Rain forests Did you know there are two types of Rainforest-the temperate and the tropical? Tropical rainforests are found close to the equator. Temperate rainforests are found along coasts in the temperate zone, such as the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Both are enered! Rainforests Enered! Today only about three percent of the original temperate rainforest in the U. S. A. remains, mostly inside Olympic National Park in Washington State. Prior to the arrival of homesteaders just over a century ago, the Olympic Peninsula contained more than a million acres of old-growth spruce and hemlock. Because of habitat destruction, many plants and animals have become 'island dwellers' inside the park now. Tropical rainforests comprise only 40% of the world's tropical forests and only 20% of the world's total forests. They cover 6%-7% of the Earth's land suce. Half of the world's plant and animal species live in the tropical rainforests of the world. Thirty acres of trees are cut in the tropical rainforests every minute. As you read this, tropical rainforests are shrinking. Each second a portion of rainforest the size of a football field is destroyed or damaged. What Makes the Tropical Rainforest Special? The rainforests are home to half of the Earth's plant and animal species. They are winter homes to many birds that breed in temperate latitudes. Tropical rainforests are some of the most beautiful wildernesses on our planet. They are home to tribal cultures that have survived successfully in the forests for many thousands of years. The forests are a potential source of medicinal plants that may benefit everyone on Earth. The ecosystem of the rainforest is based on the most complex interdependence of plants and animals. This is both the forest's strength and its weakness: highly specialized organisms are particularly vulnerable to distce, because they cannot adapt fast enough to survive the change. Tropical rainforests help maintain global rain and weather patterns. Much of the water that evaporates from the trees returns in the form. of rainfall. Removal of the forest can change the natural rainfall patterns. Tropical Rainforest Layers Tropical rainforests have four layers: Emergent Layer These giant trees thrust above the dense canopy layer(树冠层) and have huge mushroom-shaped crowns. These trees enjoy the greatest amount of sunlight but also must endure high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds. Canopy Layer The broad, irregular crowns of these trees form. a tight, continuous canopy 60 to 90 feet above the ground. The branches are often densely covered with other plants (epiphytes) and tied together with vines (lianas). The canopy is home to 90% of the organisms found in the rain forest many seeking the brighter light in the treetops. Understory Receiving only 2%-15% of the sunlight that falls on the canopy, the understory is a dark place. It is relatively open and contains young trees and leafy herbaceous plants that tolerate low light. Many popular house plants come from this layer. Only along rivers and roadways and in tree fall and cut areas is sunlight sufficient to allow growth to become thick and impenetrable Forest Floor The forest floor receives less than 2% of the sunlight and consequently, little grows here except plants adapted to very low light. On the floor is a thin layer of fallen leaves, seeds, fruits, and branches that very quickly decomposes. Only a thin layer of decaying organic matter is found, unlike in temperate deciduous(落叶性的) forests. Soil and Nutrient Recycling Most tropical rainforest soils are relatively poor in nutrients.