Why Are Rain Forests so Called?
Why Are Rain Forests so Called? A rain forest can be described as a tall, dense jungle. The climate of a rain forest is very hot and humid so the animals and plants that exist there must learn to adapt to this climate. Rain forests are so-called because of the high amount of rainfall it gets per year, they grow in the wet lowlands of the tropics where the annual rainfall is more than 80 inches (2,000 mm) and the average temperature is between 20° and 30°C (68° and 86°F).
They consist of evergreen trees which never completely loose their luxurious leaves and grow over 100 feet high. Although it is possible to find as many as 100 different kinds of trees in a small area, most of them are similar. In most cases there is little vegetation apart from the trees and few flowers. This is because the tops of the trees are so dense that little sunlight reaches the ground. Those plants that do grow beneath the tree line are mostly climbers winding their way up the barks of trees and such flowers as are found are usually the most exotic varieties on earth.
Rain forests are the Earth’s oldest living ecosystems. These incredible places cover only 6 % of the Earth’s surface but yet they contain more than 1/2 of the world’s plant and animal species! As many as 30 million species of plants and animals live in tropical rain forests. At least two-thirds of the world’s plant species, including many exotic and beautiful flowers grow in the rain forests.
Rain forests are the source of many items that we all use in our own homes! We eat several foods from the rain forest and many medicines are made from ingredients found only in these areas. Some of the common products we know of include: Chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, rubber, medicine, pineapples.