TIGER BORNEO SUMATRAN TREE JAGUAR AMAZON ORANGUTAN RHINO FROG RIVER DOLPHIN Rainforests are exactly that – they are tall, thick forests that have lots of rain all year round. They are also very hot, because they receive a lot of sunlight. WILDLIFE These forests are crucial to life on Earth, as they provide oxygen, water and resources such as food and medicine. These forests absorb and store huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and are important in slowing climate change. (2) (3) (4) (4) EMERGENT LAYER MAIN CANOPY UNDERSTORY FOREST FLOOR There is not much sunlight here, but lots of rotting leaves and branches, which makes a perfect home for insects. Rainforests have layers and each one is home to different species: INTO THE RAINFOREST GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE 3% of the Earth is covered by rainforest. They are hot, tropical forests and although they only cover a small area, they are incredibly important for wildlife. (2) (3) This layer is made up of trees that have stretched up and grown taller than the main canopy. This is the thickest part of the forest, where the tops of the trees form a blanket, which blocks out sun from the lower layers. Trees grow tall and strong, stretching as high as they can to reach the sunlight. This layer is just below the tops of the trees, and has some growing plants like vines, which are perfect for monkeys to swing between! I'm a sloth and I live in the main canopy! www.LEGO.com/buildthechange These amphibians are arboreal, meaning they spend a lot of time hiding in the trees. KNOW? DID YOU FACT SHEET
Transcript
TIGER BORNEO SUMATRAN TREE JAGUAR AMAZON ORANGUTAN RHINO FROG RIVER DOLPHIN
Rainforests are exactly that – they are tall, thick forests that have lots of rain all year round. They are also very hot, because they receive a lot of sunlight.
WILDLIFE
These forests are crucial to life on Earth, as they provide oxygen, water and resources such as food andmedicine. These forests absorb and store huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and areimportant in slowing climate change.
(2)(3)
(4)
(4)
EMERGENT LAYER
MAIN CANOPY
UNDERSTORY
FOREST FLOOR There is not much sunlight here, but lots of rotting leaves and branches, whichmakes a perfect home for insects.
Rainforests have layers and each one is home to different species:
INTO THE RAINFOREST
GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE
3% of the Earth is covered by rainforest. They are hot, tropical forests and although they only cover asmall area, they are incredibly important for wildlife. (2)
(3)
This layer is made up of trees that have stretched up and grown tallerthan the main canopy.
This is the thickest part of the forest, where the tops of the trees form ablanket, which blocks out sun from the lower layers. Trees grow tall andstrong, stretching as high as they can to reach the sunlight.
This layer is just below the tops of the trees, and has some growing plants likevines, which are perfect for monkeys to swing between!
I'm a sloth and Ilive in the main
canopy!
www.LEGO.com/buildthechange
These amphibians are arboreal, meaning they spend a lotof time hiding in the trees.KNOW?
DID YOU
FACT SHEET
WORKING TOGETHERAround the world, communities, organisationsand governments are working together toprotect rainforests by creating protectedareas. Reducing demand for resources likebeef, palm oil, minerals and wood by replacingthem with more sustainable choices meansthat less land needs to be deforested.
LET IT GROWStarting tree planting schemes. In 2017, aproject was launched to plant over 70 milliontrees in the Amazon rainforest. It is importantthat we keep the forests that we have, andcontinue to repair and replant whereverpossible.
PROTECTIONProtecting individual species. Wildlife reservesprotect land from damage or destruction, andmean the species can’t be hunted. Scientistsare using technology, such as cameras, tofigure out where animals live, so they canprotect the right habitats.
Deforestation Every minute, an area the size of 40football fields is cleared in the rainforest.Deforestation releases lots of greenhouse gases intothe atmosphere which contributes to climatechange. Humans are clearing land to make space tocreate resources, through things like farming andmining.
Poor ecosystem health As a result of climatechange and deforestation, rainforests are strugglingto adapt and survive, because conditions arechanging. Rising temperatures can cause forestfires, while deforestation reduces the quality of thesoil, making it harder for plants and trees to regrow.
Loss of plants and wildlife Because of climatechange, deforestation and human actions, manyspecies are struggling to survive. 3 of the 9 speciesof tiger have become extinct, through a combinationof hunting and loss of habitat. Removal ofrainforest has destroyed tigers’ homes and reducedtheir food supply, while rising sea levels reduces theavailability of freshwater.
Lots of pressure is being put on rainforests, mainly byhumans. Some of the problems they are facing include:
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HOW ARE THINGS CHANGING?
DID YOU KNOW?As forests grow, they take in carbondioxide and release oxygen – if weconserve forests, we could reducecarbon emissions massively, to thesame level as if we got rid of everycar on the Earth!
The Amazon rainforest is enormous.If it were a country on its own, itwould be the 9th largest country inthe world!
Forests are found on every singleone of the continents, except forAntarctica.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
Although rainforests cover a small section of the Earth,they are home to over 50% of all of the plants andanimals on the planet, including some very rare andendangered species, such as orangutans, rhinos andtigers, who depend upon the complex habitats inrainforests to survive.
This makes them one of the most biodiverseecosystems on the planet, as there are so manydifferent species!
It’s important thatwe work together toprotect rainforests.People have begunworking towardsthis already by:
How far? Black howler monkeysfrom the forests of Latin Americahave a call that can be heardalmost 5km away!
