EXPLORE ACTIVITY 2: Rainforest Climates

Objectives:
At the end of this off-classroom activity (1-2 hours), the student should be able:
1. To develop an understanding that the geographical location of tropical rainforests is related
to the existing climate at that region.
2. To illustrate that climate depends on two factors affecting the tropical rainforests:
temperature and the amount of precipitation.
3. To construct a climatogram by graphing the tropical rainforest’ annual average temperature
and precipitation.

Background Information:

Temperature variation in a tropical rainforest is minimal. There may be as little as ten

degrees difference between the hottest and coldest months of the year at any given
region. At ground level, even the difference between daytime and nighttime
temperatures is negligible. High humidity, usually 70 to 90 percent, is a byproduct of
the consistently high temperatures and the abundant rainfall.

A tropical rainforest doesn’t experience seasons. In temperate countries, the four

seasons winter, spring, summer, and fall, define specific times of year as to the
expected temperature and weather conditions. In a tropical climate, temperature is
fairly constant. The seasons, where they exist, are described only in terms of the
weather which is wet or dry.

The tropical rainforests, rely on high temperatures and high rainfall throughout the year to
support their varied and fast-growing vegetation. This in turn supports an abundant range of
wildlife.

Procedure
Plot the rainfall and average temperatures for a rainforest in Brazil onto a climatogram.
CLIMATOGRAM
These are the average monthly temperatures and rainfall in a typical rainforest in Brazil.
Graph them onto the climatogram.

QUESTIONS

1. What factors influence climate in general?

2. How does climate affect the nature and location of tropical rainforests?
3. How would you explain the high amount of rainfall in this type of ecosystem?
4. Describe the annual subtle changes taking place among the plant and animal inhabitants of
a tropical rainforest.
5. How have human activities affected the world’s tropical rainforests?
6. What harmful effects might the loss of most of the world’s remaining tropical
rainforests have on your lifestyle and that of any child or grandchild that you might
have?
7. What are the two things you could do to help reduce this loss?