Biomes 4
Storyboard Text
- While that’s something many of us have thought, some plants are super picky about where they live and grow. There are usually canopy leaves on the top layer, the canopy layer, of the rainforests that love to soak up lots and lots of sun. But since they take up so much of the sun, there are plants that grow on the forest floor who need shade and would hate all the sunlight!
- Oh, it isn’t! Rainforests close to the equator are the habitats of many different animals and creatures. For example: scarlet macaws, howler monkeys, sloths, pink river dolphins, jewel toned parrots, poison dart frogs and butterflies.
- What about animals? It can’t be all plants!
- Well if trees give us oxygen, what do the animals do?
- How do they do that, Mr. Sams?
- What a great question, Alex. The animals keep the rainforest healthy!
- Well, animals may leave behind carcasses, feces or food scraps on the forest floor. Those then release nutrients that leech to the ground. Those extra nutrients can help microbes in the soil store carbon dioxide instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. Not only do the animals help us and our environment, they also help each other.
- But sadly, there are many issues that threaten the survival of tropical ecosystems like deforestation, climate change and over-exploitation.
- That sounds awful! What can we do to help the rainforests?
- For starters, you can buy responsibly sourced products! Also try to buy from companies that recycle and reuse! Try to make your voice heard, contact your elected representatives and tell them that you want change! You can even try hosting a fundraiser to donate money to saving rainforests. As for helping with climate change- try to reduce your carbon footprint. Carpool with a friend to get somewhere, you can even bike or walk. And definitely make sure to tell all your friends what you learned today, about tropical biomes!
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