Rain Forests They're
really half a world away,
They're
really somewhere over there.
I know
that in these Rain Forests
I know
that trees are being cut,
So, I know
they're half a world away.
From Songs 4 Teachers
The Rain Forest: An Introduction What is a tropical rain forest? A tropical rain forest is a forest that receives 4 to 8 meters of rain each year. Where are the tropical rain forests located? They are located near the equator in Africa, South and Central America, and Asia. Why are tropical rain forests important to our earth? Rain forests are important because they play an important role in the climate control of our planet by having an affect on the wind, rainfall, humidity, and temperature. Within the rain forest, water, oxygen, and carbon are recycled. This natural recycling helps to reduce flooding, soil eroision, and air pollution. The rain forests support over half of the plant and animal life on Earth, even though they cover only 2% of the Earth's surface. About one fourth of the medicines we use come from the plants of the tropical rain forest. What is happening to our rain forests? 27 million acres of the Earth's rain forests are destroyed each year due to man. Agriculture, clearing and developing land, beef cattle ranching, logging, and the building of dams and hydroelectric plants. This has resulted in a loss of 100 acres of rain forest land being destroyed every minute and 80% of the rain forests of the world are now gone. This destruction also results in 10,000 species of plants and animals to become extinct each year. (information from RainBird - Rain Forest Teaching Curriculum What
is a Tropical Rain Forest? - good website to learn about the rainforests
.
Where in the World are the Rain Forests? Click
here to find out!
Books: Rain
Forest - by Helen Cowcher
Links: Rainforests - General information Layers of the Rainforest - in pictures Tropical Feast - foods and spices of the Rainforest Rainforest
Plants
Amazon Interactive - test your knowledge of the Amazon! Rainforest Puzzle - answer the questions correctly and a picture of the rain forest will appear! All About Rainforests - from Enchanted Learning "Rain Forest Animals of the World" - my learning experience outline. Amazon Rainforest Photos and Information - great photos of animals, plants, people, scenery, and towns! Wild Life of the Amazon - good pictures Gallery of Pictures - of the Amazon River Pink and Gray River Dolphins of the Amazon River! Amazon
Interactive - How rainy is the rain forest?
|
