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Rainforests and You!

Rainforests and You!. Webquest designed by Jennifer Cox (8 th grade project aligned with WI Standards). Introduction Task Process Evaluation Credits Teacher’s Background. Introduction

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Rainforests and You!

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  1. Rainforests and You! Webquest designed by Jennifer Cox (8th grade project aligned with WI Standards) Introduction Task Process Evaluation Credits Teacher’s Background Introduction What do you know about rainforests? Do you have any impact on them or do they impact your life in any way? Well, you are about to find out all about these amazing ecosystems and how relevant they are to YOUR life! Welcome to the jungle!!!

  2. Rainforests and You! Introduction Task Process Evaluation Credits Task Through this exploration of the rainforests, you and your partner will become rainforest advocates, sharing the news you’ve learned with your peers and community. You will touch the lives of many people, plants, and animals through this project! The sky’s the limit with how you can use this information to change the world….are you ready?? LET’S GO!!!

  3. Rainforests and You! Introduction Task Process Evaluation Credits Process You and your partner will move through these steps together, completing each section before moving on to the next. Move along at a comfortable pace, taking time to learn about this extraordinary ecosystem! • Brainstorm • Explore!!! • PROJECT!

  4. Rainforests and You! Introduction Task Process Evaluation Credits Brainstorming time! For this warm-up activity I would like you to work with your partner and create a web illustrating what you already know about rainforests. Include characteristics such as weather, animals, people, places, and plants. Next, you will create a pro’s and con’s list of activities that humans do that would have either a positive impact on a rainforest or a negative impact. CLICK HERE to download and print the web and pros and cons worksheets.

  5. Rainforests and You! Introduction Task Process Evaluation Credits EXPLORE!! It’s time to become an explorer in the wild rainforests of the world. Welcome to the jungle, come on in!

  6. Rainforests and You! Introduction Task Process Evaluation Credits During your exploration, you will need to have your trip journal to record what you find. You and your partner will work together to find the information. While you are on your trip, remember the things you came up with in your brainstorm session. You will not only explore the workings of the rainforests, but also investigate human impacts on them. You will be guided through a series of slides that you will read and also check out any links that are attached as they will go into greater depth on the topics and give you ideas for your final project. So, take good notes in your journal so you can take in as much as you can! Click here for your trip journal. Begin!

  7. Rainforests and You! Process Rainforest defined Rainforest Biodiversity Rainforest plants Rainforest animals Why are they important? (Rainforest services) Ecological disturbances by humans How can you define a rainforest? There are several ways to define a rain forest, but one good way for us to look at them will be to define it as a: ‘Evergreen forest with average daily temperature between 64 and 75˚ F, and receiving at least 60 inches of rainfall annually with more than 4 inches of rain at least 9 months of the year.’ Definition modified from (Woodword, C. lecture 7: Introduction to Rainforests) Click here to see WHERE IN THE WORLD these forests are located!

  8. Rainforests and You! Go back to Rainforests defined These forests are found in 3 main areas: the Americas, Africa, and Australasia. Did you notice how they are all near the equator? The Earth’s tilt and rotation create the weather patterns across the world, and in this case, the equator typically receives the same type of weather year round.

  9. Rainforests and You! Process Rainforest defined Rainforest Biodiversity Rainforest plants Rainforest animals Why are they important? (Rainforest services) Ecological disturbances by humans Biodiversity Tropical rainforests occupy about 7% of the Earth’s land surface, yet they harbor 50% of the world’s species.(Woodword, C. lecture 7: Introduction to Rainforests) There are currently about 1.5 million species described, and scientists estimate that we have only described about 10-20% total species! (Woodward, C. Lecture 4) Now, watch this amazing short clip about biodiversity, AND REMEMBER to write down neat things you learn!!!

  10. Rainforests and You! Process Rainforest defined Rainforest Biodiversity Rainforest plants Rainforest animals Why are they important? (Rainforest services) Ecological disturbances by humans Rainforest Plants Rainforests have 170,000 of the world's 250,000 known plant species!!! http://kids.mongabay.com/elementary/201.html There are many types of plants in the rainforest. Some of them include: Trees- one or few large main stem(s) Shrubs-short and woody with many stems Herbs- non-woody plants Vines- long non-supportive stems Epiphytes- cling to tops of other plants (Woodword, C. lecture 7: Introduction to Rainforests) Click here to see more!

  11. Rainforests and You! Process Rainforest defined Rainforest Biodiversity Rainforest plants Rainforest animals Why are they important? (Rainforest services) Ecological disturbances by humans Rainforest Animals Here are only some of the groups of animals: Arthropods (insects)- this is by far the largest group of species! Birds Bats Monkeys Elephants Cats Rodents Reptiles and amphibians Fish (Woodword, Catherine Lecture 10: Rainforest Fauna by special guest Joe Meisel) See for yourself by checking these links out!!! Real animals Other animals Other animals part two!

  12. Rainforests and You! Process Rainforest defined Rainforest Biodiversity Rainforest plants Rainforest animals Why are they important? (Rainforest services) Ecological disturbances by humans Rainforest Services Rainforests provide such a great wealth of resources and services for our world! Services provided by the animals: -Rainforests are home to more than half of ALL species!!! -Animals help the plants thrive because they disperse seeds, pollinate them, and keep them under control by eating the ones that become over abundant Services provided by the plants: -All the roots from the plants provide stable and healthy soil, preventing erosion. -Climate regulation -Rainforests provide us with many valuable resources as well such as medicines, food (coffee, tea, vanilla, cacao beans, rice, maize, etc.), and commercial goods (furniture, rubber, oil, gas) (http://www.tropical-rainforest-animals.com/Tropical-Rain-Forests.html) (Woodward, C. Lecture 7-10)

  13. Rainforests and You! Process Rainforest defined Rainforest Biodiversity Rainforest plants Rainforest animals Why are they important? (Rainforest services) Ecological disturbances by humans Rainforest threats caused by humans Many animals have been labeled as a ‘threatened status’ because of their habitat loss and degradation. What are the causes of habitat loss and degradation? • Deforestation- an estimated 579,150 square miles of forest are lost or degraded each year! (more than twice the size of Texas!) • Logging for wood products • Clearing for Agriculture • Oil and mining • Hunting (Woodward, Catherine Lecture 13) Visit links below to learn more… Deforestation Logging & Agriculture (click the right arrow at this site!) Now that you’ve explored the rainforest, go back to the top button ‘process’ and from there move on to ‘PROJECT!’

  14. Rainforests and You! Introduction Task Process Evaluation Credits PROJECT!! Now, its time to think about what rainforests mean to you. Do you think you would miss anything about them if they were gone? How may your life or generations to come be different if they were gone? Your project will be to work with your partner to come up with a way to inform an audience of your choice about the rainforests and how we can make a difference in protecting the rainforests! You will be able to choose your audience and your mode of presentation from the list below. If you have another idea in mind, you may discuss it with me. You will share your projects with the class or more when you are finished. Here are some ideas to choose from: • Create an informational pamphlet • Create an informational skit • Create an informational news story • Write a persuasive letter to the editor calling people to protect the rainforests • Create a powerpoint presentation for an audience • Create a verbal and visual presentation for an audience Research: You may have noticed that you have not been taught about the rainforest conservation methods…that is because I want you to think hard about it and discuss conservation ideas with your partner. THEN, see if you can find any help online by going to Google and typing in your conservation ideas. Project Requirements: This project will have requirements in content, participation, and product. Please look at the Project rubric under ‘Evaluation’ BEFORE STARTING YOUR PROJECT to see what specific things you will be required to share in your presentations.

  15. Rainforests and You! Introduction Task Process Evaluation Credits Evaluation 1.You will each need to turn in your exploration journals, webs, and pros and cons worksheets for grading. 2.You will be graded according to the attached rubric. Print this rubric out and study it with your partner BEFORE going further with your project! Rubric and overall points

  16. Rainforests and You! Back to Introduction Credits Graphics: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/800px-tropical_wet_forests.png http://travel.mongabay.com/ http://www.wikipedia.com “Commons” and “Wikipedia“ Author 柑橘類This file is licensed under the Creative CommonsAttribution ShareAlike 3.0 License www.mongabay.com Text: Woodward, Catherine. UW-Madison Biology 375 Special Topics: Rainforests and Coral Reefs. Lectures 4-14.(2009) Chambers, John. http://rainforest-australia.com/Epiphylls.htm http://www.tropical-rainforest-animals.com/Tropical-Rain-Forests.html http://kids.mongabay.com/elementary/201.html Website links: http://www.thewildclassroom.com/home/ecogeeksvideos/biodiversity.html http://www.rainforestconcern.org/tour/rfc_guide.htm http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/lifesci/rainforest/ http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rnfrst_animal_page.htm http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/animals.html http://kids.mongabay.com/lesson_plans/lisa_algee/deforestation.html http://kids.mongabay.com/elementary/502.html

  17. Welcome teachers! • Rainforests are wonderful ecosystems containing more diversity and intrigue in flora and fauna than the human mind can even imagine! • I will take you through a brief overview of some of the most fascinating aspects I learned about in a special topics biology class taken through UW-Madison with Dr. Catherine Woodward in Fall ‘09. • Let us embark on a fun little adventure of our own to refresh our learning about the rainforests before helping our students along! • Click here to download the lesson plan for this project according to WI State Standards

  18. Overview • 1. Rainforests defined • 2. Rainforest locations • 3. Rainforest diversity • 4. Rainforest flora • 5. Rainforest fauna • 6. Rainforest services • 7. Rainforest threats • 8.Rainforest conservation

  19. Tropical Rainforests Defined The definition of a rainforest varies greatly in the types of forests it may include, much like types of biomes vary from source to source. For the purposes of this overview however, a rainforest can be defined as any “Low elevation evergreen forest with mean daily temperature between 18 and 24˚ C, receiving at least 1500 mm of rainfall annually with >100 mm of rain at least 9 months of the year.” (Woodword, C. lecture 7: Introduction to Rainforests)

  20. Tropical Forests These forests are found in 3 main areas: the Americas, Africa, and Australasia. (pic taken from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/800px-tropical_wet_forests.png

  21. Diversity • Did you know that although rain forests make up only 7% of the earth’s land surface, it houses at least 50% of the world’s species?! (Woodward, C. Lecture 7) • There are currently about 1.5 million species described, and scientists estimate that we have only described about 10-20% total species! (Woodward, C. Lecture 4) Take for example the diversity in Borneo… Out of 130 hectares (257 acres)of land, there were 3,200 different tree species!! In W. Amazon out of 606 trees sampled, 300 different species were found!! (Woodward, C. Lecture 7) Source “Commons” and “Wikipedia“ Author 柑橘類This file is licensed under the Creative CommonsAttribution ShareAlike 3.0 License

  22. Rainforest Flora (Plants) There are many types of plants in the rainforest. Some of them include: • Trees- woody plants with one or few main stems “trunk” or “bole” • Shrubs-short and woody with many stems • Herbs- non-woody ex. • Vines- long non-supportive stems. They evolved the strategy of using other plants to reach the top for sunlight! Adaptations include: tendrils, hooks, spines, suckers, twiners, and scramblers. • Epiphytes- ‘Epi’ means ‘upon’ and ‘phyte’ means ‘plant’. They cling to tops of other plants, and spend at least part of their lives NOT rooted in the ground. Not parasitic because they don’t directly harm the host through a physical connection with their tissue. • Epiphylls- Epi' means 'upon and 'phyll' means `leaf'.  Epiphylls include a variety of non-flowering plants including lichens (the main group), mosses, leafy liverworts and algae. 20+ may be found on a single leaf!! (Chambers, John. http://rainforest-australia.com/Epiphylls.htm) • Parasites- depend on host for at least some of their nutrition and make a physical connection to the host’s roots, stems, or branches. (except #6, all is taken from Woodword, C. lecture 7: Introduction to Rainforests)

  23. Rainforest Fauna (animals) Here are only some of the groups of animals: • Arthropods (insects)- this is by far the largest group of species! Beetles are the most diverse order on the planet. They are essential for nutrient cycling as they decompose matter. • Birds- highest # of species of vertebrates in the rainforest besides fish. Wonderful seed dispersers! They are also predators of animals as large as monkeys! • Bats- Most species in the mammals group in rainforest. Mostly insectivores but some are frugivores (fruit eating). Diversify to catch specific types of prey. • Monkeys- (Primates) There are a variety of types: folivores (leaf-eating), insectivores, omnivores, and frugivores. Their diet is a clue as to how they live whether a hyper-active squirrel monkey (insectivore) , or slow metabolism and “lazy” Howler money (folivore). • Elephants- Asia and Africa are home to most elephants. • Cats-They control prey populations by eating the most abundant prey around. Very large home range size. Ex. Pumas need 100km^2 • Rodents- 2nd most diverse mammal group in rainforest. • Reptiles and amphibians- “herps” These are soft-skinned animals including frogs, snakes, and lizards. • Fish- Most # of species of vertebrates in the rainforest! Ex. In the Amazon, even in small rivers you can find over 600 species!! (Woodword, Catherine Lecture 10: Rainforest Fauna by special guest Joe Meisel)

  24. Rainforest Services Services provided by the animals: • Species diversity • Spatial and temporal dynamics • Ecological processes: seed dispersers, seed predation, pollination, herbivory, and predation Services provided by the plants: • Erosion prevention • Climate regulation • Species Diversity • Resources ie. Medicines, food (coffee, tea, vanilla, cacao beans, rice, maize, etc.), commercial goods (furniture, rubber, oil, gas) (http://www.tropical-rainforest-animals.com/Tropical-Rain-Forests.html) (Woodward, C. Lecture 7-10)

  25. Rainforest Threats Causes of habitat loss and degradation • Deforestation- an estimated 579,150 square miles of forest are lost or degraded each year! Africa and Asia has very little or no intact rainforest remaining. The largest loss of forest has occurred in the Atlantic Coast of Brazil, in Western South America, in West-Central Africa, Madagascar, Indonesia, and the Philippines. • Logging for wood products- Timber is taken from the tropical forests in excess of 3 billion cubic meters annually! A little over half of this is used for firewood, primarily in developing countries where they use it to cook. The other half is processed into building materials and paper pulp. • Clearing for Agriculture- Most tropical forests are initially cut for agriculture, either small-scale subsistence or increasingly large-scale industrial, however, soils lose their fertility once they are cleared and are unable to support intensive cropping. They are usually then turned into pasture. • Oil and mining- Venezuala and Ecuador are both major exporters of petroleum. • Hunting- “Bushmeat crisis” Animals are being killed to use to feed all the people living and working in the rainforests. It’s estimated that 282 million animals are killed annually in the thriving African bushmeat market, and is the leading cause for endangerment of African rainforest fauna. (Woodward, Catherine Lecture 13)

  26. Rainforest Conservation Protection of single species: 1. IUCN Red List- list of species under different categories of threat 2. CITES- international Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species ”charasmatic megafauna” spark enough attention, that advertising and fundraising is often focused on these such as elephants, dolphins, and pandas. Protection of habitats in parks/reserves: Kew Royal Botanic Garden has the world’s largest plant collection 1. National parks: often needed for the large chunks of land, but are very expense to manage and monitor effectively for illegal activities such as drug producing and illegal logging. 2. Privately owned parks: again, a large financial demand especially compared to the financial pressure of deforestation benefits Newer strategies considered: -ecosystem service payments: providing incentives to protect habitats by collecting money for the ecosystem services that benefit humans. -compensating landowners for protecting their land -carbon credits: a type of ecosystem payment received for reducing emissions (Woodword, C. lecture 14)

  27. Conclusion Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed this short and minute glimpse into the wonderful RAINFORESTS of our world!! Now, you will be a great guide to your students as you explore together and discuss ways to save our precious resource! Click here to return to the Introduction Page

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