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Names of group members: Sunny Hestdalen-Perez, Nathan Taylor, Jazmin Cole-Stango, Caden Krueger

Date: February 11, 2024

Class section number: BIOL-140-3801

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• The tropical rainforest has a hot, moist biome as they are found closer to the equator (about 10 degrees north & south) where it is often warm. The average temperature of the rainforest biome stays between high 60's to 70's Fahrenheit all year round.

• Most rainforest biomes are located in South America, Africa, and Asia.

• Out of all the biomes, the tropical rainforests receive the most rainfall every year. There is a thick layer of giant trees that reach heights of over 200 feet. The thickness of that layer prevents most of the sunlight from reaching the ground.

• The tropical rainforest biome are found usually 3,000-5,000 feet above sea level.

• Most common house plants come from tropical rainforests and adapt well to home-life easily due to their natural lack of sunlight.

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Panthera onca

The Jaguar is the third largest cat in the world and the biggest in the Americas.

They are a top predator meaning they will control the population of other species, balancing out the food chain and maintaining a healthy environment.

An interspecific interaction the Jaguar takes part of is Predation where the jaguar benefits by obtaining food and the prey will die. These species do compete with each other over land and food, as well as that there is a possibility in some of the dense tropical rain forests where jaguars fall victim to prey to that of an anaconda.

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Giant Water Lilies (Victoria Amazonica)

The giant water lilies during the month of June when they grow quickest and biggest, it only takes up to a week to reach it’s full size.

This species creates an abundance of food and shelter for both aquatic and non aquatic species in the surrounding ecosystem.

An interspecific interaction the giant water lilie takes apart in is having a symbiotic relationship with a few beetles, one takes place by attracting beetles with the scent of a flower when it blooms on the first night, it then closes trapping the beetles, further changing the plant from female to male and producing pollen.

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Acidophilic bacteria (Acetobacter aceti)

many acidophiles are metal resistant and can generate ATP or energy from metals, like ferrous iron.

This bacteria will break down dead material and recycle it, and some bacteria can produce using photosynthesis and making food from the sunlight.

Interspecific interactions that this microorganism takes apart in include competition, predation, and mutualism. In addition these bacteria can often help plants that struggle to get nutrients throughout the rain forest through nitrogen fixation or assisting in nutrient absorption.

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In a tropical rainforest, there's an intricate web of life with a wide variety of interconnected plants and animals forming complex food chains.

Producers: In a tropical rainforest, the main creators of energy are usually plants, such as tall trees, vines, plants that grow on other plants (epiphytes), and different kinds of leaves. These plants use sunlight to make energy through photosynthesis, which starts off the food chain.

Primary Consumers (Herbivores): The first level of consumers consists of animals that primarily eat plants, known as herbivores. They come in various forms, including insects like leafcutter ants, grasshoppers, and caterpillars, birds like parrots and toucans, mammals like monkeys, sloths, and deer, as well as reptiles like iguanas.

Secondary Consumers (Carnivores and Omnivores): Secondary consumers in the rainforest are creatures that consume animals that primarily eat plants. This group comprises a range of meat-eating and mixed-diet animals like snakes, lizards, small mammals (such as rodents and bats), birds of prey (like hawks and owls), and larger mammals like jaguars and certain types of wild pigs.

Tertiary Consumers (Top Predators): Tertiary consumers are at the top of the food chain and usually include top predators that eat both smaller predators and herbivores. In the rainforest, this position is often taken by big cats such as jaguars and leopards, large snakes like anacondas and pythons, birds of prey such as eagles and harpy eagles, and sometimes crocodiles or caimans.

Decomposers: Decomposers are essential for the rainforest ecosystem because they break down dead plants and animals, turning them into nutrients that can be reused in the soil. These creatures, such as bacteria, fungi, and detritivores like termites and certain beetles, help to recycle organic matter effectively.

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A listing of resources that were used in researching the project

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https://academic.oup.com/femsec/article/27/4/307/484491

https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/species/jaguar/

https://www.kew.org/plants/giant-waterlily

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/biome/biorainforest.php#:~:text=The%20tropical%20rainforest%20is%20a,about%20250%20ft)%20or%20more.

https://www.sciencefacts.net/tropical-rainforest-food-chain.html

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Temperature

Precipitation

Rainforests receive the most rain of all of the biomes in a year! A typical year sees 2,000 to 10,000 millimeters (79 to 394 inches) of rain per year.

Vegetation

Vines, palm trees, orchids, ferns

Location

Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn

Other

There are two types of rainforests, tropical and temperate. Tropical rainforests are found closer to the equator and temperate rainforests are found farther north near coastal areas. The majority of common houseplants come from the rainforest.

Example: Manaus, Brazil
Monthly Temperature and Precipitation from 1970 - 2000

Month

Average Monthly Precipitation (mm)

Average Monthly Temperature (°C)

Download the Data (csv)

Description

There are two types of rainforests, tropical and temperate. Tropical rainforests are found closer to the equator where it is warm. Temperate rainforests are found near the cooler coastal areas further north or south of the equator.

The tropical rainforest is a hot, moist biome where it rains all year long. It is known for its dense canopies of vegetation that form three different layers. The top layer or canopy contains giant trees that grow to heights of 75 m (about 250 ft) or more. This layer of vegetation prevents much of the sunlight from reaching the ground. Thick, woody vines are also found in the canopy. They climb trees in the canopy to reach for sunlight. The middle layer, or understory, is made up of vines, smaller trees, ferns, and palms. A large number of plants from this level are used as common houseplants. Because of the small amount of sunlight and rainfall these plants receive, they adapt easily to home environments. The bottom layer or floor of the rainforest is covered with wet leaves and leaf litter. This material decomposes rapidly in the wet, warm conditions (like a compost pile) sending nutrients back into the soil. Few plants are found on the floor of the forest due to the lack of sunlight. However, the hot, moist atmosphere and all the dead plant material create the perfect conditions in which bacteria and other microorganisms can thrive.

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climate change, global climate change, global warming, natural hazards, Earth, environment, remote sensing, atmosphere, land processes, oceans, volcanoes, land cover, Earth science data, NASA, environmental processes, Blue Marble, global maps

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Tropical rainforests are disappearing due to logging and conversion to pasture and croplands.

About half of the tropical rainforest biome has been deforested.

Recovery of rainforests is uncertain: Soils are nutrient-poor, and recovery of nutrient supplies may take a very long time.