The Rainforest Book

50 Pages·2021·29.282 MB·English

by  DK

T h e
R A I N F O R E S T
b o o k
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discover
the world’s
tropical rainforests
Tropical rainforests cover less than 3 percent
of the planet, yet they contain at least half of
all the world’s wildlife. This makes them fascinating
and important places.
Let’s travel through these enchanting tropical
worlds by discovering the huge variety of plants
and animals that live there.
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Camouflaging creatures and
4 Where do you find rainforests? 26
colorful warnings
6 How do plants and animals live? 28 Safety in numbers
8 What does a rainforest look like? 30 Finding a mate
10 Why are rainforests important? 32 Growing up in the rainforest
Discover an amazing variety Why do rainforests
12 34
of rainforest plants need protection?
14 The fight for light 36 Deforestation
How does climate change
16 Plants and their pollinators 38
affect rainforests?
18 Plants and their seed spreaders 40 Rainforest recovery
20 The cycle of life 42 How can you help?
Meet the wonderful animals that
22 44 Make your own mini rainforest
live in tropical rainforests
Protecting the places
24 Animal hunters 46
that are precious
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Where do you find rainforests?
The equator is an imaginary line that runs around the middle of the Earth
like a belt. Tropical rainforests are found in places near the Equator,
where it is warm year-round, and wet for most of the year.
tropical
Above and below the Equator,
rainforests:
the temperature is cooler, but you
can still find rainforests growing
temperate
in areas where there is a lot
rainforests:
of rain. These rainforests are
called temperate
rainforests.
The area between the
The equator
yellow lines is called
the tropical zone.
A tropical rainforest
will get at least 79 in
The Amazon is the
(2 m) of rain every
largest tropical
year. But sometimes,
rainforest and has one of
this amount can be more
the world’s longest rivers
than 394 in (10 m). The
running through it.
temperature is normally
72–93°F (22–34°C).
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There are different types
of tropical rainforests. Tropical forests growing
near the sea are called
Some tropical forests mangrove forests.
are called cloud forests. Here mangrove trees
They grow on mountains grow with their roots sunk
and hills among damp, deep into the salty water.
low clouds.
Most tropical rainforests grow in low
areas of land where rivers flow. These are
the rainforests that most people think of
when they hear the word “jungle.”
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How do plants and animals live?
While plants are
An enormous variety of plants and animals live in tropical rainforests. making food, they
All these living things need food to give them energy to survive, release oxygen
but plants and animals get their food in different ways. into the air. This is a
gas that all animals
need to breathe.
Plants are able to
make their own food.
The flowers make
seeds, which can
A plant’s leaves act like food
grow into new plants.
factories. They make the
food using three things:
On some plants,
the seeds are
found in fruits.
Light from
the sun
The stem
carries water
The leaves
to the leaves.
absorb energy
carbon dioxide
from the sun to
from the air
help make food. Melastome plant
water from In every rainforest
The roots take
the ground
there are thousands of
up water and
different types of plants,
nutrients from
which provide food and
the soil.
shelter for animals.
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Animals get their food from A nectivore
eating other living things. is an animal
that mainly eats
Iguana
nectar, a sweet
An herbivore
liquid made by the
is an animal that
flowers of plants. Hummingbird
eats only plants.
Bat
An insectivore
is an animal that
mainly eats insects.
A Frugivore
is an animal that
Toucan Anteater
mainly eats fruits.
A carnivore
is an animal
An omnivore is
that mainly eats
an animal that eats both
Jaguar other animals.
plants and other animals.
Seeds and berries get The bird gets eaten The snake is eaten
In a rainforest, animals and
eaten by the bird. by the snake. by the eagle.
plants need each other to
survive. One way that plants
and animals are connected
is through food chains.
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what does a rainforest look like?
Tropical rainforests such as the Amazon contain some of the world’s
tallest trees. At the very top, the sun shines brightly onto their leaves.
But as we travel down toward the rainforest floor, it gets darker because
more tree leaves, branches, and other plants block out the sunlight.
Some animals that live
in the emergent layer
will never set foot on
the forest floor, but they
Emergent layer: At the top of the trees there is
may travel to the
little shelter from the wind and rain. But some monkeys
understory to find food.
like to hang out here, swinging between the branches.
canopy: More wildlife lives here than in all the other
layers. In the canopy there are thick tree branches, leaves
dappled with sunlight, and a refreshing breeze.
understory: Leafy bushes and small
trees make up this dark and hot area,
where frogs hide and birds find food.
forest floor: Covered in fallen leaves, the
dark and damp forest floor is the perfect habitat
for insects, as well as insect-eating animals such
as anteaters.
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