In some biomes, wildlife is hard to find. But that isn't the case for rainforests. Rainforests cover less than 3% of the Earth's surface. But they contain over 50% of the Earth's land species. They are the most diverse ecosystems in the world.
There are two types of rainforests: temperate and tropical. Tropical rainforests are found close to the equator. They are hot. Temperate rainforests are found further north or south. They are colder. Both receive lots of rain.
Rainforests are called the lungs of the Earth. That is because they produce so much oxygen. But that is not all they do. They also absorb harmful gases from the air. They are a natural solution to climate change.
Where do rainforests get their name? Well, they get a lot of rain. There is drizzle most days. Rainforests get around 150 cm of rain per year.
Rainforests are quiet in the daytime. Some diurnal animals like birds are awake. But at nighttime, the rainforest comes alive. That is because most animals living there are nocturnal. They sleep in the day. Animals hunt and look for partners in the cover of darkness.
We can split rainforests into layers. The lowest layer is the forest floor. It is the bottom level of the rainforest. It is teeming with insects. The rainforest's biggest animals live here.
Next is the understory. It is the coolest part of the rainforest. It contains lots of bushes and young trees. It is dark here. Not much sun passes through the taller trees. The plants here have big leaves. They help them get more sunlight.
A little higher is the canopy. It is full of life. There are insects, birds, and mammals competing for food. It is made up of leaves and branches of taller trees.
At the top of the rainforest we have the emergent. Few trees make their way to this layer. They are the tall trees that stick out above the canopy. You might find birds and insects here.
The Amazon rainforest in Brazil is the world’s biggest rainforest. There are about 390 billion trees in the Amazon rainforest. There are 1,300 types of birds. There are 2,200 types of fish. There are 2.5 million types of insects. It is a busy place.
But rainforests are in trouble. The number of trees and animals in rainforests is getting smaller. We are cutting down trees in rainforests all around the world. We lose so much without rainforests. We lose animals and plants. We lose the oxygen they make. We lost an essential part of our Earth. We need rainforests.
Rainforests are fragile ecosystems. If we continue to destroy them, they may not recover. There's lots of easy things to do to help the rainforests. Eat less meat. Walk or cycle more. Buy local products. It is up to us.