Threats to the
Tropical Forest
[Great Green Winged Macaw]
Tropical Forest Animals
Tropical forests are home to a wide
variety of animal species. The
competition for food and other
resources is so high in this biome
that the animals have adapted to
ensure resources for their species.
For example the Great Green winged
Macaw pictured above has adapted
to have a very hard beak, making it
capable to eat hard berries and nuts.
Another example of beak adaptation
is the Toucan, which has adapted to
have a large beak so that it can reach
full branches to eat from.
Of course birds are not the extent of
the animals inhabiting this biome.
The tropical forest also has many
species of monkeys, snakes, frogs,
rodents, lizards and insects.
Dangerous Humans
For selfish gain, humans are slowly
killing off tropical forests and in turn
all of the species that live there.
Commercial fishing, poaching,
damming and logging are a few of
the threats to these forests.
Commercial fishing is becoming
more of a threat because of the
growing population on the earth
there is a higher demand for fish.
This causes over-fishing and can
lead to extinction of species.
Poaching is people illegally hunting
animals to sell as food and raw
materials. (9.6-23.5 million animals
TROPICAL
are taken from the Amazon alone
each year) Damming is becoming a
FOREST
real danger as hydroelectric BIOME
damming projects are becoming
more
moremoremore popular, forests.
popular, destroying
destroying
Logging forforests.
wood Logging for wood
for buildings,
furniture and charcoal is a
continuous threat to tropical
[Habitat for a miraculous
forests. Since 1970, over
plants and animals alike]
600,000kiloeters of tropical forest
have been destroyed.

Where is the Tropical
Forest located?
Tropical forests are located near the
equator. They are prevalent in
Central and South America, in West
and Central Africa, and in Southeast
Asia. Tropical rainforests cover only
6% of the Earth’s surface. The largest
tropical forest is the Amazon.
What can be found in
a Tropical Forest?
Tropical forests hold the greatest
biodiversity in the world. Containing
over 15 million species of plants and
animals. More than half of the
world’s plant and animal species live
in this biome.
[Average rainfall and temperature in tropical
forest in Brazil]
Tropical Forest Plants
The humid climate in tropical forests What is Climate like in
creates an ideal environment for
plant life. There are 1,400 varieties of a Tropical Forest?
plant species. Of that 1,400 species, Temperatures stay at a uniform high
70% are trees. These trees alone between 20-30 degrees Celsius. The
produce 40% of the Earths oxygen. forest experiences 12 hours of
There are 100-300 species of trees. sunlight year round, although only
These trees can grow up to 120 feet 2% of that sunlight will reach the
tall. The plants are so prevalent that ground because of the thick
the forest is divided into layers. The vegetation. Tropical forests
top layer is called the canopy, the experience a range of 60-260 inches
middle layer is called the understory, of rainfall each year. The rainfall is
and the ground layer is called the distributed evenly throughout the
floor. year in some locations. Other year in
some locations. Other locations
Fun Fact: ¼ of all medicines come experience monsoon season,
from tropical forest plants. These changing the precipitation patterns.
plants have provided the cure for
malaria, Parkinson’s, multiple
sclarousis and many more!