Tropical Rainforest Biome

Jennifer Te

What is a Rainforest?
Warm,

moist biome found near the equator Rich and complex biodiversity

Climate
Tropical

wet climate group Year round warmth

93-68 degrees

Averages

50-250 inches of rainfall per year

Structure
Tall

tree forest 4 distinct layers

Emergent Upper canopy Understory Forest Floor

Emergent
Widely

spaced large trees Umbrella shaped Grow above the canopy Hot temperatures and strong wind

Upper Canopy
60-130

feet trees Easily reached by light Densest area of biodiversity Abundant food Plants have drip spouts

Understory
Most

light blocked by canopy Constant shade Humid Tree trunks, plants and smaller trees

Forest Floor
Completely

Shaded Few bushes and shrubs Litter falls to the ground and is broken down by decomposers

Importance
Medicine

1/4 of the worlds medicine derived from rainforest plants Curae (anesthetic from tropical vine) Quinine Cinhona tree (malaria) Over 1400 varieties of plants thought to be a potential cure for cancer

Biodiversity
Species

200-300 species of trees in one hectare 30-100 species of animals in one hectare

Many

species rely on one another for survival

Symbiotic Relationships
Long

term biological interaction between different organisms

Mutualism
Both

species benefit from the interaction

Commensalism
One

species benefits while the other remains unaffected species benefits at the cost of another

Parasitism
One

Mutualism
Capuchin

Monkeys

Feed on nectar from flowering trees Pollen gets stuck to its face and get transferred to other flowers Flower= food, Monkeys = Pollinate

Ant and Fungi Partnerships

Leaf-cutter

ants and fungi

Ants cut leaves and carry them to underground nests Chew the leaves to a pulp and scrape away the wax coating (defense against fungi) Leaves provide food for the fungus, which ants prune and nurture

 The

fungi in-turn produce a new structure that the ants eat (gongylidia) Fungi normally contain insecticide as a natural defense mechanism

Toxic compounds are degraded by ants in the garden

Commensalism

Ecitoninae (Army Ants) and Antbirds

Army ants are notorious for taking out anything in its way Antbirds follow the trail of ants and feed on whatever is left behind Ants rustle the floor, causing insects to fly out and are eaten my the birds

Vermiliads
Vermiliads

(Plants living on trees) provide shelter and water for frogs

Parasitism
Strangler

Figs

Grow on branches of of trees Sprout aerial roots that grow around the host tree Roots eventually kill the tree

Phorid Flies
Phorid

Flies attack leaf cutter ants when collecting leaves

Lays eggs in crevices of the ants head When the eggs hatch, larvae burrow into the ants body and feed on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFVv Oo1Qd_8

Bibliography

Khan, Dr. Sumaiya. Buzzle.com. Buzzle.com, 30 Nov. 2010. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. "Rainforest Biomes." Rainforest Biomes. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. "Tropical Forests." WWF. Creative Commons License, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. "9) Symbiotic Interactions." Rainforest Conservation Fund RSS. Rainforest Conservation Fund, 2013. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. N.d. Photograph. Http://www.tropical-rainforest-animals.com/imagefiles/australianrainforest.jpg. Web. N.d. Photograph. Http://eschooltoday.com/forests/images/layers-of-arain-forest.jpg. Web. Http://www.rainforesteducation.com/life/understory.htm. N.d. Photograph. Http://www.rainforesteducation.com/life/understory.htm. Web. N.d. Photograph. Http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5067/5678114592_98c2fb346e_z.jpg Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFVvOo1Qd_8. Web. "Pearson - Science News." Pearson - Science News. Science News, 21 Dec. 2002. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. "Phorid Flies, a Natural Parasite of the Ants." YouTube. YouTube, 08 Jan. 2012. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.