UWC Grade 5 (2009-2010)

Tropical Rainforest Fast Facts Print Fast Facts Description Tropical rainforests are a type of wet, warm, humid forest. Tropical rainforests have the greatest biodiversity of any other ecosystem on earth. Some scientists believe they house more than half of all living species on earth. 90% of the species found in the tropical rainforest live in the canopy, high above the ground. Location Tropical rainforests are located in the tropics, the area around the warm equator. They are found in areas of Africa, Asia, Australia, and South and Central America. Climate The climate of tropical rainforests is warm and humid with almost continual rain. Most rainforests receive 200-1000 cm of rain a year and have temperatures that rarely drop below 22° C. Issues Tropical rainforests are quickly disappearing as a result of logging and clearing for timber, livestock grazing, plantations, and the harvest of other natural resources. 31 million hectares of tropical rainforest are destroyed each year.  That is an area larger than Poland. Status All tropical rainforests are in great danger of being destroyed. They once covered 14% of the earth’s land surface but now only cover 6%. Some scientists believe that, at the current rate of destruction, the remaining forests could be destroyed in less than 40 years. The state of tropical rainforests should be a priority for all countries and cultures since they provide and regulate the majority of the earth’s clean air and water. ©GLOBIO.org

Poison-arrow frogs are social frogs found in Central and South America. They are known by their bright colors which warn other animals that they are poisonous. Its poison is one of the most powerful known and can cause paralysis or death. It is so potent that one millionth of an ounce can kill a dog and an amount smaller than a grain of salt can kill a human. One frog carries enough poison to kill about 100 people. Native hunters use it on the tips of their arrows which is how the frog got its name. Poison-arrow frogs are about the size of a man's thumbnail (less than one inch). The tiny frogs lay their eggs on leaves. When the tadpole hatches, it is carried on one of the parents' back to a bromeliad where the parents feed it small insects, ants, spiders, crustaceans, and tiny water animals. The mother frog may also lay infertile eggs as food for the tadpoles. Poison-arrow frogs are beautiful to look at. Their colors vary from red to yellow to blue. The enemies they encounter are large animals (including humans) who may step on them. Though poison-arrow frogs carry a deadly poison, they are usually harmless if left alone.

The rainforest is home to more than half of the world's animals. Colorful and unusual animals dwell in all four layers of the forest. All types of creatures are represented, from tiny insects to large mammals.

The animals have adapted the rainforest as their habitat and are identified as important features of tropical rainforests.

Tropical rainforests are home to a huge number of different plants and animals. All tropical rainforests are endangered.

Tropical rainforests are home to a huge number of different plants and animals. All tropical rainforests are endangered.

So what can you do to help the rainforest? 1) Choose wood carefully Make sure that your home and school do not buy wood that comes from rainforests, such as mahogany, ivoko, sapele, vamin and rosewood. Ask the salesperson where the wood came from. You can check in the 'Good Wood Guide' published by Friends of the Earth. 2) Spread the word! You can show the rest of your school what you have learned about the rainforests by making a display! Colour in the rainforest sheets that you can download here, or you can draw pictures and write your own stories about the people and animals who live in the rainforest. 3) Protect an Acre By raising money you can help protect an acre of rainforest. For a £25 donation you will receive a certificate to display in your classroom and an information pack on the area of land that you have helped to protect. To read more about the Protect an Acre scheme, click here.

More than 1,000 rainforest cultures still exist, but nearly all of them face a grim future due to the development plans of the ruling elites in their countries and international development agencies. Their lands are being taken, their basic rights disregarded, and often even their very existence is being ignored.