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In the 1950s, two alien machines were introduced to the forests of Borneo, changing the island forever: the chainsaw and the caterpillar tractor. Since then, illegal logging has become all too familiar for those in Borneo, causing devastating damage to one of the most biologically diverse habitats on Earth.

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), between 1985 and 2001, illegal logging decimated 56 percent of lowland tropical rainforest in the Indonesian territory of Kalimantan. That equates to more than 18,000 square miles of rainforest.

As in many tropical places, deforestation threatens Borneo due to logging, land-clearing and conversion activities. Palm oil plantations are one of the biggest threats to these rainforests. Borneo and Malaysia produce about 90 percent of the world's palm oil supply. Palm oil is the cheapest vegetable oil, and consumption of the oil is expected to increase rapidly in upcoming years, WWF reports. In fact, the Indonesian government has responded to increasing food demands by proposing to double the 2009 production of more than 22 million tons of palm oil by 2020.

The looting of Borneo didn't start with palm oil, and it doesn't end there either. Humans have had a long and complicated history with the island. Chinese traders traveled to Borneo for rhinocerous horn as well as timber, National Geographic reports. Muslim and Portuguese traders were interested in the island's pepper and gold. In the 19th and 20th centuries, loggers began to flood Borneo. Europe, the United States and Australia have been drilling for oil and natural gases in Borneo for decades. Coal minining is also currently a threat, as it pollutes local rivers.

Protection ordinances in the area often don't work because they are inadequate or violated without legal consequence. But the environmental consequences are dire. According to WWF, deforestation accounts for up to 20 percent of global manmade carbon dioxide emissions. Borneo, which is only slightly larger than Texas, currently places third in greenhouse gas emissions, right behind China and the U.S., according to National Geographic. At the current rate of Borneo's deforestation, the island risks major flooding and forest fires, human health impacts, changes in agricultural yields and damage to infrastructure due to climate change.

Borneo is home to many endangered species. Large animals such as elephants and orangutans are directly affected as the large areas of forest they require for survival diminish. In addition, road construction through protected areas provides easy access to some of the more remote regions of remaining rainforest, making poaching easier.

For photos of the impact of deforestation in Kalimantan, click through the slideshow above.
MORE FROM WEATHER.COM: Photos of a Lake Drying Up

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Before and After: Devastating Deforestation in Photos | The Weather Channel

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Illegal logging has become a way of life for those in Borneo, causing devastating damage to one of the most biologically diverse habitats on Earth. - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com

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Bernie

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Rainforests rain almost every day

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Tropical rainforests are forests with tall trees, warm climates, and lots of rain. In some rainforests it rains more than one inch nearly every day of the year!

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What Is A Tropical Rainforest? Definition, Location, Pictures And Facts

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What is a tropical rainforest? Find out all about tropical rainforests, where they are located, and the animals & plants that live in them. Pictures & Facts

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Primary, Middle and Secondary School.

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A resource that shows you the locations of rainforests around the world.

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Use this resource, alongside an Atlas, to show where the rainforests are. Take a picture of your group using an atlas.

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An easier resource for locating rainforests around the world. Open the document, upload it to Explain Everything and colour it in.

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A short video showing where rainforests are located.

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What is the climate like in the rainforest? - Schools

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A video of Chester Zoo staff talking about what the climate is like in the rainforests we work in across the world. Links to geography. Age 7+

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Rainforests are essential to life on Earth. Not only do they provide air, water, medicine, food, and shelter to a multitude of living beings, they are also one of our best natural defenses against climate change because of their capacity to absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

When the founders of the Rainforest Alliance set out more than thirty years ago to save the world's rainforests, we quickly learned that in order to do so, we'd have to transform the agricultural sector (the number one driver of deforestation worldwide), as well as forestry. From the beginning, our approach has been to work with farmers and indigenous and forest communities to cultivate sustainable rural livelihoods that incentivize conservation.

Sign up for useful tips to green your life and protect our planet.

Today, we work in more than 60 countries to stop deforestation and initiate reforestation, improve livelihoods, and protect biodiversity. Although rainforests cover less than 3 percent of the planet, these ecological powerhouses are critical to nearly every aspect of the planet's health-including our very ability to breathe.

Here's what everyone should know about rainforests:

1. Rainforests are a powerful natural climate solution

Amazon rainforest

Not only do they regulate global temperatures, they also cool and regulate local micro-climates and limit the Earth's reflectivity-which in turn stabilizes ocean currents, wind, and rainfall patterns. In a 2017 analysis published in the scientific journal PNAS, climate scientists concluded that natural climate solutions, including forest conservation/restoration and sustainable agriculture, could provide more than one-third of the global climate mitigation necessary to stabilize warming to below 2 °C.

2. Tropical forests have become a net carbon emitters.

In a distressing development, a 2017 study published in the journal Science reveals that tropical forests that once served as the Earth's carbon sinks now emit more carbon than they absorb, because of deforestation and forest loss caused by humans. However, we cannot afford to give up on tropical forests. Restoring them and their ability to sequester carbon is one of several critical steps we must take to address our global climate crisis.

3. Tropical rainforests cover less than 3% of the planet, yet they are home to more than half our planet's terrestrial animal species

Bengal tigers, mountain gorillas, orangutans, jaguars, and blue poison dart frogs are just a few of the magnificent animals found in rainforests. Sadly, many of these species are on the brink of extinction, and their continued existence is crucial to maintaining the balance of marvelously efficient-but delicate-rainforest ecosystems.

4. Rainforests play an essential role in maintaining the Earth's limited supply of fresh water

Rainforests add water to the atmosphere through the process of transpiration, by which plants release water from their leaves during photosynthesis. Deforestation reduces the moisture released into the atmosphere, causing rainfall to decrease. This is why the loss of forests often leads to drought. Forests are also natural water filters, keeping pollution and debris from flowing into water supplies and slowing the movement of rainwater so it flows into underground reserves. Scientists estimate that about 15% of the world's freshwater flows from the Amazon Basin alone.

5. Rainforest plants are used in some of the world's most important, life-saving medicines.

More than 60 percent of anticancer drugs originate from natural sources, including rainforest plants, according to research published in the . Because rainforests are so rich in biodiversity, they hold enormous potential for future discoveries. Compounds in rainforest plants are already used to treat malaria, heart disease, bronchitis, hypertension, rheumatism, diabetes, muscle tension, arthritis, glaucoma, dysentery, and tuberculosis, among other health problems. And many commercially available anesthetics, enzymes, hormones, laxatives, cough mixtures, antibiotics, and antiseptics are also derived from rainforest plants and herbs.

According to Global Forest Watch, our planet loses tropical forestland equivalent to the size of Bangladesh is every year. In 2017 alone, we lost 15.8 million hectares of tropical forests; all told, humans have destroyed nearly half of the world's original forest cover.

7. 1 out of 4 people worldwide depend on forests for their livelihoods.

Nearly 1.6 billion people-more than 25% of the world's population-rely on forest resources for their livelihoods, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and most of them (1.2 billion) use trees on farms to generate food and income. Generating sustainable, forest-based livelihoods that incentivize conservation is a proven approach to saving the world's forests.

The Rainforest Alliance's Sustainable Agriculture Standard includes requirements designed to protect standing forests, including native forest set-asides for large farms and practices that nurture soil health and increase productivity on existing farmland (thereby reducing pressure to expand by cutting down forests). Added benefit: the shade requirements for Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee and cocoa farms also contribute to better quality crops.

9. Working in partnership with rural communities is an effective, proven approach to keeping forests standing and conserving natural resources

The Rainforest Alliance works hand-in-hand with indigenous, forest, and farming communities to advance sustainable development initiatives that cultivate rural prosperity, which is key to the successful conservation of standing forests and other natural resources. Since 2011, the rural producers and indigenous communities participating in these initiatives have earned $191 million in revenue while protecting their natural resources.

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Rainforests are essential to life on Earth. Not only do they provide air, water, medicine, food, and shelter to a multitude of living beings, they are also one of our best natural defenses against climate change because of their capacity to absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

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Tropical rainforests support the greatest diversity of living organisms on Earth. Although they cover less than 2 percent of Earth's surface, rainforests house more than 50 percent of the plants and animals on Earth.

Here are some examples of the richness of rainforests:

Rainforests have 170,000 of the world's 250,000 known plant species.

the United States has 81 species of frogs, while Madagascar, which is smaller than Texas, may have 500 species.

An area of rainforest the size of two football fields (one hectare) may have more than 400 species of trees, while an equal area of forest in the United States may have fewer than 20.

Europe has 570 butterfly species, while Manu National Park, a single reserve in Peru, has 1,300 species.

Rainforests have an abundance of plants and animals for the following reasons:

Climate: because rainforests are located in tropical regions, they receive a lot of sunlight. The sunlight is converted to energy by plants through the process of photosynthesis. Since there is a lot of sunlight, there is a lot of energy in the rainforest. This energy is stored in plant vegetation, which is eaten by animals. The abundance of energy supports an abundance of plant and animal species.

Canopy: the canopy structure of the rainforest provides an abundance of places for plants to grow and animals to live. The canopy offers sources of food, shelter, and hiding places, providing for interaction between different species. For example, there are plants in the canopy called bromeliads that store water in their leaves. Frogs and other animals use these pockets of water for hunting and laying their eggs.

It is important to note that many species in the rainforest, especially insects and fungi, have not even been discovered yet by scientists. Every year new species of mammals, birds, frogs, and reptiles are found in rainforests.
Special activity section: camouflage

By Rhett Butler

Date published: June 24, 2004 | Last updated: December 5, 2015

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Why do rainforests have so many kinds of plants and animals?

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Tropical rainforests support the greatest diversity of living organisms on Earth. Although they cover less than 2 percent of Earth's surface, rainforests house more than 50 percent of the plants and animals on Earth. Here are some examples of the richness of rainforests: Rainforests have 170,000 of the world's 250,000 known plant species.

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A great layers of the rainforest infographic

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A great layers of the rainforest infographic

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Perhaps you could screenshot some and add them to your Explain Everything

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Tropical rainforests are home to indigenous peoples who rely on their surroundings for food, shelter, and medicines. Today very few forest people live in traditional ways; most have been displaced by outside settlers or have been forced to give up their lifestyles by governments.

Of the remaining forest people, the Amazon supports the largest native, or indigenous populations, although these people, too, have been impacted by the modern world. While they still depend on the forest for traditional hunting and gathering, most Amerindians, as American indigenous people are called, grow crops (like bananas, manioc, and rice), use western goods (like metal pots, pans, and utensils), and make regular trips to towns and cities to bring foods and wares to market. Still, these forest people can teach us a lot about the rainforest. Their knowledge of medicinal plants used for treating illness is unmatched, and they have a great understanding of the ecology of the Amazon rainforest.

In Africa there are native forest dwellers sometimes known as pygmies. The tallest of these people, also called the Mbuti, rarely exceed 5 feet in height. Their small size enables them to move about the forest more efficiently than taller people.

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Review questions

Who lives in the rainforest?

Where do the greatest number of indigenous rainforest peoples live today?

Additional resources FAQs

May I use graphics from mongabay.com for my projects? Yes, you may provided that you don't remove the mongabay label from the images. You may use information from the site for class projects and can cite mongabay as the source.

Where can I learn more about rainforests? Check the main rainforest site.

Is this web site credible? Mongabay is the world's most popular source for information on tropical forests. The site is highly acclaimed by a number of the world's leading tropical scientists. See more answers at our frequently asked questions page.

Can I hide ads? Yes, we have an advertising-free version of Mongabay-Kids.

© Mongabay 1995-2020

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Tropical rainforests are home to indigenous peoples who rely on their surroundings for food, shelter, and medicines. Today very few forest people live in traditional ways; most have been displaced by outside settlers or have been forced to give up their lifestyles by governments.

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Flying over the heart of the Amazon is like flying over an ocean of green: an expanse of trees broken only by rivers. Even more amazing than their size is the role the Amazon and other rainforests around the world play in our everyday lives.

While rainforests may seem like a distant concern, these ecosystems are critically important for our well-being.

Rainforests are often called the lungs of the planet for their role in absorbing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and increasing local humidity. Rainforests also stabilize climate, house incredible amounts of plants and wildlife, and produce nourishing rainfall all around the planet.

Rainforests:

help stabilize the world's climate;

provide a home to many plants and animals;

maintain the water cycle

protect against flood, drought, and erosion;

are a source for medicines and foods;

support tribal people; and

are an interesting place to visit

Annoyed by these ads? Use the advertising-free version of Mongabay-Kids.

Review questions

What are some reasons why rainforests are important?
Additional resources FAQs

May I use graphics from mongabay.com for my projects? Yes, you may provided that you don't remove the mongabay label from the images. You may use information from the site for class projects and can cite mongabay as the source.

Where can I learn more about rainforests? Check the main rainforest site.

Is this web site credible? Mongabay is the world's most popular source for information on tropical forests. The site is highly acclaimed by a number of the world's leading tropical scientists. See more answers at our frequently asked questions page.

Can I hide ads? Yes, we have an advertising-free version of Mongabay-Kids.

© Mongabay 1995-2020

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Flying over the heart of the Amazon is like flying over an ocean of green: an expanse of trees broken only by rivers. Even more amazing than their size is the role the Amazon and other rainforests around the world play in our everyday lives.

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Young People's Trust For the Environment

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Why are Rainforests Important?

There are many reasons why rainforests are important which can be put under the following headings:
Biodiversity
Rainforests contain about half of the existing plant and animal species in the world.
They contain a third of the world's bird species and 90% of its invertebrates.

The remaining African rainforests contain more animals and plant species than are found anywhere else on the continent. In just one year in 2006, 19 new species of lemur were officially recorded in Madagascar.

In 2.5 acres of the Amazon there could be 300 different tree species, compared to the 40 found in the whole of the UK!

2.5 acres may also contain over 750 types of trees and 1500 species of higher plants.
Medicines
Hundreds of rainforest plants are used in modern medicines. It is estimated that 25% of all our medicines come from plants growing in the rainforest. For example, Vincristine, a drug taken from the rosy periwinkle of Madagascar has allowed an 80% remission rate for some forms of childhood leukaemia. Curare, a poison used by Amazonian Indians on arrow tips can be used as a muscle relaxant if given in small doses.

Only about 1% of the plant species have been studied, so potentially there could be many more cures to illnesses waiting to be discovered. In Madagascar, 80% of the plant species are endemic - that means they are not found any where else on earth. Yet 2/3 of their forest has already been destroyed. With 20% of all the world's plants under threat of extinction, Kew Gardens in London is taking DNA samples, in case the plants and their benefits are lost.

Foods
An estimated 80% of the world's diet originated from rainforest plants. Many food sources are still being discovered in rainforests. The 'peach palm' of Brazil produces up to 300 peach-like fruits a season. The fruit has twice the food value of banana and more protein and carbohydrate than maize.
Oxygen
Rainforests have been known as the "lungs of the world" due to their contribution in providing about 20% of the world's oxygen. The forests and soil also lock away carbon, an important function, especially in this age when humans are causing so much carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere through, for example, transport and fossil fuel power stations. In fact they absorb about 20% of the world's man-made carbon dioxide emissions.
Erosion and Flooding
During heavy downpours, the mass of vegetation in the rainforest catches and holds much of the rain, then 'disposes' of it through evaporation and transpiration; it acts like a bog umbrella breaking the force of the rain and protecting the ground surface. Where trees are cut down in large numbers, this natural protection is removed, soil erosion increases and minerals are washed away.

Trees also help to control the amount of water that is held in the soil. In areas around the world where forests have been felled, the rainfall patterns have changed. In some places, the rains have almost stopped falling, and in others, flooding has been caused.
People
In South East Asia and the Pacific Islands, people have lived in the forests for about 40,000 years, but the earliest signs of human settlement in African forests are no more than 3,000 years old. There are about 1,000 indigenous tribes in the rainforests of the world. Rainforest tribes have managed to develop ways of life which allow them to use the forest without destroying it. Whilst other civilisations have grown further and further from the natural world, these tribes have had to grow close to nature in order to survive.

European settlers have caused many of these tribes to be wiped out due to their lack of immunity to Western diseases. They now face a new threat as big logging, plantation, oil and hyrdoelectric companies try to force them off their traditional lands, often using violence.

Millions of indigenous people depend on rainforests for their survival and over a billion make their livelihoods from its products.

See our fact sheet Rainforest Tribes below for more information.

Read More: What are the Threats to the Rainforests?

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Rainforests are forests which grow in areas of high rainfall. Tropical rainforests are found between the Tropic of C...

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Use the foundation level

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Welcome to Britannica School , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Primary, Middle and Secondary School.

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This link has a great video

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An important aspect of learning about the Amazon Rainforest and its crucial role as the 'Lungs of the Planet,' is learning about the trees of the Amazon. In order for students to understand the...

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Why are rainforests important? - Schools

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A video of Chester Zoo staff talking about why the rainforests we work in across the world are so important for animals, plants and people. Links to geography, citizenship and science.

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Excellent website for rainforest layers

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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What products come from rainforests? - Schools

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Find out what products you can find in rainforests that we use here in UK. Links to geography, science and citizenship.

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Welcome to Active Wild's ultimate guide to rainforests and the animals, plants and people that call them home: rainforest facts for kids, students & adults. Read on to find out all about rainforests and why they're so important...

Other Rainforest Articles at Active Wild

Rainforest Facts For Kids (& Adults): Introduction

When you picture a rainforest in your head, you'll probably be imagining a 'lowland tropical rainforest'; just one of several types of rainforest.

If you picture a typical rainforest in your head then you'll probably see huge green trees with leaves that are dripping with moisture. In their branches will be exotic birds such as toucans and macaws, and troops of monkeys will be filling the air with their cries. Beautiful but deadly predators will be on the prowl-perhaps a stealthy jaguar creeping through the undergrowth, or a magnificent harpy eagle gliding silently between the branches.

The scene above describes a lowland tropical rainforest. Lowland tropical forests are bursting with life of all colors, shapes and sizes; they're among the most biodiverse* of all habitats. There are other types of rainforest; we'll find out about them further down the page. All rainforests provide a home for a vast number of species.

* Biodiversity is the number of different species found in a particular area.

Fact: Rainforests cover around 6% of the Earth Fact: Rainforests are home to at least
half of the Earth's animal and plant species

Even though rainforests only cover around 6 to 7 percent of the world's landmass, they are home to more than half of its animal and plant species.

Many people also live in and around rainforests, and rely on them for food and shelter.

Despite this, rainforests are under threat, and many rainforest species are becoming endangered. The biggest threat to rainforests is deforestation for timber.

In this article we'll begin by finding out exactly what a rainforest actually is. Then we'll find out about the different types of rainforest, where rainforests are found, the animal and plants that live in the rainforest, and the problems that rainforests are facing.

Rainforest Facts For Kids: All About Rainforests

What Is A Rainforest?

'Rainforest' is a term coined by German biologist Andreas Schimper in 1898, after he had studied forests in South America and Asia.

Fact: To be a rainforest, an area needs to have a high yearly rainfall: typically over 200 cm (79 inches) per year.

As the name suggests, rainforests are forests that grow in places in which there is a lot of rainfall.

How much rain? Well, between 200 and 450 centimetres (79 and 177 in) of rain falls annually in a rainforest.
If you can imagine two tall men, with one standing on the other's shoulders, then that's still not quite as high as the amount of rain that could fall in a rainforest in one year.
The moist and hot environment provides an ideal growing environment for trees and plants, which in turn provide food and shelter for a multitude of animal species.

Types Of Rainforest

Fact: There are two main types of rainforest: tropical rainforests and temperate rainforests.

There are two main types of rainforest: tropical rainforests and temperate rainforests.

Tropical rainforests are hot, as well as wet, and are found near the equator all around the world.

Temperate rainforests are found in cooler parts of the world, but where there is still high rainfall.

We'll find out where in the world these two types of forest are found lower down the page.

There are several different types of tropical rainforest. Often, they merge into each other without definite boundaries.

Fact: Types of tropical rainforest include: lowland rainforests, flooded rainforests, swamp rainforests, cloud forests and montane forests.

Lowland rainforests are the 'typical' dense and humid rainforests that people imagine when they think about rainforests. They occur in non-mountainous regions.

, or forests are found where there is poor drainage and / or seasonal flooding. Here, much of the land is submerged for at least part of the year.

Cloud forests and forests are found at high altitudes and are often shrouded in mist. They are cooler than tropical rainforests, and home to a different range of creatures and plants.

Rainforest Layers

Fact: The rainforest environment is divided into 4 layers: emergent, canopy, understorey and forest floor.

Rainforests have a number of different layers. Each layer provides a different habitat for a range of species.

Emergent Layer

The emergent layer is the highest rainforest layer. It is where the tops of the tallest trees break out from the surrounding vegetation. Eagles and other birds survey the forest from the highest perches, and blue morpho butterflies flutter over the trees.

The Canopy

The next highest layer is the canopy. It is the treetop layer, being formed by the branches and leaves of most of the trees that grow in the rainforest. It is around 30 meters (100 feet) high.

The canopy layer receives the most light of all the rainforest layers (up to 99% of the sunlight), and prevents light from reaching the lower layers.

Fact: Most of the species in a rainforest live in the canopy layer.

The canopy layer is home to most of the animals that live in the rainforest. It provides shelter and food for an incredible number of species.

Here you'll find animals as varied as red eyed tree frogs, howler monkeys and toucans.

Plants in the canopy layer tend to have broad, waxy leaves with pointed tips. This encourages rainwater to run straight off, preventing harmful algae and fungi from growing on them.

The Understory

The understory is made up of bushes and shorter trees. It is a dark, hot place. The plants here tend to have large leaves to capture what little sunlight gets through.

Jaguars may laze around in its branches, and boa constrictors lay in wait here, ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey below.

The Forest Floor

Fact: The biggest rainforest animals live on the forest floor.

Covered by a layer of dead leaves, the forest floor is home to the rainforest's biggest animals and also to many insects.

Here tapirs wander between the trees, using their snouts to rummage through the soil. Lines of leafcutter ants form between their huge nests and the trees whose leaves they harvest.

Rivers And Streams

Rivers and streams often run through rainforests, draining excess water away and providing yet another habitat for many kinds of animal. Many animals come to the waterside to drink, and green anacondas slip through the water using their natural camouflage and excellent swimming skills to capture their prey.

Where Are Rainforests Found?

Fact: Tropical rainforests are found near the equator.

Tropical rainforests are found near the equator, which is an imaginary line that circles the middle of the globe.

Most of these rainforests are located between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, which are two other imaginary lines that run parallel to the equator above and below it. The area is known as 'The Tropics' - hence tropical rainforest.

Near the equator there is very little variation in temperature and day length throughout the year. It is hot all year round. However, many places in the tropics have rainy seasons, during which there is even more rainfall than at other times of the year.

There are tropical rainforests near the equator in North America (Mexico), Central America, South America, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia.

The Amazon Rainforest

Fact: The Amazon Rainforest is the world's biggest (and most famous) rainforest.

The biggest and most famous tropical rainforest is the Amazon Rainforest in South America. It is almost twice the size of India. Most of the Amazon Rainforest is in Brazil, but it also covers parts of Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.

Temperate Rainforests

Temperate rainforests are found further away from the equator, in cooler climates. They are usually located in coastal regions.

The largest temperate rainforest is the Pacific temperate rainforest ecoregion, located along the western coast of northern America from Kodiak Island in Alaska to northern California.

There are also temperate rainforests in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Animals That Live In The Rainforest

The rainforest is an extremely important environment, being home to a vast number of animal and plant species. Mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and invertebrates are all present in great numbers.

Fact: More than 1.5 million species have been discovered living in the rainforest.

Fact: There may be millions more species in the rainforest that are still to be discovered!

More than 1.5 million species (and counting) have been discovered in the rainforest. It is likely that there are many millions of species of plants, insects and microorganisms in the rainforest that are still to be discovered.

Let's take a look at a few of the animal species we do know about.

In South and Central American rainforests, howler and spider monkeys roam the branches, feeding on the abundant fruit growing in the canopy. Harpy eagles hunt in the trees, taking prey as large as sloths and monkeys. Toucans hop from branch to branch, and brightly coloured macaws catch the eye.

On the forest floor, anteaters mop up ants and termites, and predatory mammals such as ocelots and jaguars roam through the trees.

Larger mammals such as deer and tapirs are also present, as are reptiles, including boa constrictors and anacondas.

A similarly large range of animals live in other regions. In the rainforests of India, tigers are apex predators. Large animals such as sambar (a type of deer) and sloth bears live on the forest floor, while birds, including parakeets and the impressive great hornbill share the trees with Macaques, gibbons and lorises.

In African rainforests, you might see gorillas, elephants and okapi.

The rainforests on the islands of Borneo, Sumatra and New Guinea are home to several notable endangered species, such as orangutans, proboscis monkeys, clouded leopards and elephant, rhino and tiger subspecies.

Rainforest Tribes

Fact: native tribes still live in the rainforest.

Native tribes live in rainforests in Brazil, New Guinea and Central Africa. These tribes live deep in the forests, away from modern life. However, their way of life is under threat from outsiders who are gradually encroaching on their traditional home.

Very few native peoples are completely unaffected by modern life. Many now wear modern clothes and use metal items constructed outside of the forest. However, there are still some tribes whose lives are completely unaffected by the modern world.

It's very difficult to know exactly how many indigenous people live in rainforests around the world. It is thought that there are around one million indigenous people living in the Amazon rainforest.

Why We Need Rainforests

Rainforests provide a habitat for a huge number of species, including some of the world's most endangered animals.

Rainforests provide us with ingredients for many medicines.

Provided they are harvested responsibly, rainforests can provide food, timber and other products useful to man.

Rainforests help to regulate the world's climate and rainfall. They also store large amounts of carbon. If the rainforests are destroyed and left to rot, the carbon can be released as carbon dioxide - a harmful greenhouse gas.

Here's a quick question: When you think about being in the rainforest, wandering around under the green canopy and seeing toucans and macaws flying around over your head, do you feel happy and contented, or sad and angry?

Thought so! Just thinking about rainforests improves your mood!

Rainforests are beautiful places, and our quality of life is improved by their presence. Even if we never actually get to walk in a rainforest, we can see pictures of them, and learn about the animals and plants that live in them. Because this benefit cannot be measured, it is often overlooked, but it is another important reason that rainforests - and all wild places - are important.

Deforestation

Fact: Rainforests used to cover 14% of the land on the Earth. Today they cover around 6%

Sadly, rainforests are under threat all over the world. More than half of the world's rainforests have been destroyed since 1945.

Every second, an area of rainforest the size of a football (soccer) pitch is cut down.

Most of the trees are cut down for timber. This is used in building, and also for power production and for paper.

Rainforests are also destroyed to make way for farms. The trees are cut down to make fields, in which crops such as sugar cane and oil palm trees are grown, and livestock kept. Predatory rainforest animals are sometimes hunted by farmers wishing to protect their livestock.

Rainforest Facts For Kids (& Adults): Conclusion

In this article we have found out all about rainforests. We have found out what they are, where they are located, the animals and people that live in them and why we need to protect them. We've also learned about the threat of deforestation.

Spread The Word!

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Rainforest Facts For Kids - The Ultimate Guide

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Rainforest facts for kids. Learn all about rainforests, including what they are, where they are located, types of forest, animals, tribes & much, much more.

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See bottom sub-heading: 'The Destruction of Rainforests'

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Primary, Middle and Secondary School.

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An infographic displaying medicines found in the rainforest

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15 rainforest facts | National Geographic Kids

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Join us here at Nat Geo Kids to discover 15 cool rainforest facts. Learn fascinating facts about the rainforest's trees, plants, people and more...

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Article on deforestation from Britannica

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Welcome to Britannica School , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Primary, Middle and Secondary School.

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Use the 'Importance of Rainforests' tab

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Primary, Middle and Secondary School.

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Length of lesson 2 mins 31 secs

WHAT IS DEFORESTATION?

Deforestation is a massive problem across the whole world. This video gives a short overview about deforestation to give children an understanding of the issues around chopping down these precious areas of rainforest.

CURRICULUM LINKS:

Geography

Science

Citizenship

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Length of lesson 2 mins 31 secs Deforestation is a massive problem across the whole world. This video gives a short overview about deforestation to give children an understanding of the issues around chopping down these precious areas of rainforest. Geography Science Citizenship

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Rainforests are disappearing very quickly. The good news is there are a lot of people who want to save rainforests. The bad news is that saving rainforests is not going to be easy. It will take the efforts of many people working together in order to ensure that rainforests and their wildlife will survive for your children to appreciate, enjoy, and benefit from.

Some steps for saving rainforests and, on a broader scale, ecosystems around the world can be abbreviated as TREES:

Teach others about the importance of the environment and how they can help save rainforests.

Restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have been cut down.

Encourage people to live in a way that doesn't hurt the environment

Establish parks to protect rainforests and wildlife

Support companies that operate in ways that minimize damage to the environment

Annoyed by these ads? Use the advertising-free version of Mongabay-Kids.

Review questions

What are some things we can do to save rainforests?
Additional resources FAQs

May I use graphics from mongabay.com for my projects? Yes, you may provided that you don't remove the mongabay label from the images. You may use information from the site for class projects and can cite mongabay as the source.

Where can I learn more about rainforests? Check the main rainforest site.

Is this web site credible? Mongabay is the world's most popular source for information on tropical forests. The site is highly acclaimed by a number of the world's leading tropical scientists. See more answers at our frequently asked questions page.

Can I hide ads? Yes, we have an advertising-free version of Mongabay-Kids.

© Mongabay 1995-2020

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Rainforests are disappearing very quickly. The good news is there are a lot of people who want to save rainforests. The bad news is that saving rainforests is not going to be easy. It will take the efforts of many people working together in order to ensure that rainforests and their wildlife will survive for your children to appreciate, enjoy, and benefit from.

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World Land Trust has a variety of educational resources to offer all ages. Most of our materials have been designed to target specific Key Stages, aiming to teach them about conservation and the wonders of the wild world.

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Educational Resources - World Land Trust

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World Land Trust has a variety of educational resources to offer all ages. Most of our materials have been designed to target specific Key Stages, aiming to teach them about conservation and the wonders of the wild world.

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Every year an area of rainforest the size of New Jersey is cut down and destroyed. The plants and animals that used to live in these forests either die or must find a new forest to call their home. Why are rainforests being destroyed?

Humans are the main cause of rainforest destruction. We are cutting down rainforests for many reasons, including:

wood for both timber and making fires;

agriculture for both small and large farms;

land for poor farmers who don't have anywhere else to live;

grazing land for cattle;

pulp for making paper;

road construction; and

extraction of minerals and energy.

Rainforests are also threatened by climate change, which is contributing to droughts in parts of the Amazon and Southeast Asia. Drought causes die-offs of trees and dries out leaf litter, increasing the risk of forest fires, which are often set by land developers, ranchers, plantation owners, speculators, and loggers.

In 2005, 2010, and 2015 the Amazon experienced the worst droughts ever recorded. Rivers dried up, isolating communities, and millions of acres burned. The smoke caused widespread health problems, interfered with transportation, and blocked the formation of rain clouds, while the burning contributed huge amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, worsening the effects of climate change.

Meanwhile, Indonesia has experienced several severe droughts in recent decades. The worst occurred in 1982-1983, 1997-1998, and 2015 when millions of acres of forest burned.

Annoyed by these ads? Use the advertising-free version of Mongabay-Kids.

Review questions

Why are reasons for deforestation?

How does climate change affect rainforests?

Additional resources FAQs

May I use graphics from mongabay.com for my projects? Yes, you may provided that you don't remove the mongabay label from the images. You may use information from the site for class projects and can cite mongabay as the source.

Where can I learn more about rainforests? Check the main rainforest site.

Is this web site credible? Mongabay is the world's most popular source for information on tropical forests. The site is highly acclaimed by a number of the world's leading tropical scientists. See more answers at our frequently asked questions page.

Can I hide ads? Yes, we have an advertising-free version of Mongabay-Kids.

© Mongabay 1995-2020

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Every year an area of rainforest the size of New Jersey is cut down and destroyed. The plants and animals that used to live in these forests either die or must find a new forest to call their home. Why are rainforests being destroyed? Humans are the main cause of rainforest destruction.

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You don't have to be big to make a big impact! Here are some great ways that kids can help save rainforests.

Sign up for useful tips to green your life and protect our planet.

1. Ask your parents to buy foods-like bananas and coffee-that are grown in a sustainable way-In a way that is safe for the environment, for wildlife, and for people.

2. Do a class project to learn more about rainforests and the plants and animals that live there. Create a skit, write a story, or decorate your classroom to look like a real rainforest. Use our coloring pages to get you started.

3. Have a bake sale, garage sale, or school fundraiser to raise money to donate to an organization that works to conserve rainforests.

4. Read about other children who live in and near the rainforest; see how they and their families depend on the plants and animals in the rainforest.

5. Tell your friends and family about how important the rainforests are, or ask your teacher to teach your class more about rainforests.

6. Use less paper-re-use paper instead of throwing it out. Cut it up to use as a notepad, or recycle the paper you use. Ask your parents and teacher about how they recycle their paper.

7. Ask your school to buy environmentally friendly paper.

8. Write a letter and post on social media (with an @ mention) to thank organizations and companies that are working to protect the rainforest.

9. Look at a map of the world with your parents or teacher, and point out the places where rainforests exist.

10. Look around your home for things you use or eat that originate in the rainforest; Think about how many things that we use every day originate in the rainforest, and how it would affect you if they were no longer around.

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10 Easy Ways Kids Can Help Save Rainforests

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You don't have to be big to make a big impact! Here are some great ways that kids can help save rainforests. Sign up for useful tips to green your life and protect our planet. Ask your parents to buy foods-like bananas and coffee-that are grown in a sustainable way-In a way that is safe for the environment, for wildlife, and for people.

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All sorts of different resources about all sorts of different things linked to our world

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Free Teaching & Learning Resources | Chester Zoo

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Explore our learning resources and find classroom activities, fact files, posters, videos and in-zoo trails. You can filter by age group, subject area, topic or keyword.

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Easy to understand videos

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Life on Earth is a delicately balanced web of interdependence. If we are to thrive, we must work together on many fronts to protect nature and advance the rights and prosperity of rural people.

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Complete the tick boxes when you complete each section

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World Land Trust (WLT) is an international conservation charity that protects the world's most biologically significant and threatened habitats acre by acre

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Threats Facing The Amazon Rainforest - Rainforest Cruises

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In previous blog posts, Rainforest Cruises has examined a few of the ‘potential perils’ facing travelers heading on a trip to the Amazon, nearly all of which