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Maple Avenue Library: Tropical Rainforests

Tropical Rainforests

Although tropical rainforests cover less than 7% of the 
Earth's surface they are home to 50% of all living species on Earth. 

According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), overall tropical deforestation rates this decade are 8.5 percent higher than during the 1990s. While this figure pertains to all forests in the world’s tropics, researchers believe the loss of primary tropical rainforest—the wildest and most diverse swaths—has increased by as much as 25 percent since the 1990s.

From Scientific American - "Measuring the Daily Destruction of the World's Rainforests"

Tropical Rainforests - Biodiversity

Brave Wilderness - Coyote Peterson

Jeff Corwin Experience

Tropical Rainforest Resoures

Disappearing Rainforests

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The Biodiversity of the Rainforest

  • A single pond in Brazil can sustain a greater variety of fish than is found in all of Europe's rivers.
  • A 25-acre plot of rainforest in Borneo may contain more than 700 species of trees - a number equal to the total tree diversity of North America.
  • A single rainforest reserve in Peru is home to more species of birds than are found in the entire United States.
  • One single tree in Peru was found to harbor forty-three different species of ants - a total that approximates the entire number of ant species in the British Isles.
  • The number of species of fish in the Amazon exceeds the number found in the entire Atlantic Ocean.

Baird's Tapir

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Central America - Land Bridge of the Tropics

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Tropical Rainforest Books

Toucans

undefinedKeel-billed Toucan

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Toco Toucan

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Collared Aracaris Toucans

Toucan Poll

What is your favorite Toucan from the three above?
Keel-billed Toucan: 1 votes (100%)
Toco Toucan: 0 votes (0%)
Collared Aracaris Toucan: 0 votes (0%)
Total Votes: 1

Cats of the Rainforest

Jaguar

Ocelot

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Margay

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Jaguarundi

Rainforest Cat Poll

What is your favorite rainforest cat above?
Jaguar: 0 votes (0%)
Ocelot: 1 votes (100%)
Margay: 0 votes (0%)
Jaguarundi: 0 votes (0%)
Total Votes: 1

Tropical Rainforests - Biodiversity

Tropical Rainforest Facts

Different Species of Toucans

Baird's Tapir

Harpy Eagle