Tropical rainforests

Trekking through the Amazon rainforest is something that's high up on many travellers' to-do lists. But this is not the only tropical rainforest with natural beauty to behold. South America, Africa, and India also have an abundance of wildlife and wonder. But what is it that makes this biome home to so many species of plants and wildlife?

Tropical rainforests form a broad, discontinuous belt around the world, centred at the equator and extending from the Tropic of Cancer in the north to the Tropic of Capricorn in the south. The climate in this biome is humid, and there’s no winter or summer. Instead, it’s hot and wet all year, providing the perfect climate for plants to flourish.

Much like deciduous forests, tropical rainforests are made up of a number of layers.

Ground Layer: Very dark and steamy due to the heat, with only 2% of light penetrating through. It contains a lot of dead and quickly decaying plant matter, such as leaves that rot away. The rapid decomposition releases nutrients that are quickly absorbed by the plants and trees, leaving the soil relatively infertile.

Shrub Layer (0–10m): Made up of smaller plants, including orchids. It grows thickly near openings in the forest, rivers, and small clearings. Depending on the forest, you might find alligators, jaguars, snakes, and insects such as ants and tarantulas here.

Under Canopy (10–20m): Made up of young trees growing quickly as they compete to reach the sunlight. In the South American rainforest, you’ll find insects, sloths, and howler monkeys here.

Main Canopy (20–30m): Acts like an umbrella, shading the layers below. These trees are tall and straight with few branches. Creepers called lianas root in the ground and have leaves and flowers up in the canopy. Epiphytes grow on the trunks and branches of trees, obtaining nutrients directly from the air or rainwater.

Emergent Layer (30–40m): Made up of one or two of the tallest trees in the rainforest. These trees have wide buttress roots that provide stable support. This layer is alive with birds, insects, and butterflies.

Trees and wildlife have learned to flourish in this environment, making the rainforest biome the most biodiverse in the world.

Take the Teak tree, for example. It has a long, straight trunk that allows water to run down quickly to the forest floor. It can grow as wide as 1.5 meters across and as tall as 30–40 meters. Its branches spread out horizontally so the leaves can capture as much light as possible. It’s a deciduous tree, shedding its leaves during dry seasons to conserve water. Its wide buttress roots form a triangular base that supports the tree during high winds.

The rainforest is home to some weird and wonderful animals—from pythons in Africa and Asia to the Indian Elephant. When fully grown, the Indian Elephant has no predators other than humans. They travel in herds and can group their young together for protection. Their trunks help them reach high branches or search for food on the ground. They strip bark from trees using their tusks and even bore into the ground in search of water. Their large ears help keep them cool in the tropical heat—flapping them can reduce their body temperature by up to 5°C as heat is released from capillaries near the surface.

Some tribes still inhabit tropical rainforests around the world. These people hunt for food and have learned to survive among the plants and animals.

Humans use resources from tropical rainforests such as rubber, bamboo, and wood. We also harvest food like cocoa beans, coffee beans, and nuts. However, deforestation is happening at an unsustainable rate. If this continues, it could have a huge impact on the entire planet.

As you can see, the hot and wet conditions allow many plants and wildlife to flourish, and many have adapted to survive in this tropical biome.