The Amazon Rainforest - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

The Amazon RainforestSlide2

The world's ancient forests are in trouble. Only one fifth of original forest cover globally remains in large tracts, and almost half of that is under threat from activities such as mining, agriculture and, most importantly, commercial logging. 

The Amazon Rainforest, also known as the Amazon Jungle, is located in South America in an area known as the Amazon River basin.

The Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world and makes up about half of the planet’s rainforest space.

According to scientists, the Amazon Jungle was created millions of years ago when the Amazon River changed direction.

The Amazon Rainforest is also one of the world’s largest eco-systems, containing one of the most diverse array of species on Earth.Slide3
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The forest floor

The rainforest floor

is not crowded. It is

often dark and humid due to constant shade from the canopy’s leaves. Despite its constant shade, the rainforest floor is an important part of the forest ecosystem

.The forest floor is where decomposition takes place. Decomposition is the process by which fungi and microorganisms break down dead plants and animals and recycle essential materials and nutrients.There are many different animals and plants that live on the forest floor.Slide5

Plants of

the forest floor.Slide6

Bromeliads

have thick waxy leaves which

form a bowl shape in the centre for catching rainwater.

Plants of the forest floor

Buttressed roots, grow out from the base of the trunk sometimes as high as 15 ft above the ground. Epiphytes, or air plants, grow everywhere but can be found mainly on the branches, trunks, and even the leaves of trees.

Saprophytes

are the organisms that act as the rainforests

decomposers.

Many

saprotrophs

are so small, called microbes, that they cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Strangler trees

use another tree to grow around. The seed is dropped from animals. It grows quickly and suffocates the host tree leaving a tall upright strangler which is hollow in the middle. Most

stranglers are members of the fig family.Slide7

Plants of the forest floor

Lianas

are a type of climbing vine found throughout tropical rainforests. 

Carnivorous plants

are adapted to obtain nutrients from animal matter. The best known of these is probably the Venus fly trap, but more impressive is the pitcher plant Nepenthes rafflesiana, found in southeast Asia. This plant grows to 30 feet tall and may have pitchers 12 inches in length, usually crammed full of digested insects.Mangroves grow in wet, muddy soil at the water's edge which can be subject to tides and flooding.

Orchids

comprise one of the most abundant and varied of flowering plant families. There are over 20,000 known speciesSlide8

Animals of

the forest floor.Slide9

Tapirs

 look something like pigs with trunks, but they are actually related to horses and

rhinoceroses they are a

large herbivorous

mammal.Army ants are aggressive and are predators for many living things. They use their mandibles to slice their prey. While doing this they spread a dissolving acid which melts the muscles and tendons. The ants eat everything that does not run or fly away in time. Anteaters

a mostly solemn animals . They use their long curved claws to rip open ant and termite nets. Their tongue extends to a length greater than their head.

Scorpions

prey

on

insects and some other small animals. The have two venom glans used for hinting and self defence. Their “sting” is on the tip of their tail. Slide10

The

M

atamata

is a large, sedentary turtle with a large, triangular, flattened head. It lives in fresh water and is a carnivorous being. It eats small fish. Piranha’s are known for their sharp teeth, powerful jaws, and uncontrollable appetite for meat. Piranhas are indigenous to the Amazon basin. Piranhas are vicious and have been known to attack humans. There have been deaths related to this. Their teeth are used by natives to make tools and are also a food source.

Caiman’s

have a narrower body than alligators and crocodiles. They live only in the Central and South America in swampy mangrove areas.

The caiman

is carnivorous

it eats mainly fish but sometimes hunts small mammals, birds and insects.

The 

A

rapaima

is

 native to the 

Amazon Basin.

They are the largest freshwater fish of South America, and among the largest freshwater fish in the

world.

The

diet of the arapaima consists of fish, 

crustaceans

,

and even small land animals that walk near the shore.Slide11

An 

Anaconda

 is

the largest

 snake in the world and is found in tropical South America. Anacondas can reach 30 feet long. They can stay under water for 10 minutes. They eat a range of things such as turtles, fish, pigs jaguar and deer, along with a range of other things. The Jaguar is the third-largest feline This spotted cat most closely resembles the leopard physically, although it is usually larger and of sturdier build and its

behavioural and habitat characteristics

are closer to those of the tiger. 

The jaguar enjoys swimming and usually lives near water. It is at the top of the food chain and preys on animals such as adult caimans, deer, tapirs, dog and sometimes even anacondas. They also eat small creatures such as frogs, mice, birds, sloths, monkeys as well as some other animals. Slide12

The UnderstorySlide13

The understory is hot, damp, and the air is still. This part of the rainforest is under the leaves but above the ground. The understory is a tangle of shrubs, young trees, palms and woody plants that can grown in the shade of the taller trees

.

There is a small amount of light within the understory. The

leaves of many of the plants are very large, so that they can absorb or soak in as much sunlight as possible. The plants in this layer of

the forest hardly ever grow higher than twelve feet. Many houseplants are found in this part of the rainforest, these plants can live in your living room as well as the understory because both places get little sunlight.

The UnderstorySlide14

Plants of

the

u

nderstorySlide15

Philodendrons are a common house plant but are also found widely in the rainforest. They are a flowering plant with large leaves and can come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours.

Prayer Plants have small flowers clustered leaves which are flat during the day and they are folded and stand up right at night. There are a number of different species and the leaf patterns vary.

Zebra Plants are native to Brazil. They grow into up right shrubs. They need medium light to grow well which is why the understory is a perfect environment for them. They rarely flower but with prolonged light they can.

Peace Lilies are an evergreen plant with large leaves. They do not need a lot of water or sunlight to survive. While it is pretty, the peace lily can be toxic to humans and animals if ingested. It can also cause skin irritation. Slide16

Animals of

the

u

nderstorySlide17

Poison

dart frogs

can be blue, yellow

, red

or green. Their colours warn predators away. One touch of their skin can kill.The Green Tree Boa is a non venomous snake and feeds mainly on small mammals. They have slow metabolisms which means they can go several months without eating. The

Boa

Constrictor

is not venomous but it is just as deadly, as it will wait for its prey and ambush it. It will

first strike at

the

prey, grabbing it with its teeth; it then proceeds to

constrict the animal until it is dead. The

B

oa Constrictor comes in many colour variations’ but it is highly distinctive.Slide18

Fruit Bats

can also be referred to as Flying Foxes.

These bats have large eyes and they also have excellent vision

. They do not eat fruit as such,

they will crush the fruit with their sharp teeth and consume the nectar.The Margay is a small cat native to Central and South America and is listed as near threatened. This cat eats small mammals (sometimes including monkeys), birds, eggs, lizards and tree

frogs.

They prefer to spend most of their life in the trees, but also travel across the ground, especially when moving between hunting areas

The

Kinkajou

also know as the honey bear are omnivorous

which means they can eat meat and plant products, however they mainly eat fruit and plants.Slide19

Spider monkeys

live

in the tropical rain forests of Central and South

America. They

find food in the treetops and feast on nuts, fruits, leaves, bird eggs, and spiders. They can be noisy animals and often communicate with many calls, screeches, barks, and other sounds.Coatimundi’s are omnivores and can live off meat and plant products, They are found in North and South America and are related to the raccoon. They are great climbers which is why they are often found in the under story.Blue tailed Iguanas

can

grow

between 4 and 7 feet in

length and are one of the rarest lizards in the world. They eat

mainly leaves, fruit, and flowers, but occasionally insects, eggs or small vertebrates. Slide20

The CanopySlide21

The Canopy

The trees in this layer

can grow as

high as 100 feet. They form a green roof over the forest below. This roof is like an umbrella or canopy. The canopy is the busiest part of the rainforest. The leaves, flowers and fruit that grow there provide food for monkeys, birds, insects and

other animals.The canopy protects the ground from the sun and light rain. Very heavy rains will get to the ground. Some animals up there never go to the forest floor. Many butterflies, and birds live in the canopy.Many of the leaves on the plants in the canopy are pointed, so that the rain can run off the tips of the leaves. These drip tips keep the leaves dry and free of mould.It is very hard to study the rainforest canopy, because it's so hard to reach. So scientists have built walkways up in the trees so that they can just walk around up there.Slide22

Animals of the CanopySlide23

The

Golden Lion Tamarin

lives in South America and is an endangered species due to logging and deforestation on Brazil’s Atlantic coast.

Golden lions live primarily in the trees. They sleep in hollows at night and forage by day while traveling from branch to branch. Long fingers help them stay

high and they eat things such as insects, fruit, lizards, and birds.Howler Monkeys are found in tropical Central and South America. They can use their tail as an extra arm to grip or even hang from branches, this is often helpful as they rarely leave the canopy. They eat primarily fruit and nuts and their good senses can smell food from almost 2km away.

Sloths are classified as 

folivores

(eating from specific trees),

as the bulk of their diets consist of buds, tender shoots, and

leaves. Sloths are found primarily in South America and are less likely to survive outside of this area.

Sloths' claws serve as their only natural

defence.

Despite sloths' apparent

defencelessness,

predators do not pose special problems: sloths blend in with the trees

and

their slow movement does not attract

attention.Slide24

Toucans

are native to Southern Mexico, Central America, the northern portion of South America, and the Caribbean region. They generally live in 

tropical.

They make their nests in tree hollows and holes

made by other animals such as woodpeckers—the toucan bill has very limited use as an excavation tool. Toucans are primarily frugivorous (fruit eating), but will sometimes hunt prey such as insects and small lizards. The pygmy marmoset 

is native

to 

rainforests

of South America

.

It is

the

smallest monkey and one of the smallest primates in the

world.

This monkey has a specialised diet of tree gum. It gnaws holes in the bark of appropriate trees and vines When the sap puddles up in the hole, it laps it up with its tongue. It also

waits

for insects, especially butterflies, which are attracted to the sap holes. It

also eats fruit and nectar.

Woolly Monkeys

originate

from the rainforests of South America

. They most often live in the high tops of the canopy.

Woolly monkey diets consist of fruit with an addition of leaves, seeds, flowers and 

insects. Slide25

The Emergent LayerSlide26

The Emergent Layer

Only a few very tall trees break through the canopy into the emergent layer. These trees can be as tall as skyscrapers. The tops of the trees are shaped like umbrellas and they grow on long, thin trunks

.

These trees get the most sunlight but also have to put up with the hot sun and strong winds. Because these trees are out in the open, they often have thick, waxy leaves that protect them from the sun and the

wind.Many animals that live in the emergent layer are also found in the canopy. Slide27

Animals of the Emergent LayerSlide28

Macaws

are native to 

Central America

 (especially Mexico), South

America, and formerly the Caribbean. Most species are associated with forests, especially rainforests, but others prefer woodland or savannah-like habitats. The majority of Macaws are now endangered in the wild and a few are extinct. Macaws eat a variety of foods including seeds, nuts, fruits, palm fruits, leaves, flowers, and stems.

The

Harpy

E

agle

is rare but can be

found from 

Mexico

(almost

extinct), through Central

America

and into South America to as far south as Argentina but is most common in Brazil. The Harpy

E

agle

is an actively hunting carnivore and is an apex

predator

,

meaning that adults are at the top of a food chain and have no natural

predators

. Its main prey are

tree-living

mammals

and a most

of

their

diet has been shown to focus on 

sloths

and monkey but can also prey on larger animals. They have a wing span of between 5’9ft

up to 7’4

.Slide29

Lovebirds

originated in Africa but can be found in many places. Wild lovebirds are

mostly green with a variety of

colours

on their upper body. There are nine species of lovebirds and their colours and markings vary. Love birds eat a range of leaves, seeds, nuts and grains. The Blue-headed Parrot is mainly green with a blue head and neck and red under tail feathers. Its habitat is forest and semi-open country but is more likely to be found in tropical areas. They mainly eat fruit and seeds.

Butterflies

are abundant in the Amazon rainforest and there are too many species to identify each individual. They come in a variety of colours and they often find ways to blend in to the environment that surrounds them.

There are many other animals that live in the

r

ainforest. Logging and deforestation are playing a large part in a number of species becoming endangered or extinct. Slide30

Why is the Amazon important?

Lets have a look at the following conservation website to see the impact humans have had on the Amazon basin.

http://www.conservation.org/where/pages/amazonia.aspx?gclid=Cj0KEQiAkJyjBRClorTki_7Zx8QBEiQAcqwGMTL2bLvXjC9eWsZga6VPYxpy0KjHeaofA2qxoLRWq6waAkGK8P8HAQ

But first, what is conservation?

Conservation is the action of conserving something and preventing loss.