Tropical Rain forest
A biome
Description
The tropical rain forest covers about 7 percent of the earth's surface. They are found near the equator where the temperature is warm all year round in places like Brazil, other parts of South America, as well as parts of North-east Asia. There is no dry season and there is rainfall from about 2000 millimetres to 10000 millimetres a year. Over half of Earth's plants and animals can be found in tropical rain forests.
Map of Tropical Rain Forest
Map of Tropical Rain Forest
Typical Land Cover
Rain forests are divided into layers where each layer has its own unique biotic community consisting of different animals and plants. The most bottom layer is the forest layer which only receives about 2 percent of sunlight. Due to the low sunlight penetration, there isn't a lot of vegetation on the forest floor. The forest floor also contains plant and animal decay which decomposes quickly due to the hot atmosphere. The warm and humid conditions create an ideal place for bacteria such as fungi to grow. The middle layer which is also called the Undercover layer, consists of vines, fern, shrubs, small mammals, and reptiles. The Canopy layer is on top of the forest floor and has many trees that tower over 35 metres. Epiphytic plants like orchids, attach themselves to tree trunks and branches to obtain water and minerals that fall on the plants. The Emergent layer is on top of the Canopy layer and has a smaller amount of trees that are very large and grow above the Canopy layer. It can grow as tall as 70 to 80 metres tall.
Layers of the Rain Forest
Climate
The tropical rain forest is a hot and humid biome with rainfalls all year long. Since tropical rain forests are near the equator, the temperature is consistently warm. The average temperature ranges from 20 degrees Celsius to 24 degrees Celsius and the average precipitation ranges from 2000 millimetres to 10000 millimetres. There is no dry season in tropical rain forests since there is at least 60 millimetres of rainfall each month.
Tropical Rain Forest Climate
How Tropical Rain Forests are Expected to Change as Climate Change Continues
As climate change continues, forest degradation has become a big threat to tropical rain forests. Temperature has begun to rise, and researchers predict that there will be an increase of temperature by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius in the amazon by 2050. The increase of temperature corresponds with the decrease rainfall which also relates to forest fires. Each year, the number of rainfalls has decreased, which will cause a chain reaction of consequences. Due to forest degradation, the boundaries of the tropical rain forests will naturally shift further from the equator for species to stay in their ideal temperature range, but that also means that there will be temperature swings to encounter.Also, the biome will get bigger as species begin to spread further away. Tropical rain forests will transition to savannas due to the drying of the amazon. As the climate begins to change and the lower yearly rainfall continues leading to a longer dry season, there will be a transition from tropical rain forests to savannas.
