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Which Biome is home to the:

Which Biome is home to the:. Largest Flower in the world?. Most poisonous amphibians?. Biggest Flower in the World?. Slowest animal on Earth?. Largest rodent on Earth?. Largest snake in the world?. Rainforest Biome Facts.

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Which Biome is home to the:

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  1. Which Biome is home to the: Largest Flower in the world? Most poisonous amphibians? Biggest Flower in the World? Slowest animal on Earth? Largest rodent on Earth? Largest snake in the world?

  2. Rainforest Biome Facts • Climate (Average Temperature): 25 °C (77°F) and can be quite humid • Rainfall: 150-400 cm (60-160 in) of rainfall annually • Due to the heavy amount of rainfall, the soil tends to be infertile (nutrient poor) and acidic. • Has the greatest amount of biodiversity of any other biome. The rainforest contains over 15 million species of plants and animals! • Vegetation: 50-150 different species of trees per acre

  3. Where are Rainforests found? Notice that tropical rainforests are located near the equator.

  4. Layers of the Rainforest EMERGENT LAYER Sunlight is plentiful up here. Most of these trees are broad-leaved, hardwood evergreens. The tallest trees are the emergents, towering as much as 60 m (200 ft) above the forest floor with trunks that measure up to 5 m (16 ft) around. Animals found are eagles, monkeys, bats and butterflies. CANOPY This is the primary layer of the forest and forms a roof over the two lower layers. Most canopy trees have smooth, oval leaves that come to a point. It's a maze of leaves and branches. There is a lot of food and many animals, including spider monkeys, orangutans, parrots, snakes, toucans, tree frogs. UNDERSTORY Little sunlight reaches this area so the plants have to grow large, broad leaves to absorb what little sunlight gets through the canopy. The plants in this area seldom grow to 12 feet. Many animals live here including jaguars, red-eyed tree frogs, leopards and many insects. FOREST FLOOR This area is very dark and humid and has very few plants. The heat and humidity help things to decay quickly. A leaf that might take one year to decompose in a regular climate will disappear in 6 weeks. Animals living in this layer include insects, jaguars, Bengal tigers, and giant anteaters.

  5. Rainforest Plant Adaptations Drip Tips The v-shape at the tip of the leaf allows water to quickly filter off the plant. This adaptation helps leaves cope with the large amounts of water in the rainforest

  6. Rainforest Plant Adaptations The Liana (a climbing vine) has adapted to the low amount of sunlight in the thick canopy of the rainforest. It climbs up trees to reach past the canopy so that it can reach sunlight to use for photosynthesis.

  7. Rainforest Plant Adaptations Carnivorous Plants use both photosynthesis and digestive enzymes to obtain their energy. Pitcher plants also use bright colors and nectars as baits for the insects, but the rim and inner walls of the pitcher are extremely slippery. Once an insect lands on the rim and walks in the pitcher for nectar, it starts slipping and cannot get out of the pitcher. It finally falls in the liquid at the base of the pitcher and drowns. The pitcher plant then slowly digests its meal.

  8. Rainforest Plant Adaptations Epiphytes are types of flowering plants that grow on trees instead of in soil, so they can reach the sunlight for photosynthesis. Examples: orchids, mosses, philodendrons, bromeliads

  9. Rainforest Biome Largest flower in the world: Rafflesia arnoldii (can weigh as much as 7 kg) Parasitic plant; no photosynthesis Rarely found because they take months to develop and last just a few days • Also called a “corpse flower” because it smells strongly of decaying flesh. • This physical adaptation attracts flies and beetles which pollinate the flowers.

  10. Rainforest Animal Adaptations Amazon Horned Frog Leaf-tailed gecko on mossy tree trunk Amazon katydid

  11. Rainforest Animal Adaptations Can you spot the sloth?

  12. Rainforest Biome Slowest animal on Earth: Sloth Biggest Flower in the World? The sloth moves extremely slowly to conserve energy. Average speed of 15-30cm (1/2 - 1ft) per minute! Sloths are so slow that they have blue-green algae that grows on their fur. This algae helps the sloth blend in with the environment.

  13. Rainforest Animal Adaptations One of the most impressive features of the toucan is its large beak! It is also a physical adaptation that helps the bird to survive! The beak helps in the following ways: • Scientists believe the colorful beak helps to attract mates. • The beak is very large and helps the toucan to snack on a very specialized diet of nuts and berries that other animals cannot break open and eat with their mouths • The beak has a hollow honeycomb structure on the inside so it is light-weight and doesn’t throw the bird off balance, or make flight impossible.

  14. Rainforest Animal Adaptations Horns: The Hercules beetle has a horn used for fighting. Is this a physical or behavioral adaptation? Another physical adaptation of the Hercules beetle is its strength. It can carry up to 850 times its weight!

  15. Rainforest Animal Adaptations What does a monkey use to hang on the trees? Monkeys have a special adaptation called a PREHENSILE TAIL that helps them grip and hold on to branches as they travel throughout the rainforest!

  16. Rainforest Animal Adaptations WARNINGColors Many animals in the Tropical Rainforest have beautiful BOLD colors! Often this is to let other animals know not to eat them!

  17. WarningColors Most poisonous amphibian: poison dart frog Biggest Flower in the World? Their bright colors warn predators that this animal could be dangerous to eat The golden variety is especially poisonous. Though only 5 cm long, their venom is strong enough to kill 10 adults!

  18. Rainforest Animal Adaptations Largest rodent on Earth: capybara Biggest Flower in the World? The capybara can weigh 60-140lbs! Capybaras are excellent swimmers and can stay underwater for up to 5 minutes to avoid predators. Their eyes, ears and nostrils are on the top of the head so they can hide in water.

  19. Animal Adaptations Largest Snake in the world: Anaconda Has eyes and nostrils on top of the head to stay hidden under water. Not poisonous – they are constrictors (kill prey by squeezing them) They can reach a length of 9 m (30 ft) and weight of 227 kg (550 lbs)

  20. Human Impact Rainforests are very important because they are so full of different kinds of life (biodiversity). However, the rainforest is disappearing at alarming rates due to deforestation

  21. Human Impact • Two main causes of deforestation in the rainforest: • Farming and Ranching (Agriculture) - The soil is not rich in nutrients, which means that crops cannot be planted in the same area time after time. This causes farmers to move on, destroying more land. • Logging - Rainforest timber is used for building, furniture, and pulping for paper products. Rainforests that were chopped down can grow back over a long time (succession), but will never have the same variety of plants and animals they once did.

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