Year 4 Rainforests

A __________ is a type of habitat and they can be found in several continents across the world. The largest rainforest is the __________ in South America. Rainforests have a high level of __________, which means that many different types of animals and plants can be found there.

Find out about some of Tropical World's rainforest animals below:

Emerald tree monitor - Found in Indonesia

This lizard is excellent at climbing and will use its tail to help cling on to branches. It eats a variety of insects and other small animals.

Amazon milk frog - Found in the Amazon

Their name comes from a milky substance which they secrete when threatened by predators. As they are amphibians, they must keep their skin moist.

Black-capped lory - Found in New Guinea

You will often hear this bird before you see it! They have a varied diet, including nectar which is taken into their mouth using their brush-like tongue.

Threats to rainforests

Rainforests have drastically __________ in size over the last few decades due to human actions, and if this trend continues then rainforests could be wiped out completely. As the human population continues to grow, so does our demand for __________. But there is a limit as to how much the rainforests can withstand.

__________ (chopping down and removing trees from the area) occurs when loggers demand the trees for timber and farmers reuire more land. __________ is used for constructing furniture and tree pulp is used in the production of paper. Farmers keeping __________ looking to expand their herd require more land to do so. Likewise for the farmers who grow __________ for either livestock feed or human consumption. Quick clearing of the land is often done through forest __________, which can be hugely destructive to all living things.

But it is not just resources above ground, there are also resources (such as metals and gemstones) worth __________ for in rainforests. This creates large-scale environmental damage and also pollution to the surrounding area too.

To provide access to all of these invasive human projects, __________ are constructed. These themselves can cause many problems to wildlife. The roads cut the forest in half so either animals then no longer move between the two parts of the forest which limits the amount of food and mates they have access to. Or, if the animals do cross the road then they are at risk of colliding with vehicles, which could have fatal outcomes. An increase of vehicles will result in more air __________ and possibly litter could be left behind, which again may negatively affect the animals.

Saving rainforests

As more people become aware about the destruction of rainforests, hopefully there is enough time to __________ the decline and allow the rainforests to recover. A lot of the power resides in governments and large businesses which fund the projects. So you could choose to buy products which are sourced __________ (doesn't take more than what can be replaced) and alter your lifestyle to become more __________ friendly.

Reducing your __________ intake will reduce the demand of raising cattle and the food grown to feed them. Less cows also means less __________ gases released into the atmosphere.

__________ plantations have replaced large areas of rainforest. There monoculture areas become stale for wildlife. Palm oil is found in a wide range of food and everyday products, so checking the labels and choosing products which contain sustainably sourced palm oil ensures these plantations do not become more destructive.

Buying products which are made from __________ materials will also help reduce the amount of deforestation. Buying second hand furniture, recycled gold jewellery and cutting down on your paper usage are small steps which are easy to do. Once you have finished with electronic gadgets, send them to a recycling centre so they can reuse certain parts and put them in new products.

Buying __________ products will ensure that producers receive a fair price and may prevent any destructive activities they might have partaken in to gain a further income.

Or if you have any spare money, or instead of receiving a present for your birthday, you could __________ money to a charity which helps to support rainforests.

Rainforest answers

A rainforest is a type of habitat and they can be found in several continents across the world. The largest rainforest is the Amazon in South America. Rainforests have a high level of biodiversity, which means that many different types of animals and plants can be found there.

Threats to rainforests answers

Rainforests have drastically reduced in size over the last few decades due to human actions, and if this trend continues then rainforests could be wiped out completely. As the human population continues to grow, so does our demand for resources. But there is a limit as to how much the rainforests can withstand.

Deforestation (chopping down and removing trees from the area) occurs when loggers demand the trees for timber and farmers reuire more land. Timber is used for constructing furniture and tree pulp is used in the production of paper. Farmers keeping livestock looking to expand their herd require more land to do so. Likewise for the farmers who grow crops for either livestock feed or human consumption. Quick clearing of the land is often done through forest fires, which can be hugely destructive to all living things.

But it is not just resources above ground, there are also resources (such as metals and gemstones) worth mining for in rainforests. This creates large-scale environmental damage and also pollution to the surrounding area too.

To provide access to all of these invasive human projects, roads are constructed. These themselves can cause many problems to wildlife. The roads cut the forest in half so either animals then no longer move between the two parts of the forest which limits the amount of food and mates they have access to. Or, if the animals do cross the road then they are at risk of colliding with vehicles, which could have fatal outcomes. An increase of vehicles will result in more air pollution and possibly litter could be left behind, which again may negatively affect the animals.

Saving rainforests answers

As more people become aware about the destruction of rainforests, hopefully there is enough time to reverse the decline and allow the rainforests to recover. A lot of the power resides in governments and large businesses which fund the projects. So you could choose to buy products which are sourced sustainably (doesn't take more than what can be replaced) and alter your lifestyle to become more environmentally friendly.

Reducing your meat intake will reduce the demand of raising cattle and the food grown to feed them. Less cows also means less greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.

Palm oil plantations have replaced large areas of rainforest. There monoculture areas become stale for wildlife. Palm oil is found in a wide range of food and everyday products, so checking the labels and choosing products which contain sustainably sourced palm oil ensures these plantations do not become more destructive.

Buying products which are made from recycled materials will also help reduce the amount of deforestation. Buying second hand furniture, recycled gold jewellery and cutting down on your paper usage are small steps which are easy to do. Once you have finished with electronic gadgets, send them to a recycling centre so they can reuse certain parts and put them in new products.

Buying Fairtrade products will ensure that producers receive a fair price and may prevent any destructive activities they might have partaken in to gain a further income.

Or if you have any spare money, or instead of receiving a present for your birthday, you could donate money to a charity which helps to support rainforests.