Southeast Asian Tropical Rainforest

1. Southeast Asian Tropical Rainforest By: Sam Cesa

2. Location • 3,100 mile long chain of about 20,000 islands located between Asia and Australia • Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are the 10 countries that contain this rainforest biome

3. Climatic Conditions • Tropical, wet climate (located near the Equator) • Average daily temperature varies between 70° and 90°F • 60-100 inches of rain falls every year • Four different seasons- all seasons are hot and humid • Winter northeast monsoon- November to March; steady winds from the north/northeast bring typhoons and other severe weather • Summer southwest monsoon- May to September; lighter winds and less daily rainfall • Two intermonsoons- in between the regular monsoon seasons; very light winds and drier weather

4. Flora • Jambu • Small tree/large shrub that can grow anywhere between 10 and 20 feet tall • Produces a small, mildly sweet fruit that varies from white to light red in color; shaped like a pear and is 1 inch long and 1.5 inches wide • Both the seeds and roots of this plant are poisonous • Durian • Can grow anywhere between 90 and 130 feet tall, 4 feet wide • Dark brown bark that has vertical splits which peel off irregularly (an adaptation to prevent the growth of parasitic vines) • Produces large fruits directly from its trunk and branches • Life span of 80 to 150 years • Bengal bamboo • Can grow anywhere between 40 and 80 feet tall, 3 inches wide • Dark green stems and long, narrow leaves which alternate • Perennial plant, meaning it is a grass • Life span of 25 to 40 years

5. Fauna • Orangutan • Can grow up to 5 feet tall with an arm span of 8 feet; males can weigh up to 220 lbs. and females can weigh up to 110 lbs. • Has long arms (swinging from trees), curved feet (standing on branches) and opposable thumbs (grabbing branches) which are all adaptations to help them survive in the rainforest • Life span of 45 years • Sumatran Rhinoceros • Can grow up to 8 feet long and 4.5 feet tall; weighs up to 4,400 lbs. • Only Asian rhino with two horns; front horn is up to 20 inches long; females usually don’t have the second horn • Upper lip is curved down (an adaptation to allow them to grasp objects) • Life span of 35 years • Bengal Tiger • Can grow up to 10 feet long and 3 feet tall; weighs up to 575 lbs. • Carnivore; prefers to kill young and old animals since they are slower; nocturnal hunter (an adaptation to make hunting easier) • Life span of 15 years

6. Value of the Biome It is important to protect this biome because many species of plants and animals are becoming endangered and extinct due to excessive human involvement. Logging in Indonesia has upset the biologic equilibrium of this biome and has resulted in the destabilization of many plants and animals. Poaching has also resulted in the endangerment of many species of animals. It is important to protect the plants and animals in this biome because without them, the rainforest ecosystem will collapse.

7. Bibliography • http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/se_asian_rnfrst.htm • http://www.admwebstudios.co.uk/Biodiversity12.htm#asia