Rain Forests

Rain Forests

1. Emergent

   • tall trees, 30-50m, leaves/animals thrive available sunlight

2. Canopy

   • 20-45m, distinct microclimate, variety plants/animals, tall trees= liana vines, intertwine branches, epiphytes use tree trunks/branches as anchors to get sunlight/water

3. Understorey

   • small trees/ferns that receive 5% suns energy, animals move around in darkness & humidity, use vines as highways

4. Forest Floor

   • covered by leaves, fallen trees & huge buttress roots that support huge trees, RF soils give impression being fertile cuz they support large no. of trees & plants, impression wrong soil is poor, leaves & other matter recycled by organisms to create living compost, roots of trees get nutrients from soil before heavy rains wash them away and are lost through process= leaching, large animals roam through this layer for food

5. MEDICINE

   • more than 7000 medicines made RF plants, can be used to treat headaches and killer disease like malaria
   • used by ppl who suffer from sclerosis, parkinson disease, leukaemia, asthma, acne, arthritis, diabetes etc.
   • animals cure human diseases, Australian tree frogs= heal sores, south american frog= powerful painkiller
   • poisonous venom=amazonian snake used to that high BP
   • 1% known plants/ animals RF analysed for medical potential

6. 1/2 known plants/animals live here

7. 50 million indigenous ppl live here

   • gain much food

8. most fruits/nuts grown by farmers than harvested in forest

9. cattle ranches

10. small scale subsistence

11. logging (legal, illegal)

12. fires, mining, road construction

13. urbanisation, dams

14. large scale commercial agriculture