The Five Basic Needs of Rain Forest Animals
The five basic needs of rain forest animals are crucial for the inhabitants' survival. Over time an animal becomes part of the endangered list if even one basic need is not available. Some animals' are resilient in adapting to new surroundings by way of exchanging one food source to another in order to survive. In the present state of rain forests, the animals need human intervention to ensure basic needs are met.
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Habitat
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Animals live on many levels of a rain forest, from the ground up to the tops of the trees. Healthy forests logged for the timber without replanting the lost trees destroys habitats. Animals forced to seek new shelter die in the process, becoming open targets for predators. Tree frogs, monkeys and parrots thrive in the trees of the rain forest, among other mammals, reptiles and birds.
Food
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Food abounds in the trees of the rain forest. Food sources vary widely from the ground to the top of the forest canopy. Without the habitat of the rain forest, the food supply would dwindle.
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Temperature
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The climate of the rain forest is tropical and moist. Temperature plays a key role in the basic needs and the food supply. If the warm weather climate changed drastically to cold weather, many of the fruit-bearing trees would die along with shrubbery and ground cover. Animals in the rain forest are constructed for tropical weather. Long periods of extreme heat can have a devastating effect, draining the animals of energy they need to forage for food or fend off a predator.
Water
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Rain forests can get anywhere from 40 to 400 inches of rain per year. During the rainy season, lakes, ponds and creeks used for watering holes are replenished. Water brings life back into the forest, nourishing the desiccated plants and creating new sprouts from seeds hidden underneath the ground cover.
Air
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Rain forests absorb carbon dioxide, contributing to cleaner air and healthier living for all of Earth's inhabitants. High-polluted air quality chokes out necessary oxygen for animals to survive. Tall trees keep the air quality of the rain forest moist. Trapping moisture helps plant life retain water in their root system.
The five basic needs: habitat, food, temperature, water and air are needed for rain forest animals to survive as well as for the rain forest itself. One without the other would lead to destruction and possible extinction for much of the animals and vegetation.
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