This Powerpoint presentation was found at http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/education/documents/introduction_rainforests.pdf

1. What Are
Rainforests?

2. Map by Scholastic, Inc.
Tropical rainforests are located close to the Equator between the
Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. This means that it is
always hot – between 70 and 85o F.
Where are tropical rainforests located?

3. Photo by David Dudenhoefer
Rainforests are forests where more than 100 inches of rain fall
each year so they are always green and full of life. More than half
of the world’s plant and animal species live in rainforests.

4. Plants need sunlight to
grow. At the top of the
rainforest, there is more
sunlight and so there
are more plants.
Some animals can live
in the trees while other
animals can only live
on the ground.
Rainforests have 4
“Layers of Life.”
Different plants and
animals live in each
layer. Why?
©1997 Science Museum of Minnesota /
www.ThinkingFountain.org

5. Very little sunlight reaches the forest floor so few plants can grow.
However, there are thousands of species of insects such as ants, beetles
and termites crawling around. This agouti paca lives on the forest floor
along with other animals such as jaguars, anteaters and snakes.
THE FOREST FLOOR
Photo by Art Wolfe

6. Jaguar
Photo by Gerry Ellis

7. Ocellated Turkey
Photo by Julianne Schrader

8. Poison Dart Frog
Photo by John Netherton

9. Each ant in the colony has a different role such as looking for
food, keeping predators away, taking care of baby ants and, of
course, cutting leaves. They take the leaves underground and use
them to make fungus in their gardens. Photo by Art Wolfe
Leaf-cutter Ant

10. From the Forest Floor grows
the Understory. It is shaded
by the top layers of the
rainforest. Many common
houseplants come from the
Rainforest. The plant that
you have in your home or
your classroom might grow
here! You will also find
animals such as butterflies
and snakes.
UNDERSTORY
Photo by Labeeb Abboud

11. Blue Morpho Butterfly
Photo by David Julian

12. Bromeliads have bright orange, red, blue or purple flowers. Their
leaves catch the rain like buckets. Some small frogs, snails, salamanders
and crabs may live their entire lives on a bromeliad.
Photo by Chris Wille
Bromeliad

13. Red-eyed tree frog
Photo by David Julian

14. The Forest Canopy is like a big umbrella of thick leaves and flowers that
shade the parts below it. In these upper layers there is a LOT of sunlight
that helps leaves, fruit and seeds grow. Most rainforest animals such as
monkeys, bats and birds live up here to be near food and never leave –
even though the canopy can be 90 feet above the ground!
THE CANOPY
Photo by Chris Wille

15. Scarlet Macaw
Photo by Chris Wille

16. Black Howler Monkey
Photo by Art Wolfe

17. Some trees grow so high they peak out from the top of the canopy up
to 200 feet. This layer receives the most sun and wind. Animals climb
up here to find food, sunbathe or escape from predators.
EMERGENT LAYER
Photo by Daniel Katz

18. White-tailed Hawk
Photo courtesy of SalvaNatura

19. Squirrel Monkey
© M. Alexiades

20. Rainforests are home to more than half of the world’s plant and
animal species. Some animals can only be found in the rainforest..
Why are rainforests so important?
Spectacled Bear
Tapir
Toucans
All photos by Art Wolfe

21. Trees use carbon dioxide and provide oxygen – just the opposite of
people. By using a lot of carbon dioxide each day, rainforests keep the
temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind levels of the Earth stable. If
there is too much carbon dioxide, those things might change.
The rainforest plays a big role in the Earth’s climate!
Photo by Klabin

22. There’s a reason why rainforests are called the “world’s largest
pharmacies”! We have already developed medicines such as those
used to fight cancer, diabetes and heart diseases from rainforest plants.
More cures might be found here one day!
Medicines
Bark from the Cinchona tree has been used to produce Quinine, a drug
used to prevent and treat malaria. Cinchona comes from South America.
Photo by C.H.Lamoureux

23. All of these things originated in the rainforest!
Do you eat bananas? Do you know someone who
drinks coffee? Do you use anything made of wood?
Banana tree photo by Chiquita Brands International, Inc.
Coffee photo by Bina Venkataraman
Wood photo by Julianne Schrader

24. What did you use today that originated in the rainforest?
Oranges Chocolate
Wooden furniture Paper
Paper photo courtesy of Domtar
Chocolates photo courtesy of City Bakery NYC
Furniture photo courtesy of Gardener’s Supply Co.

25. There are kids just like you who live very close to the
rainforest. Like us, they depend on the rainforest every day.
This is Romel. He works on his family’s farm in the rainforest
harvesting cacao, which becomes the chocolate that we eat.
Photo by David Dudenhoefer

26. All Photos by David Dudenhoefer

27. The Earth loses:
1 acre of rainforest each second;
60 acres each minute;
3,600 acres each hour;
86,400 acres each day;
2,592,000 acres each month;
31,104,000 acres each year.
That means that each second, we
are losing enough rainforest to
cover an entire football field!!!
Why Rainforests Need Protection
Photo by Walter Smith

28. It is hard to balance the needs of people and the protection of rainforests.
With the world’s population growing every day, there is more and more
pressure on forests. Many rainforests are cut down for land to live on or
to create products that we all need, such as beef or paper. But wait – we
can still have our rainforest and eat our chocolate, too.
Why are rainforests disappearing?
Photo by Rebecca Butterfield

29. By asking your parents to choose products that are made in a
way that is safe for the forest and for people, you can help save
the rainforest -- and all the plants and animals we depend on and
love.
The good news is that the Rainforest Alliance is
working to protect the rainforest, and YOU can, too!
Bananas photo courtesy of Chiquita
Chair photo by Labeeb Abboud

30. Photo by David Dudenhoefer
You can also write a thank you
letter to companies that are doing
a great job making their products
rainforest-friendly. Here are just
some of them:
Chiquita Bananas
Reybanpac Bananas
Gibson Guitars
Kraft Foods, Inc.
Favorita Fruit Company
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Domtar Paper
For more companies, visit:
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/marketplace

31. Try using less paper every day. You can also re-use or recycle
paper. Ask your parents and teachers how they recycle.
Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!
Photo courtesy of Mohawk Paper

32. Photo by David Dudenhoefer
Most importantly, the more you learn about rainforests, the
more you can teach other people how important they are!

33. www.rainforest-alliance.org