TROPICAL RAINFORESTS
An Online Treasure Hunt
For Second Year High School (Science)
Introduction
A tropical rainforest is one of the most biodiverse
ecosystems on Earth. More than half of the world’s animals and plants live in
tropical rainforests. Imagine then what would happen to the balance of life
on Earth if we were to lose these ecosystems!
Sadly, most people don’t know much about tropical
rainforests. In fact, because of people’s ignorance—and greed—many of these
forests are rapidly disappearing.
Let’s find out more about what it is we’re losing.
And then let’s help educate others so we don’t lose it altogether.
In this activity, you will work in groups of
three or four to find answers to some questions about tropical rainforests.
The answers can be located in the Web resources listed below. Click on the URL
to access each website. In some cases, you might have to read several pages
in one website. You do this by clicking on links to topics that are related
to the one being discussed. Answer the Big Question last.
Questions
- What
is a rainforest?
- What
are the layers in a rainforest? Name and briefly describe each one.
- What
do you call the transition zones where forests meet different types of habitats?
How important are these zones?
- The soil in rainforests is poor in nutrients. Why
then are there so many plant and animal species in rainforests?
- Plant
adaptations to rainforest conditions include having thin and smooth bark,
drip tips, buttresses, and prop and stilt roots. Epiphytes are an example
of plants that have adapted to living in rainforests by developing the ability
to live on the surface of other plants. Name some animal adaptations and then
some species of animals that exhibit or show these adaptations. Be careful
not to confuse the adaptation with the species of animal.
- Why
are people cutting down rainforests?
- One
effect of deforestation is species extinction. Why should human beings worry
about the extinction of other species?
- What
is another major reason why we should worry about the destruction of our rainforests?
Resources
The Big Question
Find out how many rainforests there are (or used to be!) in the Philippines.
Pick one of these rainforests and draw a map showing where it is. Include in
the map a list of facts or details about the rainforest.
Your work is due a week from
today. Be sure to work together on your map. And be creative. Help save our
rainforests by helping others appreciate them better.
Authored by J. Urot and P.
Arinto