Rainforests are home to over half of the world's plant and animal species. Learn about tropical and temperate rainforests and how they contribute to the global ecosystem.
Shrouded in a blanket of clouds, they awaken. Their
canopies of green glitter in the sun. Their wildlife start to
slither, chirp, and growl and one of the planet's richest
ecosystems comes to life.
Rainforests are the oldest living ecosystems on the planet.
Some can trace their origins to over 70 million years ago,
back to a time when dinosaurs still roam the earth. While the
giant reptiles have disappeared, rainforests continue to
thrive, growing on every continent except Antarctica.
Two types of rainforests are scattered across the globe
temperate and tropical. Temperate rainforests are mainly
found in the mid latitudes often near cooler coastal
mountainous regions. Tropical rainforests are primarily
located in warmer climates between the Tropic of Cancer
and the Tropic of Capricorn.
As their names imply, temperate and tropical rainforests are
the wettest forests on earth, receiving up to about thirty-
three feet of rain per year. This precipitation plays a critical
role in creating an exceptionally lush and biologically
diverse habitat.
While rainforests only make up about six percent of the
Earth's surface area, they are home to over half of the
world's plant and animal species. This biodiversity creates
benefits that extend far beyond the rainforest boundaries.
Rainforest plants produce an assortment of food items in
addition to ingredients useful in everyday products and
medicines. In fact an estimated 70% of the plants used in
cancer treatments are only found in rainforests.
On an even larger scale, rainforests help to stabilize the
planet's climate. It's lush green vegetation regulate global
temperatures by absorbing massive amounts of radiation
from the sun. They also absorb in vast amounts of carbon
dioxide and convert them into oxygen, about 40 percent of
the planet's breathable air.
Over the past few centuries, rainforests have disappeared
at an alarming rate. Factors such as economic inequality,
human development, and demand for natural resources
have fueled the deforestation of these rich ecosystems.
At the current rate, rainforests which have survived for over
70 million years may completely disappear within the next
century. But through educational campaigns, sustainable
logging practices, and cooperation with local communities,
deforestation may begin to slow down, helping preserve
rainforests for many generations to come.
canopies of green glitter in the sun. Their wildlife start to
slither, chirp, and growl and one of the planet's richest
ecosystems comes to life.
Rainforests are the oldest living ecosystems on the planet.
Some can trace their origins to over 70 million years ago,
back to a time when dinosaurs still roam the earth. While the
giant reptiles have disappeared, rainforests continue to
thrive, growing on every continent except Antarctica.
Two types of rainforests are scattered across the globe
temperate and tropical. Temperate rainforests are mainly
found in the mid latitudes often near cooler coastal
mountainous regions. Tropical rainforests are primarily
located in warmer climates between the Tropic of Cancer
and the Tropic of Capricorn.
As their names imply, temperate and tropical rainforests are
the wettest forests on earth, receiving up to about thirty-
three feet of rain per year. This precipitation plays a critical
role in creating an exceptionally lush and biologically
diverse habitat.
While rainforests only make up about six percent of the
Earth's surface area, they are home to over half of the
world's plant and animal species. This biodiversity creates
benefits that extend far beyond the rainforest boundaries.
Rainforest plants produce an assortment of food items in
addition to ingredients useful in everyday products and
medicines. In fact an estimated 70% of the plants used in
cancer treatments are only found in rainforests.
On an even larger scale, rainforests help to stabilize the
planet's climate. It's lush green vegetation regulate global
temperatures by absorbing massive amounts of radiation
from the sun. They also absorb in vast amounts of carbon
dioxide and convert them into oxygen, about 40 percent of
the planet's breathable air.
Over the past few centuries, rainforests have disappeared
at an alarming rate. Factors such as economic inequality,
human development, and demand for natural resources
have fueled the deforestation of these rich ecosystems.
At the current rate, rainforests which have survived for over
70 million years may completely disappear within the next
century. But through educational campaigns, sustainable
logging practices, and cooperation with local communities,
deforestation may begin to slow down, helping preserve
rainforests for many generations to come.
There are no notes for this quiz.
Shrouded in a blanket of clouds, they awaken. Their
canopies of green glitter in the sun. Their wildlife start to
slither, chirp, and growl and one of the planet's richest
ecosystems comes to life.
Rainforests are the oldest living ecosystems on the planet.
Some can trace their origins to over 70 million years ago,
back to a time when dinosaurs still roam the earth. While the
giant reptiles have disappeared, rainforests continue to
thrive, growing on every continent except Antarctica.
Two types of rainforests are scattered across the globe
temperate and tropical. Temperate rainforests are mainly
found in the mid latitudes often near cooler coastal
mountainous regions. Tropical rainforests are primarily
located in warmer climates between the Tropic of Cancer
and the Tropic of Capricorn.
As their names imply, temperate and tropical rainforests are
the wettest forests on earth, receiving up to about thirty-
three feet of rain per year. This precipitation plays a critical
role in creating an exceptionally lush and biologically
diverse habitat.
While rainforests only make up about six percent of the
Earth's surface area, they are home to over half of the
world's plant and animal species. This biodiversity creates
benefits that extend far beyond the rainforest boundaries.
Rainforest plants produce an assortment of food items in
addition to ingredients useful in everyday products and
medicines. In fact an estimated 70% of the plants used in
cancer treatments are only found in rainforests.
On an even larger scale, rainforests help to stabilize the
planet's climate. It's lush green vegetation regulate global
temperatures by absorbing massive amounts of radiation
from the sun. They also absorb in vast amounts of carbon
dioxide and convert them into oxygen, about 40 percent of
the planet's breathable air.
Over the past few centuries, rainforests have disappeared
at an alarming rate. Factors such as economic inequality,
human development, and demand for natural resources
have fueled the deforestation of these rich ecosystems.
At the current rate, rainforests which have survived for over
70 million years may completely disappear within the next
century. But through educational campaigns, sustainable
logging practices, and cooperation with local communities,
deforestation may begin to slow down, helping preserve
rainforests for many generations to come.
canopies of green glitter in the sun. Their wildlife start to
slither, chirp, and growl and one of the planet's richest
ecosystems comes to life.
Rainforests are the oldest living ecosystems on the planet.
Some can trace their origins to over 70 million years ago,
back to a time when dinosaurs still roam the earth. While the
giant reptiles have disappeared, rainforests continue to
thrive, growing on every continent except Antarctica.
Two types of rainforests are scattered across the globe
temperate and tropical. Temperate rainforests are mainly
found in the mid latitudes often near cooler coastal
mountainous regions. Tropical rainforests are primarily
located in warmer climates between the Tropic of Cancer
and the Tropic of Capricorn.
As their names imply, temperate and tropical rainforests are
the wettest forests on earth, receiving up to about thirty-
three feet of rain per year. This precipitation plays a critical
role in creating an exceptionally lush and biologically
diverse habitat.
While rainforests only make up about six percent of the
Earth's surface area, they are home to over half of the
world's plant and animal species. This biodiversity creates
benefits that extend far beyond the rainforest boundaries.
Rainforest plants produce an assortment of food items in
addition to ingredients useful in everyday products and
medicines. In fact an estimated 70% of the plants used in
cancer treatments are only found in rainforests.
On an even larger scale, rainforests help to stabilize the
planet's climate. It's lush green vegetation regulate global
temperatures by absorbing massive amounts of radiation
from the sun. They also absorb in vast amounts of carbon
dioxide and convert them into oxygen, about 40 percent of
the planet's breathable air.
Over the past few centuries, rainforests have disappeared
at an alarming rate. Factors such as economic inequality,
human development, and demand for natural resources
have fueled the deforestation of these rich ecosystems.
At the current rate, rainforests which have survived for over
70 million years may completely disappear within the next
century. But through educational campaigns, sustainable
logging practices, and cooperation with local communities,
deforestation may begin to slow down, helping preserve
rainforests for many generations to come.
There are no notes for this quiz.
