two kinds of rain forests

8/13/2019 Two Kinds of Rain Forests

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www.seasons-south-and-north-co-uk

Two Kinds of Rainforests

We hear so much about the rainforests these days, especially the Amazon

rainforest. It is the largest that remains and the best known but there are more

rainforests than the Amazon's. They exist in both hemispheres and on all

continents except Antarctica. ome ha!e been more damaged or reduced than

others " though all are at risk. It can be confusing for a child #and for an adult$%

to be told that gorillas #Gorilla gorilla%, orang"utans #Pongo pygmaeus%, or

golden"lion tamarins #Leontopithecus rosalia% are all from the rainforest but

none from the Amazon rainforest. #They are from rainforests in Africa, &orneo

and outh America, respecti!ely.% erhaps it will help to begin now an

occasional series on rainforests in the hope of bringing some clarification.

There are two kinds of rainforests on our planet( tropical and temperate. &oth

are !ital and beautiful and what remains of both is threatened with total

extinction.
http://www.seasons-south-and-north-co-uk/http://www.seasons-south-and-north.co.uk/2009/03/two-kinds-of-rainforests.htmlhttp://www.seasons-south-and-north-co-uk/http://www.seasons-south-and-north.co.uk/2009/03/two-kinds-of-rainforests.html


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Tropical rainforests are those we hear most about in the press. They occur

near the )*uator, in the tropical regions, roughly between the +atitudes -/

and -. These rainforests are in 0entral and outh America, southern

1exico, the acific Islands, western Africa, 1adagascar, and southeast Asia.

They recei!e between 234 and 5544 mm of rain each year. They are dense

with life, ha!ing thousands of different species, many not yet described. #&y

way of comparison, there are about 644 species of birds in /orth America,

while there are more than 2444 in 7ust the &oli!ian region of the Amazon

rainforest.% Tropical rainforests produce about 849 of the earth's oxygen, and

some 39 of medicines used in the de!eloped world come from rainforest

plants. Tropical rainforests are warm, with a!erage temperatures between 4

and -80. &elow is a tropical rainforest.


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Temperate rainforestsusually occur near oceans, and are in the temperate

zones, roughly between the +atitudes 5 and 55 north and south of the

)*uator. These rainforests are found in the northwestern region of /orth

America, the southern tip of outh America, western )urope " where 7ust a few

small patches remain " Asia and Australia. They recei!e an a!erage of 2844

mm of rain per year. The giant redwood trees are from temperate rainforests.

ome of these ha!e an age estimated to be greater than 444 years. The

temperate rainforests are colder, with an a!erage temperature from 8 to 20.

&elow is a temperate rainforest.

&oth types of rainforests ha!e mists and fogs, and sometimes they are !ery

thick. &oth types of rainforests, as with all forests, ha!e been and are still

hea!ily logged. They are also burnt and cleared to gain grazing and farming

land.

:ere is a chart to make it clearer(


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two kinds of rain forests

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