In some areas there is pressure to use rainforest resources to help development but this can lead to resources being exploited in an unsustainable way. Some developers are willing to do anything to make money but there would be long-term negative impacts for the whole planet.

The rainforests are so important because they are home to:

• oxygen – the rainforest vegetation takes in carbon dioxide and gives out oxygen
• medicines – a quarter of all natural medicines were discovered here
• undiscovered species
• food, eg vanilla, chocolate, nuts, ginger and pepper
• resources, such as rubber and bamboo
• wood
• minerals
• river networks

The challenge is for the governments of poorer countries to protect large areas of forest. They have difficult decisions to make about how to use their resources.

Plants grow thick leaves with drip tips and waxy surfaces to allow water to drain quickly to prevent rotting.

Some plants called ‘epiphytes’ are flowering plants which grow on tree trunks and branches to get light. They get food from the air and water, and their roots hang in the air, eg orchids.

Carnivorous plants are meat-eating plants that attract insects using smelly nectar and then trap them.

Rainforest soils are poor and most nutrients are in the top layers, so roots are generally shallow. Wide buttress roots join the tree far up and help to support it. They also allow the tree to gather more nutrients.

Only a small percentage of the animals live on the forest floor. Many live in the trees. It is thought that in the Amazon rainforest there are over 2,000 species of birds and 1,500 species of fish. There is also thought to be 50,000 kinds of insects in a single square mile. Wow thats a lot of Animals!

People are an important part of the rainforest. The indigenous people live in traditional ways in harmony with the environment. They live in groups called tribes. There are around 400 tribes in the Amazon rainforest. Each one has a unique culture and way of living and they have learnt to harvest food and resources from the forest in a sustainable way. They are also hunter-gatherers. These people are really connected to nature and will be completely away from technology.

Cruelty to Animals

Today we went and sat on the beach we had decided too have a  chill out and watch the sunset. So I asked mum could I please get a can of coke and do coke and mentos and she said yes. I went and got one and I was really excited and then we put it down and put the mentos in and then puff it was the worst reaction I have ever seen I guess it was because it was in a can but pooop. Then there were these chinese women that came over near us and she was trying to stand on this crab she was stamping on it. I could see her looking down for some and then standing on them! I don’t get it why does she feel the need to do that. No compassion to animals at all. This made me feel angry and also sad. I just don’t understand why she was doing that

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Over and Out