Interesting Facts about the Amazon Rainforest for Kids
Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts for Kids 1:- What is the Amazon Rainforest?
The Amazon Rainforest is
a huge area of forest land in South America. It is the biggest tropical rainforest in the
world made up of approximately 390 billion trees! More species
of trees, plants and animals can be found in tropical biomes
than anywhere else in the world as the hot, wet climate allows a
diverse range of lush, green, broad leaved trees and plants, and
species of animals to survive.
Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts for Kids 2:- What is a tropical
rainforest?
A tropical rainforest can be described as a thick
forest of broad leaved trees and plants which is subject to hot,
wet climate conditions. Tropical rainforests are located closer
to the equator than other types of forests which is why they are
subject to high temperature and are home to more types of trees,
plants and animals than any other type of biome in the world.
Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts for Kids 3:- Where is the Amazon
Rainforest located?
The Amazon Rainforest is the world's largest rainforest and it
is located in South America. With millions of trees, plants,
wildlife species and an overall population of around 30 million
people, the rainforest covers most of the Amazon Basin and occurs
naturally across nine countries
of South America including Brazil, Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Ecuador,
Bolivia and Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. The
majority of the Amazon Jungle occurs in Brazil which is home to
approximately 60% of the overall forest.
Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts for Kids 4:- How big is the Amazon
Rainforest?
The Amazon Rainforest is huge, it makes up for around half of
the world's remaining rainforests and covers an area of
approximately 5.5 million square kilometers. This amazing
jungle, sometimes known as Amazonia, spreads across nine
countries of South America. The size of the Amazon Basin is
approximately 7 million square kilometers and the tropical
rainforest covers the majority of it at a size of 5.5 million square
kilometers.
Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts for Kids 5:- Why is the Amazon
Rainforest being destroyed?
The Amazon Rainforest is in
danger as human activity and climate change threaten to destroy
what remains of its lush vegetation. Every single day in the
Amazon, humans are cutting down trees and destroying the
habitats of this tropical biome. Deforestation means that the Amazon
Rainforest is fast disappearing as there is a significant
difference between the amount of trees being replanted in comparison to the amount being chopped
down. Some of the main reasons why humans are destroying the
Amazon Jungle include: the clearing of land for the construction
of roads, buildings and farms, the cutting of trees in order to
obtain wood for timber, fires, and the production of paper.
Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts for Kids 6:- Why is the Amazon
Rainforest important?
The Amazon Rainforest took millions of
years to evolve and is vitally important to the future of our
planet as it provides around 20% of the world's oxygen! The
Amazon Jungle provides a rich ecosystem which is home to millions
of plant and animal species that rely upon its structure in order
to survive. Many animals and plant species are threatened with
the risk of extinction as the Amazon Rainforest continues to disappear. The
world's rainforest biomes took millions of years to evolve and
there is no quick way of replacing them.
Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts for Kids 7:- How does climate change
effect the Amazon Rainforest?
It is not only human activity that threatens to destroy the
Amazon Rainforest biome, climate change is also a huge factor.
Climate change results in changing climate patterns, weather
conditions and temperatures which can have damaging repercussions
on the Amazon Rainforest, particularly during drought
seasons which can cause rivers and land areas to dry up, and
species of trees and plants to die. The Amazon River is very
important to the rainforest and is often considered its life
force as its water source is vital to the survival of animals
and plants. Extreme periods of drought pose a massive threat to
the Amazon Rainforest biome as it can place it at high risk from
forest fires which endanger the lives of animals and plants.
Forest fires can spread very quickly and cause devastation.
Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts for Kids 8:- How old is the Amazon
Rainforest?
The Amazon Tropical Rainforest took millions of years to
evolve and expand across the nine countries in which it now
occurs. Scientists believe that the Amazon Rainforest has
existed for more than 55 million years!
Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts for Kids 9:- How tall do trees
grow in the Amazon Rainforest?
The Amazon Rainforest is dominated by tall broadleaf trees which
grow to around 30-45 meters tall and form the canopy of the
forest. Some less common tree species, such as the Kapok Tree,
can be found growing above the rainforest canopy, in the
emergent layer, reaching 45-55 meters tall and sometimes higher!
Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts for Kids 10:- What is the climate like
in the Amazon Rainforest?
The climate of the Amazon
Rainforest can be described as hot and wet. Tropical forests
receive high temperatures above 18 degrees C (64 degrees F) all year round due
to their proximity to the equator. The rainfall in the Amazon
Rainforest biome is very high, every year it receives around
150cm - 300cm of rain which is vital for its lush vegetation and
animal life. Did you know that the Amazon Rainforest absorbs so
much water that it contains the majority of the earth's
rainwater? This is because the trees absorb rainwater from the
forest floor which is released back into the atmosphere in vapor
form.
Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts for Kids 11:- What animals live in the
Amazon Rainforest?
The Amazon Rainforest is a rich ecosystem
that is inhabited by millions of animal species including
insects, arachnids, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds,
herbivores, carnivores and mammals of all size and description.
The animals of the Amazon Rainforest have evolved and learnt to
adapt to their given climate and environment, which is important for
their survival. More than half of the our world's animals and
creatures can be found living within the Amazon Rainforest as
the warm climate permits an array of life. The following list of
animals provides an example of some of the types of animals that
live in the Amazon Rainforest: Vampire Bat, Golden Lion Tamarin,
Spider Monkey, Giant Anteater, Sloth, Giant River Otter,
Amazonian Manatee, Capybara, Macaw, Harpy Eagle, Toucan, Amazon
Pink River Dolphin, Piranha Fish, Electric Eel, Tree Boas,
Anaconda Snake, Bullet Ant, Brazilian Wandering Spider,
Amazonian Giant Centipede, Black Caiman, Poison Arrow Frog,
Black Caiman Alligator, and Bull Shark.
Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts for Kids 12:- How do animals survive in
the Amazon Rainforest?
There are lots of animal species living in the Amazon Rainforest
which have not been discovered by man. The requirements of
wildlife in order to survive, vary greatly between the species.
Animals build their homes within the structure of the four main layers of the
Amazon Rainforest biome, depending on their size, features
and characteristics, they may require a habitat on the forest
floor, midway in the understory layer, up in the canopy level or
way above the rainforest canopy in the emergent layer. Animals
need to protect themselves from potential dangers, such as those posed by bigger or more powerful animals who might eat them!
Animals are able to protect themselves in different ways such as
by camouflaging themselves which allow them to blend into their
environment, hiding beneath rocks and leaves, or in burrows, or
simply using their bright colors, fierce sounds and appearance
to scare away predators.
Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts for Kids 13:- How do plants survive in
the Amazon Rainforest?
The
Amazon Rainforest biome has a thriving rich, lush vegetation which is
determined by its tropical hot and wet climate. Tropical rainforest biomes
experience the best type of climates for tree and plant growth. The
Amazon Jungle has more species of plants than any other
biome on Earth, many of which still remain undiscovered to man. The trees and plants
of the Amazon make up half of the world's rainforest areas
and is
very important as its vegetation helps cleanse the Earth's atmosphere.
The Amazon Jungle produces around 20% of the world's oxygen which
is vital for life on our planet as oxygen allows living species to breath. The
plant life found in the Amazon Rainforest has to
adapt to its hot and wet weather conditions. Various plant
species are found growing in different areas of the forest
structure, within its four main layers. For example, plants
which require more sunlight and water will grow higher,
climbing upwards towards the higher layers which enable them
to obtain better sources of water and light.
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