orchidsand epiphytes start growing high up in the trees when a bird drops a seed there. |
Animals
» Amazon rainforest, alone, is home to 427 different species of mammals till date. Among the mammals, the largest predators include jaguar and cougar. » Gorillas live in the tropical forests of Africa (on either side of Congo river), while orangutans are restricted to the forests of Borneo and Sumatra. » Other primates include the orangutan, spider monkey, squirrel monkey, black and red howler monkey, various species of lemurs, and many more. » Macaws, hornbills, kingfishers, toucans, and eagles comprise most of the bird population in the tropics. |