User:Freddy2706

Rainforests in Danger!
== Rainforest all over the world are being cut down or burned. According to "The Nature Conversancy" (http://www.nature.org/aboutus/?src=ms) it is claimed that what once used to cover 14%of the worlds surface area leaves only 2% remaining. Serious problems are comuning up and the next paragraphs will verify what the rainforest is and why we value it, what is happening, what others have done and what every individual can do.

Rainforests are located between the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the south. Each of these forests has four layers.The very bottom is the forest floor. Only 2% of the sunlight hit this layer because of the trees in the above layer. Despite this shade the rainforest floor is an important part of the forests ecosystem. However plants that depend on sunlight are rare. Instead ferns, herbs, and mosses that flurish on the trapped humidity are frequent. Furthermore fungi is usually found which feeds on dead leaves, dead animals and insects. Even though many animals spend most of their time in the canopy or understory gathering food from trees, there are various animals living on the forest floor. Mostly these are animals that do not have the ability to climb trees. Above the forest floor is the understory or also called the shrubbery layer which is from 20 to 55 feet high. Many apes and birds can be found here on their search for food. Reaching up to 90 feet high is the canopy. Much of the sunlight hits the trees and to exploit this advantage epiphytes, plants growing on other plants, are not inconvenient. Above the canopy is the emergent layer. Here trees grow up to 150 feet tall.

Rate of change in total deforestation rate 2000-2005 period vs 1990-2000 period Country Rate of change (%) Malaysia  85.7 Cambodia 74.3 Burundi 47.6 Togo 41.6 Nigeria 31.1 Sri Lanka 25.4 Benin 24.1 Brazil 21.2 Uganda 21.0 Indonesia 18.6

http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0801.htm