Tropical rain forest Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tropical rain forest - Research Paper Example Tropical rain forest Tropical rain forests are categorized into three: the monsoon, equatorial rain forests and the subtropical rainforests. They are characterized by very tall trees of different kinds and produce 40% of Earth’s oxygen. The trees form canopies which provide shelter to the plants and animals from the sun. Tropical rain forests host more than half of the estimated 10 million species of plants, animals and insects (Terashima, 49). The vegetation is ever green. The dominant species in the rain forests are plants, animals and insects. Location According to Newman (The Tropical rainforest), tropical rain forests are found on the earth’s surface between the tropic of cancer in the North and the tropical of cancer in the south around 23.5 degrees north and south of the equator. Areas around the equator receive a constant amount of sunlight and rainfall which favours the growth of rainforest. Tropical rain forests are mainly found in central and South America, South East Asia and is lands near it and in West Africa. The largest tropical rainforest across the globe is the Amazon rainforest. Climate According to Terashima (52), ecosystem is usually very wet with the total rainfall between 1500 and 2500 mm per year. Most of the rains stays on the rain forest, evaporates, cools to form clouds and fall again. The rainforest soils are infertile since the nutrients are washed away by the rains. There are usually no dry seasons and the day temperatures are around 30-35 Degree Celsius (Terborgh, The midday sun is always near the vertical and is overhead twice a year at the equinoxes. This means there is more direct sunlight hitting the ground and the sea and much water evaporates into the air (Newman, 2002). At night the temperatures range between 20-25 degrees Celsius. Little difference exists between the warmest and coolest months. Tropical rainforests have a high humidity and the type of climate is known as the equatorial climate. Tropical rainforest climate is found at latitudes within five degrees North and South of the equator. The high humidity is due to the warm sunlight, rainfall and the tree canopies which help retain the moisture. Major interactions Among the Organisms that live in the Tropical rain forests Competition According to University of Michigan (The Tropical Rainforest) there is a wide diversity of animals in the tropical rain forests. The tropical birds such as Costa Rica, parrots, macaws and hornbills eat fruits, nuts insects, seeds and nectar. Monkeys such as gorilla and the Lar gibbon feed on leaves, fruits, leaves and bark while the orang-utan and spider monkey feed on leaves fruits, nuts, seeds and insects. Also in Whitemore (195), spiders which live on the canopies eat fruits and leaves hence competing with the birds and some mammal for food in the ecosystem. Both the birds, monkeys and spiders compete for the same food in the ecosystem. Predation The bats also prey on frogs which also prey on insects. Jaguar feeds on r odents and frogs the bats and the jaguar are the predators whereas the frogs and other rodents are the prey. Snakes which are also predators feed on other rodents (Terborgh, 121). Predators use poison, camouflage and strength to kill their prey. Man is another predator whose prey is edible animals and plants. Men use the animals and plant