Rainforests

Background

Now that you have read all the background information and learned some things about what a rainforest is, where the Amazon is located, why the rainforest is so important, and how ecotourism is an issue for the rainforests right now, it is time to assume your expert role! You are the rainforest expert that the Chief has called upon for help. A rainforest expert is an expert on all different aspects (or parts) of the rainforest.

As the rainforest expert, you must know alot about the life in the rainforest, the types of vegetation that grow in the rainforest, the climate, how much rain falls, the problems facing the rainforests right now, and the type of people who live there. Since you don't just focus on one thing, such as animals, plants or people, this is quite a job! But we know you can do it and the Chief and his tribe believe that you are the best person for the job, so let's get started!

Your job is to become an expert on a vareity of aspects of the the rainforest, so you can make the best decision about whether or not you recommend ecotourism in their rainforest. Why is the rainforest special? What is life in the rainforest like? What products do rainforests provide us with? How rainy is a rainforest? These are just some of the things you will soon learn! There are so many fun things to learn!

Photo Courtesy of http://acro.harvard.edu/GEI/peru.html

Research

Review the following web sites to explore all you can about the basic characteristics of the rainforest. Copy each set of questions in your journal and then write your answers below the questions. Not all the answers will be found directly on the pages. In some cases you will need to do some thinking to answer the questions. Don't lose your answers! You will need them to write your report and prepare your presentation to the Chief! They will also be graded by your teacher at the end of the WebQuest.

Also, keep in mind that you are trying to decide whether or not to recommend ecotourism (allowing vacations in the rainforest) to the Chief. So think about how ecotourism would or would not affect the ecosystem that you read about!

What is the Rainforest?
http://www.ran.org/info_center/teacherstudent.html

What does the web site say about sunlight and moonlight in the rainforest?
How much rain per year does a rainforest receive?
What is the temperature in the rainforest?
Where are tropical rainforests found? How much of the Earth do they cover?
What animals live in the rainforest?
What are the four layers of the rainforest?
Who are the people mentioned in the site?
Why is the rainforest so important to indigenous people?
Name three animals and three plants mentioned in the web site, and explain briefly how their lives might be affected by ecotourism.

Exploring the Tropical Rainforest
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/rforest/explore/index.htm (Read all the pages except the page entitled "The Effects of Elevation"!)

The canopy is home to what percentage of the organisms in the rainforest?
Are most of the valuable nutrients in the rainforest found in the soil or somewhere else? Where else? Why is this important in deciding whether or not to suggest ecotourism to the Chief?
List three reasons why the rainforests are so important.
Name three ways the people of the rainforest are well adapted to life in the rainforest.
Name five things the rainforests have provided humans with.

How rainy is the rainforest?
http://www.eduweb.com/rain/rainfall.html

Click on your state to compare the rainfall there to the rainfall in the rainforest. Is there a big difference? How many feet of rain does the rainforest get per year?

What happens when the rainforests are cut down?
http://www.ran.org/info_center/factsheets/04b.html

http://www.ran.org/info_center/factsheets/03b.html

Two hundred years ago rainforests covered 14% of all the land in the world. Now they

cover less than 6 percent. More than half of the rainforests on Earth have been destroyed. What happens when rainforests get cut down? Might ecotourism have these same effects?