Animals & Plants of Tropical Rainforests

Tropical rainforests are some of most diverse habitats on earth.

Tropical rainforests are defined by their climate. These ecosystems receive up to 400 inches of rain each year, which, combined with high temperatures, creates a moist environment, not unlike a greenhouse. Within the rainforest are microclimates in which different plants and animals exist, depending on the amount of sunlight. At the high tree canopy level, for example, are birds and insects, often of colorful hues. Because sunlight does not reach far down through the canopy, the vegetation becomes less dense as you get closer to the ground. The largest plant-eating animals and predators are found at ground level.

Diversity

Rainforests contain a rich diversity of plant and animals species. A 10-square kilometer area can contain over 2,000 species of plants, and tropical rainforests provide habitat for endangered wildlife such as the jaguar and the gorilla. The orangutan lives only in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. The tropical, humid conditions provide the ideal habitat for a vast array of amphibians and reptiles as well as many bird species including parrots, toucans, and macaws.

Significance

Much of the American diet originally came from rainforest plants, including fruits such as mangos, bananas, and grapefruit and spices such as black pepper, cayenne, and cloves. These foods made their way to America and Europe through seafaring explorers. Animals such as birds and bats are important plant pollinators, with bats pollinating more than 300 plant species. This fact alone illustrates the interconnected relationships that exist in tropical rainforests. Surprisingly, even fish are important for plant-seed dispersal. Scientists have identified thirteen species of fish found in Borneo that play a major role in seed dispersal.

Locations

Tropical rainforests once formed a contiguous belt of land around the equator. Today, the largest area of rainforest is found in the Amazon Basin of South America, which is about the size of the lower 48 states of the U.S. West and Central Africa contain other large tracts of tropical rainforest as does the Indo-Malaysian region. Australia, Hawaii, and Madagascar contain smaller areas of rainforest habitat.

Benefits

Tropical rainforests provide many benefits. Nearly one-quarter of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest plants, including curare and quinine. Curare is used as a muscle relaxant during surgical procedures, while quinine treats and prevents malaria. Because of the density of tropical rainforests, scientists have been unable to classify all their plants, and there is great potential for the discovery of additional life-saving medications.

Threats

The primary threat to tropical rainforests is deforestation, which occurs as lands are cleared for development or agriculture. Clearers often use a process of slash and burn to open up lands. This practice reduces the probability of restoring rainforests because the practice can destroy the underlying seed bank. Animals are equally vulnerable due to loss of habitat.

References

• U.S. Forest Service:
• "Ecology and Field Biology"; Robert Leo Smith; 1990
• Blue Planet Biomes: Rainforest
• Rainforest Conservation Fund:
• "The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs: A Guide to Understanding and Using Herbal Medicinals"; Leslie Taylor; 2005

Resources

• Blue Planet Biomes: Rainforest Animals
• Monga Bay: The Amazon: The World's Largest Rainforest
• American Rainforests: Rain Forest Background
• Nature Conservancy: Rainforests