Animals of the rainforest - 7 views

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  #1 Chloe W on 24 Sep 09

   

  Did you know a four-square mile patch of rainforest contains as many as 1500 species?... and how many square miles are there? I don't think I want to count. Most of these species, we haven't even discovered yet!
  
  If you visited a rainforest, and were expecting to see mostly monkeys and birds, you're wrong. Insects would be crawling on the forest floor everywhere.
  Insects are the most numerous species. Some are very fascinating. For example, the Azteca Ants. They only live on the swollen thorn acacia tree, which provides everything they need- food, water, and shelter. In return, they protect the tree by guarding it. If they feel something on the tree, they will rush out to fight the intruder. They would keep off climbers and stranglers that would hurt and take away the nutrients from their home. This is called interdependence.
  
  "In some cases both species are so dependent upon each other that if one becomes extinct, the other will as well. This nearly happened with trees that relied on the now-extinct dodo birds. They once roamed Mauritius, a tropical island located in the Indian Ocean. They became extinct during the late 19th century when humans overhunted them. The calvaria tree stopped sprouting seeds soon after. Scientists finally concluded that, for the seeds of the calvaria tree to sprout, they needed to first be digested by the dodo bird. By force-feeding the seeds to a domestic turkey, who digested the seeds the same way as the dodo birds, the trees were saved. Unfortunately humans will not be able to save each species in this same way." -Tropical rainforest Animals, http://www.tooter4kids.com/Rainforest/animals.html
  
  Now, 35 species everyday become extinct in the rainforest, most of which we don't know of, and now, never will. The main causes are logging, cattle ranching and overpopulation. They all wound the rainforest environment and animals suffer.
  
  "Pollution from mining has killed fish populations in the mighty Amazon River. Many indigenous people, who have depended on these fish for centuries, have become sick from the poisoned fish.
  
  Extinction happens naturally. Species like the dinosaurs and the saber-toothed tigers have died off from their failure to adapt to the changing environment. But nowadays humans are altering their habitats too quickly for them to adapt. Only in this modern day have so many species become extinct in such a short period of time.
  Humans must share the earth with all plants and animals; otherwise our dominance will result in the continued extinction of many species. It would be a sad world indeed without the beauty of toucan or the grace and power of the jaguar. "-Tropical rainforest Animals, http://www.tooter4kids.com/Rainforest/animals.html
  

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Did you know a four-square mile patch of rainforest contains as many as 1500 species?... and how many square miles are there? I don't think I want to count. Most of these species, we haven't even discovered yet! <br /> <br /> If you visited a rainforest, and were expecting to see mostly monkeys and birds, you're wrong. Insects would be crawling on the forest floor everywhere. <br /> Insects are the most numerous species. Some are very fascinating. For example, the Azteca Ants. They only live on the swollen thorn acacia tree, which provides everything they need- food, water, and shelter. In return, they protect the tree by guarding it. If they feel something on the tree, they will rush out to fight the intruder. They would keep off climbers and stranglers that would hurt and take away the nutrients from their home. This is called interdependence. <br /> <br /> "In some cases both species are so dependent upon each other that if one becomes extinct, the other will as well. This nearly happened with trees that relied on the now-extinct dodo birds. They once roamed Mauritius, a tropical island located in the Indian Ocean. They became extinct during the late 19th century when humans overhunted them. The calvaria tree stopped sprouting seeds soon after. Scientists finally concluded that, for the seeds of the calvaria tree to sprout, they needed to first be digested by the dodo bird. By force-feeding the seeds to a domestic turkey, who digested the seeds the same way as the dodo birds, the trees were saved. Unfortunately humans will not be able to save each species in this same way." -Tropical rainforest Animals, <a href="http://www.tooter4kids.com/Rainforest/animals.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.tooter4kids.com/Rainforest/animals.html</a> <br /> <br /> Now, 35 species everyday become extinct in the rainforest, most of which we don't know of, and now, never will. The main causes are logging, cattle ranching and overpopulation. They all wound the rainforest environment and animals suffer. <br /> <br /> "Pollution from mining has killed fish populations in the mighty Amazon River. Many indigenous people, who have depended on these fish for centuries, have become sick from the poisoned fish. <br /> <br /> Extinction happens naturally. Species like the dinosaurs and the saber-toothed tigers have died off from their failure to adapt to the changing environment. But nowadays humans are altering their habitats too quickly for them to adapt. Only in this modern day have so many species become extinct in such a short period of time. <br /> Humans must share the earth with all plants and animals; otherwise our dominance will result in the continued extinction of many species. It would be a sad world indeed without the beauty of toucan or the grace and power of the jaguar. "-Tropical rainforest Animals, <a href="http://www.tooter4kids.com/Rainforest/animals.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.tooter4kids.com/Rainforest/animals.html</a> <br /> </div>

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