Tropicz
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TROPICAL RAINFORESTS Geography and Animals
Group Number #2 Vicah Villanueca#30 Aya Gelonga#20 Andre Rhey C. Haro#6
GEOGRAPHY!
FAST FACTS!! Tropical Rainforest as what the name states is located in the tropics specifically about 23.5 degrees north (Tropic of Cancer) to 23.5 degrees south (Tropic of Capricorn). Examples of areas where a tropical rainforest can be seen are a.) South America b.) Africa c.) Asia. The largest tropical rainforest is the Amazon rainforest of South America. Other large tropical rainforests are located in Brazil, Indonesia, Zaire and some are on Hawaii and other islands in the Pacific and Caribbean. Tropical Rainforests do not occupy all the area of the tropics because of different factors such as high land elevations and human occupation.
ANIMALS!!
Fast Facts!!! A tropical rainforest is full of life. Many different species of plants and animals can be seen there. About 50% of the world’s animal species can be spotted there. We could simply classify them into vertebrates and invertebrates. Among the two classifications of animals, the invertebrates are the most numerous in the biome. Approximately about 95% (900,000) of the world’s invertebrate species can be seen. About 41,00 species of vertebrates can be seen in the biome. Since the tropical rainforest can support thousands of animals, there might still be a chance that there are unidentified animal species living there. All animals as we know it are classified as consumers whether they are primary, secondary or tertiary. These consumers usually live in the canopy and emergent layers. Some animals hardly ever or even never touch the forest floor. Tropical rainforests also have high animal diversity which means that there is little or no chance of ecological disturbances in food chains.
Layers of the Forest
Animal Diversity •
A tropical rainforest has a high animal diversity shown by the following animals: Orangutans live in the tree tops of the Southeast Asian tropical rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo. They spend most of their lives in trees and descend from the trees very rarely. The rainforest has an average monthly temperature of 20 to 28° Celsius. It has an annual rainfall of between 1.5 and 10 meters. It receives steady rainfall throughout the year with little seasonal variation. Also called “Man of the Forest” The Orangutan is an omnivore but it mainly eats fruits, especially figs. Other food includes nuts leaves, bark, insects and occasionally birds. Orangutans find most of this food up in the trees where they live. They even find their water up in the trees, in hollows, on leaves, and on their own hair after a rain. Most of the Orangutan's day is spent foraging for food and resting
Chimpanzees •
•
• •
•
The favorite foods of chimpanzees are fruits and young leaves, but they like many different types of food. In the dry season they will eat buds and blossoms, soft pitch, stems, galls, honey, bark and resin, seeds and nuts. Insects, like ants and termites are also in their diet. On rare occasions they will hunt small game like monkeys, pigs, and antelopes. For the most part, chimps forage on the ground. While searching for food, troops will move around their territory, never staying long in one place. This allows the vegetation to recover before the chimps return to the area again. They do not compete for food with monkeys, who forage mostly in the canopy. Other examples: *Linne’s Sloth (Common Name: Twotoed sloth Genus: Cholopeus Species: didactylus * Harpy Eagle (Common Names: Aguila Harpía, Harpía Genus: Harpia Species: harpyja)
Biotic and abiotic interactions!!! •
•
Any given place may have several different ecosystems that vary in size and complexity. A tropical island, for example, may have a rain forest ecosystem that covers hundreds of square miles, a mangrove swamp ecosystem along the coast, and an underwater coral reef ecosystem. No matter how the size or complexity of an ecosystem is characterized, all ecosystems exhibit a constant exchange of matter and energy between the biotic and abiotic community. Ecosystem components are so interconnected that a change in any one component of an ecosystem will cause subsequent changes throughout the system. Sunlight for example is used by plants for producing food in the process called photosynthesis. Plants convert it to food together with other elements such as Carbon dioxide (CO2), water, and minerals from the soil. In this example, the biotic factor (plant) and the abiotic factors (water, sunlight) are interacting. This interaction is very important in keeping balance in the ecosystem.
Animal and Plant interactions and Relationships •
•
-“Like the green alga and three-toed sloth, many plants and animals of the rain forest depend on each other—often to a higher degree than in other ecosystems. For example, 90 percent of the trees depend on animals to disperse their seeds. By comparison, in other types of forests, often 50 percent or more of the trees rely on wind to disperse their seeds. These plant and animal relationships are often mutualistic —that is, both the animal and plant benefit from the relationship. Some animals protect a plant species against plant-eating enemies, while the host plants provide lodging. For instance, many tropical plants, such as the snakewood tree, have hollow structures in their stems or twigs that stinging or biting ants use as homes. In exchange for a place to live, the ants protect the plants by marching out to fight would-be predators—climbing vines as well as hungry animals—as soon as they detect their presence. In some cases, the plant and animal species are so dependent on each other that they cannot live independently. For example, every species of fig tree is dependent on one or more species of fig wasps; conversely, every species of fig wasp is dependent on one or more species of fig trees. Without the wasps performing the annual task of pollination, the fig trees would be unable to reproduce and would eventually face extinction, and without a nursery for their eggs and larvae, the fig wasp would face a similar fate.”
Animal Endangerment •
Despite their uniqueness and extraordinary value, tropical rain forests are being destroyed and badly degraded at an unsustainable rate. Some scientists estimate that in the early 1990s tropical forests were being destroyed at a rate of approximately 28 hectares (70 acres) a minute, or about 14 million hectares (35 million acres) each year—an area about the size of the state of Wisconsin. This figure marked a decrease since the 1980s, when approximately 16 million hectares (40 million acres) were destroyed each year, largely due to a reported decline of deforestation in the Amazon River basin in the early 1990s. However, satellite images indicate that rates may have rebounded in the late 1990s as burning in the Amazon increased again. Over the past three decades alone, about 5 million sq km (about 2 million sq mi) —or 20 percent of the world’s tropical forests—have been cleared. During this time, deforestation in tropical Asia reached almost 30 percent. High rates of deforestation are inevitably followed by alarming rates of plant and animal extinction because many rain forest species cannot survive outside their pristine rain forest habitat. Some scientists estimate that dozens of rain forest species are becoming extinct every day.
FOOD CHAINS • • •
mosquito is eaten by a salamander, whom is then eaten by a toucan who dies of natural causes and is then eaten by ants...and the cycle continues sun-plants-Insects-chimpanzees All these examples show the food chains in the biome. There is always a relationship between the animals. Some examples are predation, a very common relationship between a prey (the one being eaten) and a predator (the one who eats the prey), mutualism (benefiting from each other, and commensalism. A food chain usually shows a predator-prey relationship or predation. The producers produce food using sunlight, water and minerals. they are eaten by consumers. The primary consumers are eaten by secondary consumers and so on. The food chain usually ends with a top consumer ( an animal with little or no predators). When it dies, it is decomposed by decomposers such as bacteria and the minerals inside the animal are released and become a part of the abiotic environment and the cycle continues as the minerals are again used by plants.
REFERENCES: Mann, Charles C., 1491 New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus New York: Knopf, 2005 ISBN 0739464418 Sydenham & Thomas Rainforest Biome . [Online] www.kidcyber.com.au (2007) Back to Biomes main page Back to Planet Earth updated November 2007 (copyright kidcyber) Biomes Index Designed by Leisa Tiller, Jason Hadly and Sara Vaughan 2008 - 2009 © Tropical-Rainforest-Animals.com All rights reserved. by Stuart R. 2002 bibliography: "Wild Life Fact File", International Masters Publishers, 1994, USA Chamberlain, Ted. & Guptans, Nancy. "Biomes of the World, Tropical Rain Forests", Grolier Educational "Creature Feature: Orangutans", http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/creature_feature/0102/orangu
Group Number #2 Vicah Villanueca#30 Aya Gelonga#20 Andre Rhey C. Haro#6
GEOGRAPHY!
FAST FACTS!! Tropical Rainforest as what the name states is located in the tropics specifically about 23.5 degrees north (Tropic of Cancer) to 23.5 degrees south (Tropic of Capricorn). Examples of areas where a tropical rainforest can be seen are a.) South America b.) Africa c.) Asia. The largest tropical rainforest is the Amazon rainforest of South America. Other large tropical rainforests are located in Brazil, Indonesia, Zaire and some are on Hawaii and other islands in the Pacific and Caribbean. Tropical Rainforests do not occupy all the area of the tropics because of different factors such as high land elevations and human occupation.
ANIMALS!!
Fast Facts!!! A tropical rainforest is full of life. Many different species of plants and animals can be seen there. About 50% of the world’s animal species can be spotted there. We could simply classify them into vertebrates and invertebrates. Among the two classifications of animals, the invertebrates are the most numerous in the biome. Approximately about 95% (900,000) of the world’s invertebrate species can be seen. About 41,00 species of vertebrates can be seen in the biome. Since the tropical rainforest can support thousands of animals, there might still be a chance that there are unidentified animal species living there. All animals as we know it are classified as consumers whether they are primary, secondary or tertiary. These consumers usually live in the canopy and emergent layers. Some animals hardly ever or even never touch the forest floor. Tropical rainforests also have high animal diversity which means that there is little or no chance of ecological disturbances in food chains.
Layers of the Forest
Animal Diversity •
A tropical rainforest has a high animal diversity shown by the following animals: Orangutans live in the tree tops of the Southeast Asian tropical rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo. They spend most of their lives in trees and descend from the trees very rarely. The rainforest has an average monthly temperature of 20 to 28° Celsius. It has an annual rainfall of between 1.5 and 10 meters. It receives steady rainfall throughout the year with little seasonal variation. Also called “Man of the Forest” The Orangutan is an omnivore but it mainly eats fruits, especially figs. Other food includes nuts leaves, bark, insects and occasionally birds. Orangutans find most of this food up in the trees where they live. They even find their water up in the trees, in hollows, on leaves, and on their own hair after a rain. Most of the Orangutan's day is spent foraging for food and resting
Chimpanzees •
•
• •
•
The favorite foods of chimpanzees are fruits and young leaves, but they like many different types of food. In the dry season they will eat buds and blossoms, soft pitch, stems, galls, honey, bark and resin, seeds and nuts. Insects, like ants and termites are also in their diet. On rare occasions they will hunt small game like monkeys, pigs, and antelopes. For the most part, chimps forage on the ground. While searching for food, troops will move around their territory, never staying long in one place. This allows the vegetation to recover before the chimps return to the area again. They do not compete for food with monkeys, who forage mostly in the canopy. Other examples: *Linne’s Sloth (Common Name: Twotoed sloth Genus: Cholopeus Species: didactylus * Harpy Eagle (Common Names: Aguila Harpía, Harpía Genus: Harpia Species: harpyja)
Biotic and abiotic interactions!!! •
•
Any given place may have several different ecosystems that vary in size and complexity. A tropical island, for example, may have a rain forest ecosystem that covers hundreds of square miles, a mangrove swamp ecosystem along the coast, and an underwater coral reef ecosystem. No matter how the size or complexity of an ecosystem is characterized, all ecosystems exhibit a constant exchange of matter and energy between the biotic and abiotic community. Ecosystem components are so interconnected that a change in any one component of an ecosystem will cause subsequent changes throughout the system. Sunlight for example is used by plants for producing food in the process called photosynthesis. Plants convert it to food together with other elements such as Carbon dioxide (CO2), water, and minerals from the soil. In this example, the biotic factor (plant) and the abiotic factors (water, sunlight) are interacting. This interaction is very important in keeping balance in the ecosystem.
Animal and Plant interactions and Relationships •
•
-“Like the green alga and three-toed sloth, many plants and animals of the rain forest depend on each other—often to a higher degree than in other ecosystems. For example, 90 percent of the trees depend on animals to disperse their seeds. By comparison, in other types of forests, often 50 percent or more of the trees rely on wind to disperse their seeds. These plant and animal relationships are often mutualistic —that is, both the animal and plant benefit from the relationship. Some animals protect a plant species against plant-eating enemies, while the host plants provide lodging. For instance, many tropical plants, such as the snakewood tree, have hollow structures in their stems or twigs that stinging or biting ants use as homes. In exchange for a place to live, the ants protect the plants by marching out to fight would-be predators—climbing vines as well as hungry animals—as soon as they detect their presence. In some cases, the plant and animal species are so dependent on each other that they cannot live independently. For example, every species of fig tree is dependent on one or more species of fig wasps; conversely, every species of fig wasp is dependent on one or more species of fig trees. Without the wasps performing the annual task of pollination, the fig trees would be unable to reproduce and would eventually face extinction, and without a nursery for their eggs and larvae, the fig wasp would face a similar fate.”
Animal Endangerment •
Despite their uniqueness and extraordinary value, tropical rain forests are being destroyed and badly degraded at an unsustainable rate. Some scientists estimate that in the early 1990s tropical forests were being destroyed at a rate of approximately 28 hectares (70 acres) a minute, or about 14 million hectares (35 million acres) each year—an area about the size of the state of Wisconsin. This figure marked a decrease since the 1980s, when approximately 16 million hectares (40 million acres) were destroyed each year, largely due to a reported decline of deforestation in the Amazon River basin in the early 1990s. However, satellite images indicate that rates may have rebounded in the late 1990s as burning in the Amazon increased again. Over the past three decades alone, about 5 million sq km (about 2 million sq mi) —or 20 percent of the world’s tropical forests—have been cleared. During this time, deforestation in tropical Asia reached almost 30 percent. High rates of deforestation are inevitably followed by alarming rates of plant and animal extinction because many rain forest species cannot survive outside their pristine rain forest habitat. Some scientists estimate that dozens of rain forest species are becoming extinct every day.
FOOD CHAINS • • •
mosquito is eaten by a salamander, whom is then eaten by a toucan who dies of natural causes and is then eaten by ants...and the cycle continues sun-plants-Insects-chimpanzees All these examples show the food chains in the biome. There is always a relationship between the animals. Some examples are predation, a very common relationship between a prey (the one being eaten) and a predator (the one who eats the prey), mutualism (benefiting from each other, and commensalism. A food chain usually shows a predator-prey relationship or predation. The producers produce food using sunlight, water and minerals. they are eaten by consumers. The primary consumers are eaten by secondary consumers and so on. The food chain usually ends with a top consumer ( an animal with little or no predators). When it dies, it is decomposed by decomposers such as bacteria and the minerals inside the animal are released and become a part of the abiotic environment and the cycle continues as the minerals are again used by plants.
REFERENCES: Mann, Charles C., 1491 New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus New York: Knopf, 2005 ISBN 0739464418 Sydenham & Thomas Rainforest Biome . [Online] www.kidcyber.com.au (2007) Back to Biomes main page Back to Planet Earth updated November 2007 (copyright kidcyber) Biomes Index Designed by Leisa Tiller, Jason Hadly and Sara Vaughan 2008 - 2009 © Tropical-Rainforest-Animals.com All rights reserved. by Stuart R. 2002 bibliography: "Wild Life Fact File", International Masters Publishers, 1994, USA Chamberlain, Ted. & Guptans, Nancy. "Biomes of the World, Tropical Rain Forests", Grolier Educational "Creature Feature: Orangutans", http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/creature_feature/0102/orangu
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