Introduction

When you think of rainforest's you probably think of lots of trees and water and some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. This is true, but it is every persons responsibility to help keep rainforest's because of it's effect on everyone globally.

Tropical rainforest's provide timber as well as animal products such as meat and hides. Rainforest's also have value as tourism destinations and for the ecosystem services provided. Many foods originally came from tropical forests, and are still mostly grown on plantations in regions that were formerly primary forest.Tropical rainforest's are also the source of medicinal drug components(wikipedia).

Where can you find rainforest's?

The largest rainforests are in the Amazon River Basin (South America), the Congo River Basin (western Africa), and throughout much of southeast Asia. Smaller rainforests are located in Central America, Madagascar, Australia and nearby islands, India, and other locations in the tropics.

There are only two seasons in a tropical rainforest, the wet season and the dry season.

Temperate rainforests are found along the Pacific coast of the USA and Canada (from northern California to Alaska), in New Zealand, Tasmania, Chile, Ireland, Scotland and Norway. They cover less area than tropical rainforests.

The Olympic rain forest (located on the Olympic peninsula in the state of Washington, United States of America) is a temperate rain forest near the Pacific ocean.(Enchanted learning)

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Animals

The Red-Eyed Tree Frog is located in Southern Mexico, Central America including but not limited to Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama, and northern South America. Red-Eyed Tree Frogs are carnivorous and eat mostly insects, including crickets. They will also feed on other smaller frogs.Red-Eyed Tree Frogs inhabit lowland rainforest areas near ponds, streams and rivers. The Red-Eyed Tree Frog will be found near water sources that its offspring, tadpoles, will need to survive.(Rainforest Animals)


Jaguars are found in Mexico, Central and South America.

Jaguars will eat a variety of animals including turtles,

tapirs and deer.

The female Jaguar will have an approximately 100 day
pregnancy period and can give birth to 2, 3 or 4 cubs.(Rainforest Animals)

Parrots are located worldwide, usually in tropical areas.

Most parrots eat fruits, nuts and seeds.Parrots lay eggs in the holes of trees and sometimes on the ground in holes or cracks.(Rainforest Animals)







Spider Monkeys will eat fruits, leaves and nuts and occasionally insects.

Spider Monkeys are located in Central and South
America and some parts of Mexico.

Spider Monkeys live high in the canopy of the rainforest
and seldom venture to the rainforest floor.The pregnancy period of the Spider Monkey is about 7.5
months. The female Spider Monkey will usually have one
infant.(Rainforest Animals)

Insects

Blue Morpho Butterflies are located in Central and South America and some parts of Mexico.The Blue Morpho Butterfly will generally eat rotting or fermenting fruit using its probiscus.Blue Morpho Butterflies lay eggs which in turn become caterpillars. The caterpillars will later form a chrysallis and become an adult.(Rainforest Animals)

Leafcutter Ants are located in Southwestern United
States, Central and South America.

Leafcutter Ants cut pieces of leaves or grass with strong
jaws, then use the plant matter to grow their own fungus
which they eat.The queen ant lays eggs in the nest, the eggs eventually
hatch and become larvae. The larvae pupate and
become adults.(Rainforest Animals)

Rainforest Facts

We are losing Earth's greatest biological treasures just as we are beginning to appreciate their true value. Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface; now they cover a mere 6% and experts estimate that the last remaining rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years.

One and one-half acres of rainforest are lost every second with tragic consequences for both developing and industrial countries.

Rainforests are being destroyed because the value of rainforest land is perceived as only the value of its timber by short-sighted governments, multi-national logging companies, and land owners.

Nearly half of the world's species of plants, animals and microorganisms will be destroyed or severely threatened over the next quarter century due to rainforest deforestation.

Experts estimates that we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest deforestation. That equates to 50,000 species a year. As the rainforest species disappear, so do many possible cures for life-threatening diseases. Currently, 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources. While 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less that 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists.

Most rainforests are cleared by chainsaws, bulldozers and fires for its timber value and then are followed by farming and ranching operations, even by world giants like Mitsubishi Corporation, Georgia Pacific, Texaco and Unocal.

(Rainforest Facts)

Deforestation

Tropical and temperate rainforest's have been subjected to heavy logging and agricultural clearance since the 20th century. The area covered by rainforests around the world is rapidly shrinking. Biologists have estimated that large numbers of species are being driven to extinction due to the removal of habitat with destruction of the rainforests. Protection and regeneration of the rainforests is a key goal of many environmental charities and organizations.

Helping out

In The Home

Recycle everything you can: newspapers, cans, glass bottles and jars, aluminum foil, motor oil, scrap metal, etc.

Investigate local recycling centers that take items your garbage hauler does not.

Try to use phosphate-free laundry and dish soaps.

Use cold water in the washer whenever possible.

Don't use electrical appliances for things you can easily do by hand, like opening cans.

Re-use brown paper bags to line your trash can instead of plastic liners. Re-use bread bags, butter tubs, etc.

Store food in re-usable containers, instead of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Save wire coat hangers and return them to the dry cleaners.

Take unwanted, re-usable items to a charitable organization or thrift shop.

Don't leave water running needlessly.

Install a water-saving shower head.

Set your water heater at 130 degrees.

Have your water heater insulated free of charge by your utility company.

Turn your heat down, and wear a sweater.

Lower your thermostat by one degree per hour for every hour you'll be away or asleep.
Turn off the lights, TV, or other electrical appliances when you're out of a room.

Get a free energy audit from your utility company.

Burn only seasoned wood in your woodstove or fireplace... and don't light them as often.



IN YOUR YARD

Start a compost pile.

Put up birdfeeders, birdhouses, and birdbaths.

Pull weeds instead of using herbicides.

Use only organic fertilizers... they're still the best.

Compost your leaves and yard debris, or take them to a yard debris recycler. (Burning them creates air pollution, and putting them out with the trash wastes landfill space.)

Use mulch to conserve water in your garden.

Take extra plastic and rubber pots back to the nursery.

Plant short, dense shrubs close to your home's foundation to help insulate your home against cold.


(savetherainforest.com)