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RAIN FOREST SELF-DIRECTED TOUR PROGRAM
CLASSROOM MATERIALS AND TEACHER BACKGROUND
Table of Contents
Vocabulary
Pages
2
What are Tropical Rain Forests
Rain Forest Structure
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Importance of Rain Forests
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Indigenous Peoples
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Animals of the Rain Forest
Forest Structure and Diversity
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Plants of the Rain Forest
Rain Forests versus Wisconsin Forests
Plant Adaptations
Plant and Animal Partnerships
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What’s Happening to Rain Forests?
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Rain Forest Exhibits & Animals at the Milwaukee County Zoo
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Pre Zoo Activity:
Pre Zoo Activity:
Pre Zoo Activity:
Pre Zoo Activity:
Pre Zoo Activity:
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If I Were a Rain Forest Animal
Products of the Rain Forest
Smell the Rain Forest Game
Where are the Rain Forests?
Biodiversity
Zoo Activity: Rain Forest Animal Observation Sheet
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Post Zoo Activity: Classroom Rain Forest
Post Zoo Activity: Animal Habitat Strata
Post Zoo Activity: Create a Canopy
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Recommended Web Sites
Habitat & Animal Sheets
World Map Indicating Rain Forest Areas
Zoo Map
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Teacher Background
VOCABULARY
Bromeliad: tropical plants in the pineapple family that grow on the trunks and branches of
trees.
Buttresses: woody flanges that radiate from the bases of some tropical forest trees. They
may help support shallow-rooted trees.
Canopy: the layer of the rain forests formed by the crowns of tall trees. These trees are flatcrowned and are often 65 – 100 feet tall.
Deforestation: the destruction of a forest. In rain forests, destruction occurs because of
agriculture, cattle ranching, mining, and timber harvesting.
Emergent: a tree that grows taller than the canopy trees around it; they may be more than
200 feet tall.
Epiphyte: a plant that grows on other plants. The roots of many epiphytes can absorb
moisture directly form the air around them.
Equator: the imaginary great circle on the earth's surface, everywhere equally distant from
the two poles, and dividing the earth's surface into two hemispheres.
Hunter-gatherers: people who get most or all of their food by hunting and by gathering wild
plants.
Indigenous: occurring naturally in a certain area.
Liana: a woody vine that is rooted in the soil and grows up tree trunks or in open areas.
Slash and burn agriculture: the method of farming in which people clear land by cutting
down patches of forest and then burning.
Sustainable development: using products of the forest in a way that does not permanently
destroy them, so that people in the future can also use them. Sustainable development allows
natural resources to regenerate.
Tropical rain forest: an evergreen forest located in regions between the Tropics of Cancer
and Capricorn. They are characterized by abundant rainfall and a very warm, humid climate
all year round.
Understory: the forest layer beneath the canopy that includes small trees, young canopy
trees, shrubs, and herbs.
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"Rain forests are the finest celebration of nature ever known on the planet."
Norman Myers, biologist
WHAT ARE TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS?
Tropical rain forests are the Earth's oldest living ecosystems. Fossil records show that the
forests of Southeast Asia have existed in more or less their present form for 70 to 100 million
years.
First, tropical rain forests are found along the earth’s equator, the imaginary line that cuts the
earth in half. There are rain forests in South and Central America, Africa, Oceania (the
islands around Australia), and Asia. Tropical rain forests presently cover only about 7% of
the Earth's surface.
Second, they have humid and hot weather all year long. They typically get more than 60
inches of rain, but some areas get more than 200 inches, and yet other areas may get more
than 400 inches of rain! The temperatures in the rain forest stay pretty constant, between
70º F and 85º F, but they sometimes get into the 90ºs.
In most tropical rain forests, there are no distinct seasons like we have in Wisconsin (winter,
summer, spring, fall). In fact, we say rain forests have only two seasons, the wet, rainy
season and the dry season. The temperature varies little throughout the year. There is also
little variation in day temperatures and night temperature.
RAIN FOREST STRUCTURE
Rain forests are “built” in layers. There are several distinct layers of a rain forest. Each
layer has its own plants and animals that are adapted to living in that layer.
Emergent Layer
The emergent layer is where the tallest trees break through the lower canopy to the sunlight
– they range in height from 125 to 250 feet. These trees are widely scattered throughout the
rain forest; there are usually only one or two of these giants per acre. These trees tend to
be very straight, with just a few lower branches and leaves to absorb sunlight. Many of the
leaves are waxy to hold in moisture.
Trees in the emergent layer have to withstand high and changing temperatures, low
humidity, and strong wings. Many of these trees have thick, ridged buttresses. Other
emergents have long, round stilt roots around the base of the trunk. These buttresses and
stilt roots help to support trees with shallow roots.
Canopy
The canopy layer resembles a thick green carpet from the air and is made up of relatively
flat-topped trees that may be 65 to 100 feet tall. Trees of the canopy are very straighttrunked and generally have branches only at the crown -- where the sunlight falls. These
crowning branches form an umbrella over the plants below. The tops of canopy trees are
almost always in the sun, but their branches block most of the sun from reaching the lower
layers of the rain forest. The canopy only lets 2% to 5% of the available sunlight reach the
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forest floor. Trees in the canopy receive the most rain in the rain forest; however, their
pointed leaves have “drip tips” to help keep the leaf surface dry. These tips allow water to
drip off to the plants below.
Like emergent tress, many canopy trees have to withstand changing temperatures and
humidity. Many also have buttresses or stilt roots.
Understory
The understory is made up of smaller trees that can be about 15 feet tall, and a shorter
shrub layer of very young canopy trees and small woody plants. Some of the understory
trees will grow large enough to become part of the canopy, but others will always stay below
the larger canopy trees. The understory trees receive very little sunlight, so many of the
trees are shaped like candle flames with extended crowns and have large leaves to help
them absorb as much sunlight as they can. The air is still, the humidity high, and the heat
constant.
Forest Floor
The forest floor is well protected from direct sunlight by the other layers of the forest; only
2% to 5% of sunlight reaches the forest floor. Because of the lack of sunlight, not many
plants are found on the forest floor, except for where sunlight reaches the floor through a
gap in the trees.
Unlike the emergent and canopy layers, the air of the forest floor is very still. It also has a
constant high humidity (above 70%), and the temperature remains rather constant.
There are ferns, seedlings, and herbs that grow on the forest floor. However, the vegetation
is sparse due to the lack of sunlight. You may think of the rain forest floor as being covered
in decomposing leaves and trees, but that’s not true. The forest floor is actually very open
because of how fast dead plant matter decomposes.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF RAIN FORESTS
Rain forests are very important to the Earth. They are the richest of all the land ecosystems.
Scientists estimate that they contain between 50% and 60% of the Earth's plant and animal
species, many of which have not yet been identified. Rain forests are a vertical living space,
are densely populated, and produce an abundance of food from leaves to fruits to
flowers/nectar to vertebrate and invertebrate animals. In fact, some animals living in the
treetops never have to touch the ground. A large variety of animals live in these forests:
mammals, reptiles, birds, and an untold number of insect species. A typical four square mile
patch of rain forest contains as many as 1500 species of flowering plants, 750 species of
trees, 125 mammal species, 400 species of birds, 100 species of reptiles, 60 species of
amphibians, and 150 species of butterflies.
Biodiversity and Rain Forests
Earth’s rich variety of living things - its biodiversity - has been called its living treasure. Of all
land ecosystems, rain forests contain the greatest amount of biodiversity. Biodiversity is based
on the variety of all organisms, species, populations, genetic variations, and communities
found within ecosystems. All plants and animals are pieces in a huge, complex jigsaw puzzle
that fits together to make Earth a good home – a home that supports plant and animal life
(including people).
The diversity of life on this planet is important to us all. No one creature survives on its own.
Each life is intertwined with many others. Each habitat is full of predators, prey and other
organisms. The interactions of all of them contribute to every detail of that habitat. Together
they maintain its balance. No single habitat stands on its own either. Entire ecosystems touch
and mingle around the globe to form the wonderful Web of Life. Every living thing contributes
its own special strand to that web. If we lose one strand in this web, every living creature is
potentially affected. Biodiversity is a strength and an indicator of a healthy environment. The
biological diversity of rain forests is the source of many benefits for humans.
Medicines
One fourth of the medicines available today owe their existence to substances made by
plants. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3000 plants that are active against
cancer cells. 70% of these plants are found in rain forests. Twenty-five percent of the active
ingredients in today's cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rain
forest. Drugs used to treat leukemia, Hodgkin's disease and other cancers come from rain
forest plants, as do medicines for heart ailments, hypertension, and arthritis.
Foods
Many of the foods we eat today originated in rain forests: avocado, banana, black pepper,
Brazil nuts, cayenne pepper, cassava, cashews, chocolate/cocoa, cinnamon, cloves,
coconut, coffee, cola, corn/maize, eggplant, fig, ginger, guava, herbal tea ingredients
(hibiscus flowers, orange flowers and peel, lemon grass), jalapeño, lemon, orange, papaya,
paprika, peanut, pineapple, rice, winter squash, sweet pepper, sugar, tomato, turmeric,
vanilla, and Mexican yam. Wild strains of these plants that are still in the rain forests provide
genetic materials essential to fortify our existing agricultural crops.
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Climate
Tropical rain forests regulate global and regional climate-systems by acting as heat and
water pumps. They release moisture into the atmosphere, which returns to the ground as
rain. When the forest is cleared, the water cycle is disrupted, temperatures increase,
droughts become common, and eventually deserts may form.
The Amazon rain forest has been described as the "Lungs of our Planet". It provides the
essential environmental world service of continuously recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen.
More than 20% of the world’s oxygen is produced in the Amazon rain forest alone. A
standing forest stores carbon. Tropical rain forest trees and plants remove carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere and store the carbon in their roots, stems, leaves, and branches. On
the other hand, when forests are burned or logged and the debris is left to decay, carbon
dioxide is released into the atmosphere.
Prevention of Flooding and Soil Loss
Four-fifths of the nutrients in the rain forests are in the plant matter. This means that the
soils are nutrient-poor. Tropical rain forest soils are very old and have been made nutrient
poor by hundreds of years of high rainfall leaching away their mineral nutrients. The forests
have evolved to cope with this by rapidly recycling nutrients. Forest litter, and the droppings
and remains of animals are quickly decomposed, releasing nutrients for uptake. Most
nutrients are only available from this decomposing layer, so many rain forest trees are
shallow-rooting and have buttresses for support.
Rain forests act like giant sponges, soaking up moisture, and then releasing it slowly. This
moderates the flow of rivers, thus preventing flooding, and ensures that rivers and creeks
continue to flow during periods of lower rainfall.
When the forest is cleared, rain falls directly onto the compacted soil. This often results in
serious soil-erosion, siltation of rivers, and flooding.
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INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
Not only do millions of species of plants and animals live in rain forests, but people also call
the rain forest their home. In fact, indigenous, or native, peoples have lived in rain forests for
thousands of years. Many of these groups, like the Yanomamo tribe of the Amazon rain
forests of Brazil and southern Venezuela, have lived in scattered villages in the rain forests
for hundreds or thousands of years. Until discovered by outsiders, these tribes got all of
their food, clothing, and housing from materials they obtained in the forests.
Forest people are mostly hunter-gatherers; they get their food by hunting for meat (and
fishing for fish) and gathering edible plants, like starchy roots, and fruits. Indigenous people
also plant small gardens to increase their food supply, using a sustainable farming method
called shifting cultivation or slash & burn agriculture. They first clear a small area of land
and burn it. Then they plant many types of plants to be used for food and medicines. After
a few years, the soil becomes too poor for crops to grow. The people then move to an
uncleared area nearby to begin the cycle of cutting, burning, and planting again. Land is
traditionally allowed to return to forest for 10-50 years before it is cut, burned and farmed
again. Shifting cultivation is still practiced by indigenous groups that have access to a large
amount of land.
Indigenous people revere the forest that has protected them and given them everything they
need. They live what is called a sustainable existence. This means they use the land
without irreparably destroying the plants and animals that make up the rain forest.
Unfortunately, most indigenous populations are declining. As happened in North America,
the first European explorers to the rain forests brought diseases like smallpox, measles and
even the common cold. The indigenous peoples had no immunity to these diseases since
none of them had ever been exposed to them before. As a result of those encounters, an
estimated ninety percent of the native peoples died from diseases that we regard as minor
today.
Another reason indigenous populations are declining is because land is being taken away
from them. Although indigenous people have lived on their lands for thousands of years,
they do not “own” it. So governments and other outsiders do not recognize their rights to the
land. They have no other choice but to move to different areas, sometimes even to the
crowded cities. They often live in poverty because they lack skills that are useful for a city
lifestyle. For example, they know more about gathering food from the forest than buying
food from a store. Imagine being forced to move to a different country, where you know
nothing about the culture or language!
Indigenous groups are beginning to fight for their land, usually through peaceful
demonstrations. Many people living outside of rain forests want to help protect the
indigenous people's culture. They understand that indigenous people have much to teach
us about rain forests. By working with these groups, we can learn important information
about rain forests -- their ecology, new medicinal plants, foods, and other products.
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ANIMALS OF THE RAIN FOREST
Forest Structure Supports Diversity
Rain forests contain many layers. This vertical dimension of a rain forest provides animals
and plants with different levels at which to live. Each layer contains different life forms suited
to reach that layer and take advantage of differing amounts of sunlight, exposure to rain, and
the nutrients available (in other plants or animals). Because of this, animals and plants are
very diverse in a rain forest.
The nearly perfect conditions for life also contribute to the great number of species. With
temperatures constant at 75º - 80º F year-round, animals do not have to worry about
freezing during cold winters or finding shade in the hot summers. They rarely have to
search for water, as rain falls almost every day in tropical rain forests.
A typical forest in the United States contains from 5 to 12 different kinds of trees, while a
typical rain forest may have over 300 different tree species. Rain forests usually contain 10
times more tree species and 5 times more bird species than temperate forests. The
Amazon forest in South America is home to more than 1600 species of birds and about a
million different kinds of insects.
Animal species find their own niche by living in a particular layer of the rain forest. A niche
is an animal’s function or role in a natural community. Birds such as the toucan and hornbill
nest and feed in the tallest trees of the rain forest, while animals such as deer and capybara
remain only on the forest floor. Other animals roam from one layer of the forest to another to
find shelter and food.
Some rain forest species have populations that number in the millions. Other species
consist of only a few dozen individuals. Living in limited areas, most of these rarer species
are endemic, or found nowhere else on Earth.
Rain forests are home to some of the world’s largest and smallest animals and plants:
World’s Largest
rodent = capybara
insect = 13-inch stick insect
spider = Goliath bird eating spider
snake = reticulated python or anaconda
World’s Smallest
bird = bee hummingbird
amphibian = poison arrow frog
deer = chevrotain
Many animals that live in the same layer of the rain forest avoid competition by eating a
specific type of food, eating in a specific place, or eating at a particular time of the day. For
example, the colobus monkey and the potto (a small bear-like animal) both feed on treetop
fruits. However, pottos feed only at night, while colobus monkeys feed during the day.
In the rain forest, communication between individuals of the same species can be difficult.
The number of animals is usually low and they are usually long distances from each other.
The lack of sunlight in the understory and dense trees of the canopy also make it difficult for
animals to see one another. So, instead of using sight to communicate, most animals use
sound to communicate. The rain forest is full of sounds and calls of insects, frogs, birds, and
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monkeys trying to warn off predators and competitors or trying to attract a mate. For
example, the call of the howler monkey can be heard up to three miles away.
Animals living in the rain forest have many adaptations that help them to live in such
conditions. An adaptation is any physical or behavioral characteristic that increases an
animal’s chances for survival in its environment. Some adaptations to look for in rain forest
animals include:
Adaptation
How it helps
Animal example
Fur or feathers
Shed rain
Orangutan
Claws, gripping toe pads
Climb tree trunks
Iguana
Tails, long feathers
Balance
Monkey tails
Long, powerful hind legs
Leaping
Senegal bushbaby
Long arms
Swinging in trees
Bonobo, monkeys, sloths
Camouflage
Blend in with
surroundings
Jaguar, tawny frogmouth
Bright colors
Ward off predators
Poison arrow frogs
Prehensile tail
Climbing, grasping
Spider monkey, kinkajou
EXAMPLES OF EMERGENT LAYER ANIMALS
Bird of Paradise South America
They are related to crows, and share such characteristics as strong feet
and toes, a strong beak, good flying endurance, and loud voices. The male
bird of paradise is very colorful and attracts its mate by displaying his tail
feathers while hanging upside down and making loud calls.
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Harpy Eagle
South America
The harpy eagle is the second largest eagle in the world. Eagles live in the top of the trees
in the emergent layer of the rain forest. They are fast and swift and have keen eyesight.
They can swoop down into the canopy layer to snatch their prey. They eat monkeys, sloths,
opossum, tree porcupines, large birds, and large iguanas. Their talons are as long as a
grizzly bear’s claws (about 5 inches).
EXAMPLES OF CANOPY ANIMALS
Emerald Tree Boa South America
These snakes are found in treetops, and are often in branches hanging over water. This
boa's green coloration, along with white markings and a solid yellow underside, is used for
camouflage. Heat sensing pits on the lips give the snake information about the identity,
direction, and distance of an animal or object.
Fruit Bats
all tropical rain forests
Fruit bats, like other bats, have very long, webbed fingers that serve as wings.
Fruit bats also have very good senses of smell and sight to help them find fruit.
Since they do not eat insects, they do not rely on echolocation to find their
food. Fruit bats mostly eat fruit juice and flower nectar. They chew the fruit,
then spit out most of the seeds, peel, and pulp. Fruit bats can't land gracefully,
and instead must crash into bushes or trees, or try to latch onto a branch as
they pass it. Fruit bats are important in forests because they spread plant
seeds far and wide.
Howler Monkey
Central and South America
Black howler monkeys live in troops of between four and eight members. Each troop has its
own territory in which it feeds and lives. They defend their territory from other troops through
the use of their voices. The howling is one of the loudest animal sounds in the tropical rain
forest.
Orangutan
Southeast Asia
These apes mostly live in trees and swing from branch to branch using
their arms. Fruit makes up most of their diet, but they also feed on leaves,
seeds, young birds and eggs. Since orangutans are so large, and require
a lot of food, they live by themselves. The orangutan sleeps in the trees in
a platform nest made of sticks; it may make a new nest every night.
Poison Arrow Frogs
South America
Poison arrow frogs are small, brightly colored rain forest frogs that have extremely
poisonous skin. They have glands in the skin that produce strong toxins,
protecting them from most predators. The bright coloration of poison arrow
frogs warns predators that they are poisonous. Some native South
Americans use the frog skin poison to apply to the tips of their hunting
arrows and blowgun darts.
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Spider Monkey
Central and South America
This arboreal or tree-dwelling monkey has a prehensile tail that is used like an extra hand.
Both the underside and tip of the tail are used for climbing and grasping. When swinging by
the tail, the monkey’s hands are free to gather food. They have very long arms and fingers
to aid their movement through trees, and do not have a thumb to get in the way.
Toucan
South America
The toucan's large bill enables it to perch inside the crown of a tree, where
branches are thicker, and then reach far outwards to pluck berries or seeds from
twigs too thin to bear their weight. Seized in the tip of the bill, food is thrown back
into the throat by an upward toss of the head. The bill also has serrated edges,
which help to tear off pieces of larger fruits.
EXAMPLES OF UNDERSTORY ANIMALS
Blue Morpho Butterfly Central and South America
Male blue morphos have brilliant blue wings that can reach six inches when spread out. The
undersides of the wings are brown and have eyespots to help protect the butterfly from
predators. Adults drink the juices of rotting fruit using their straw-like proboscis.
Jaguar
Central and South America
Jaguars feed mainly on large mammals like deer and tapir, but their jaws are
strong enough to crush a turtle shell. They either stalk their prey or
ambush it, sometimes by stretching out on the branch of a tree and
suddenly dropping down on a passing animal. They favor areas of forest
near streams and rivers, and prefer to hunt at night.
Sloth
Central and South America
The sloth is a slow-moving, nocturnal mammal that spends its entire
life hanging upside-down in trees. They have long, curved, hook-like
claws to help them hold onto tree branches. Many sloths have
colonies of green algae living in their fur, camouflaging the sloth in its
forest environment. A camouflaged coat and slow movements make
sloths hard to see among the leaves.
Wattled curassow
South America
This bird rarely comes to ground. The male wattled curassow has a bright red knob on top
of its bill, and a round wattle underneath it. These are used when the bird is nervous,
aggressive, and/or curious about something.
Did You Know?
More than 1/3rd of all the species in the world live and
reproduce in the Amazon River Basin.
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EXAMPLES OF GROUND LAYER ANIMALS
Brazilian Tapir
South America
Nearly always found near water, the Brazilian tapir is a good swimmer and
diver but also moves fast on land. Using its mobile snout, this tapir feeds
on leaves, buds, shoots, and small branches that it tears from trees, fruit,
grasses and aquatic plants. The region's largest land herbivore, the tapir is
recognizable by its unusual proboscis. The proboscis is used to sweep plants
into the mouth.
Capybara
South America
Capybaras are the largest rodent in the world. They spend much time in water and are
excellent swimmers and divers; they have partially webbed toes. When swimming, only its
eyes, ears, and nostrils show above the water. Capybaras feed on plant
material, including aquatic plants, and their cheek teeth grow throughout
life to counteract the wear and tear of chewing. They live in family
groups and are active at dawn and dusk.
Mandrill
Africa
Mandrills are the largest monkeys in the rain forest. They can weigh up to 55
pounds. Their faces are brightly colored in blue and red to scare away enemies.
Mandrills live on the ground by day and sleep in trees at night. The mandrill's
opposable thumb allows it to grasp tree branches. Mandrills communicate by
grunting while in the forest; this maintains contact where visibility is low.
Okapi
Africa
The okapi was not discovered until 1900. Okapis are found only in the tropical forests of
northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Okapis are related to giraffes. They have
a 14-inch black tongue that they use to gather leaves and other food. Many of the plant
species okapi eat are known to be poisonous to humans.
It is hard to define exactly in which layer an animal lives in the rain forest. They may rest or
nest in one layer, but look for food in another.
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PLANTS OF THE RAIN FOREST
Where is the wealth in a rain forest versus our Wisconsin forests?
Rainfall is a major factor in the speed of nutrient cycling within ecosystems, because most
nutrients are carried by water as they course through living systems. Rainfall in tropical
forests generally ranges between 120 and 400 inches of water each year. Wisconsin’s
temperate forests may get only 28-35 inches of rain annually. Due to the much greater
amount and frequency of rain in a tropical forest, rainwater constantly leaches nutrients from
forest soils, allowing plants to absorb nutrients in a rapid recycling process. The heat and
humidity within rain forests also promotes the growth of bacteria and fungi, which continually
break down dead plants and animals to release the nutrients they contain.
In Wisconsin forests, most of the forests’ nutrient wealth is stored in thick, rich soils. The
soils are thick because the slow rate of decomposition allows layers of soil to build up over
time through the addition of organic matter (e.g. rotting wood and leaf matter). For this
reason, it can be said that the forest floor in a temperate forest is much more productive than
that of a tropical rain forest. In a rain forest, the larger amount of water cycling through the
forest continually makes the nutrients from anything that dies almost immediately available
for uptake by plants. In the diversity of plants supported by this rapid nutrient cycling, a vast
wealth of nutrients is readily available to animals in the form of wood, leaves and fruits
throughout the year. This is a very efficient system to support life, but it places the nutrient
wealth of the forest within the living plants and animals. Rain forest soils are therefore very
low in nutrients relative to those in temperate forests.
Because the nutrient wealth in a rain forest is largely in the living organisms of the forest, the
majority of the nutrients that would be needed to reforest an area are removed whenever
rain forest trees are removed. Rain then can reach the thin soils and quickly erode them –
further reducing the ability of the remaining soils to sustain much life. This means tropical
forests must be managed very differently than Wisconsin forests. Basically, rain forest areas
cannot be widely or repeatedly cut down, as we can do with Wisconsin forests, because rain
forests cannot regenerate on the poor tropical soils.
Plant Adaptations
Rain forest plants have had to adapt to life on poor soils with few nutrients. Not producing
flowers helps some plants conserve energy. Broad leaves also allow the plants to take in
great amounts of solar energy, which is required to produce food. Very importantly,
remaining green year-round and having good sunlight every day allows rain forest plants to
produce their own food throughout the year.
Effective use of water is a major problem for plants living where rainfall ranges between 80
and 320 inches a year. That amount of water can cause plant rot, growth of mold and
decay. To get rid of the excess water, many rain forest plants have slick, water repellant
coatings on their leaves, shapes that allow rain to run off easily, and spout-like "drip tips"
that help drain water from the surface of the leaf.
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Trees can have several different adaptations:
Bark
Since a rain forest is humid all year, trees do not need to have thick bark. Instead, most
trees have a smooth, thin bark, which sheds water better than rough bark. Many trees also
shed sections of their bark as a way of dumping small plants that grow on the bark.
Drip Tips
Rain forest trees must deal with high amounts of rainfall. So, many tropical trees have
leaves with drip tips, which allow the leaf surfaces to drain off water. This keeps the leaves
from rotting or having fungal growths. The dripping also allows water to reach the plants and
trees in other layers of the rain forest.
Buttress Roots
Most rain forest soil is very poor with all the nutrients available largely remaining at surface
level. Because of this, rain forest trees have very shallow roots. Some very
tall trees have developed ways of obtaining additional support by forming
buttressed roots, which grow out from the base of the trunk -- sometimes as
high as 15 feet above ground. These extended roots also increase the area
over which soil nutrients can be absorbed.
Stilt or Prop Roots
Mangrove rain forest trees require a different kind of support system. Mangroves grow in
wet, muddy soil at the water's edge, which can be subject to tides and flooding. As a means
of support they develop several aerial, pitchfork-like extensions from the trunk, which grow
downwards and anchor themselves in the soil. These trap sediment, which further helps to
stabilize the tree.
Opportunistic Plants or Free-loaders
Bromeliads
Bromeliads are related to the pineapple family. Their thick, waxy leaves form a
bowl-shape in the center that catches rainwater. Some bromeliads can hold
several gallons of water and are miniature ecosystems in themselves.
They may provide homes for several creatures including frogs and their
tadpoles, salamanders, snails, beetles and mosquito larvae. Animals that
die in the pool decompose and furnish the plant with nutrients.
Epiphytes
Epiphytes, sometimes called air plants, live on the surface of other plants, especially the
trunk and branches. These plants grow in the canopy where light is plentiful. The epiphyte
uses the tree for support, getting water from the rain that falls. Some epiphytes can make
their own food from sunlight and air. Different types of epiphytes may grow on the same
tree, including orchids, cacti, bromeliads, lichens, mosses and ferns. They begin their life in
the canopy from seeds or spores transported there by birds or winds.
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Orchids
Orchids comprise one of the most abundant and varied of flowering plant
families. There are over 20,000 known species and orchids are especially
common in moist tropical regions. Tropical orchids are most often epiphytes.
Orchid flowers vary considerably in shape, color, and size, although they share
a common pattern of three petals and three petal-like sepals. The lower petal
has a very distinctive appearance.
Lianas
Lianas are a type of climbing vine found throughout tropical rain forests.
They have thick, woody stems and come in various lengths (up to 3,000 ft.)
and varying shapes. They begin life on the forest floor but depend on trees
for support as they climb upwards toward the sunlight they need for
survival. They do this by attaching themselves to trees using sucker roots
or tendrils, then either grow with the young sapling climb by winding
themselves around the tree's trunk.
When they reach the top of the canopy they often spread to other trees
or wrap themselves around other lianas. This network of vines gives
support against strong winds to the shallow-rooted, top-heavy trees.
However, when one tree falls several others may be pulled down also.
Carnivorous Plants
A plant is carnivorous if it attracts, captures, and kills animal life forms. It must also digest
and absorb the nutrients from its prey. In order to survive, most plants must take in water
and minerals from the soil. These elements are combined with carbon dioxide and energy
from sunlight to make the food that plants need to grow. Nitrogen is one of the most
important minerals needed for plant growth. For this reason, most plants grow best in
places where the soil is rich in nitrogen. Carnivorous plants grow in nitrogen-poor soil.
Plants that take in nitrogen through their roots cannot live in such soil. Carnivorous plants
survive by getting nitrogen and other minerals from the bodies of the creatures that they trap
and kill. The special leaves of carnivorous plants allow them to catch and use this handy
source of food.
The best known of the carnivorous plants are probably the Venus flytrap (not found in rain
forests, but in bogs) and pitcher plants. Some pitcher plants are big enough to trap, drown,
and digest small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.
Decomposers
Decomposers work extremely efficiently and, together with the warmth and wetness (which
helps accelerate decomposition), can often break down dead animals and vegetation within
24 hours. Decayed matter contains essential nutrients like iron, calcium, potassium and
phosphorous -- all of which are necessary to promote healthy rain forest growth. Thus
decomposers must work continuously to release these and other elements into the soil.
15
PLANT AND ANIMAL PARTNERSHIPS
Both plants and animals have adaptations that help them survive in the rain forest.
However, some of the most interesting adaptations involve plant and animal partnerships.
Pollination
Many rain forest plants depend on animals for pollination. In fact, more plants are pollinated
by animals than by the wind. Why? In most ecosystems, the pollen is carried
from one plant to another by the wind. In a rain forest ecosystem, however,
there is hardly any wind at all, so the animals are vitally important for plant
pollination. Also, plant species in the rain forest are widely scattered so that
the chances of pollen reaching the same species of plant is small.
Birds, bats, bees, butterflies and moths all play an important role in the pollination of rain
forest plants. In fact, many rain forest plants have exclusive pollination helpers. For
example, each of the 900 different species of fig tree are pollinated by a different species of
fig wasp.
Seed Dispersal
Some species of monkeys, bats and birds are very important seed
dispersers. Even some species of fish disperse seeds. The
plants produce large numbers of seeds, making it more likely that
at least some of them will be spread around the forest and end up
in suitable places for growth. Often the seeds are enclosed in
fruits that attract different animals. Birds are usually attracted to
brightly colored fruit, whereas bats are drawn to strong smelling
fruits. The soft fruit part is eaten and digested, and the seed
passes through the animal’s digestive system. Without animals'
help, this seed spreading would not be possible.
Adaptations Race
Many plants have defensive adaptations that discourage animal pests. These may be
thorns, irritating chemicals, and/or poisons. Animals are continually adapting to either
overcome plant defenses and plants are also continually developing new defenses in
response to changes in the animals that feed on them. It’s an ongoing cycle or race.
There are many examples of relationships whereby plants and insects associate in ways
that benefit them both. The plant may provide food or shelter to the insects, which in turn
may defend the plant from being over-browsed by larger plant-eating animals. The insects,
often ants or bees, may respond to the plant being disturbed by biting or stinging larger
animals. Similarly, many predatory insects protect plants from other insects that could
damage the plants or their fruits. These symbiotic relationships would be a fascinating
subject for students to study.
16
WHAT’S HAPPENING TO RAIN FORESTS?
The biggest threat to the rain forest is human activity. The ever-expanding human
population is exerting tremendous pressure on the resources and the space of the rain
forest. This is a concern to many people because of the certain loss of biological diversity,
of new medicine sources, of new food sources, and of climate regulation.
Agricultural Business
According to a report by Friends of the Earth, as much as 80% of global deforestation is
caused by conversion of forests into agricultural land. Often, endangered rain forests are
cleared to make way for new or expanding farms. Thus, diverse tropical ecosystems are
replaced with single species of crop plants. Agricultural products frequently grown on
converted land include soy, palm, bananas, coca, and cacao, among others.
Farmers in rain forest countries are often poor and can’t afford to buy land, but many still
clear forest land to grow their crops. Because tropical rain forest soils are so poor in
nutrients, farmers cannot reuse the same land year after year. Once their land becomes
unproductive, farmers clear more forest and destroying forests piece by piece.
Ranching
Cattle ranching is a major cause of rain forest destruction in Central and South America.
Ranchers slash and burn rain forests to grow grass pasture for cattle. This land does not
cost them very much. Once the cattle have grazed sufficiently, they are slaughtered and
sold to industrialized countries, like the U.S., to be made into meat products. It has been
estimated that for every quarter pound hamburger made from rain forest cattle, fifty-five
square feet of rain forest was cleared.
Logging
Trees from the rain forest are used for building houses, making furniture, and providing pulp
for paper products, such as newspapers and magazines. Rain forest that is selectively
logged (most trees remain standing) or that is cut in small patches can grow back over time,
but areas that are clearcut of all trees and plants may never regenerate.
Mining
Mining, particularly gold mining, is an increasing threat to the world's rain forests. In largescale gold mining operations, enormous pits are dug out of the land. Dynamite is then often
used to blast holes in the ground and the ore is sprayed with cyanide solution to leach out
the gold.
The cyanide poses a serious risk to water supplies and wildlife.
Oil and Gas
Oil and gas operations are a major contributor to rain forest destruction in areas such the
western Amazon basin and Nigeria. The opening of a network of oil roads along pipelines in
previously intact forest areas has resulted time and again in widespread deforestation.
These roads provide access for logging operations and the expansion of agribusinesses. Oil
and gas operations also cause extensive water and soil contamination through on-going
spills and discharges carried out by oil companies.
17
RAIN FOREST EXHIBITS AND ANIMALS AT THE
MILWAUKEE COUNTY ZOO
EXHIBITS
To give your students a true sense of the scale and structure of a rain forest, visit the Aviary
and Apes of Africa buildings during your Zoo visit.
In the Aviary, the free flight area (just beyond the penguin exhibit) and the tropical bird
enclosures that immediately follow it will give your students a sense both of the humid
conditions in a rain forest and the biological richness of this ecosystem in terms of plant and
bird diversity. The last three enclosures in the building also represent rain forest habitats on
islands.
The eastern entrance to Apes of Africa (just before you reach the lowland gorilla exhibit)
is designed to highlight the structure of a rain forest. There, a waterfall runs continuously, so
you can talk about precipitation and nutrient cycling. You can get a sense of the forest floor
and understory through the living plants growing there. The canopy and emergent layers
are represented in the mural that is a backdrop for the plants. Where you are standing
would be like an area where a large canopy tree fell to create an opening -- where sunlight
CAN reach the forest floor and lead to an explosive competition of plant life for the available
sunlight. The plants and murals within and behind the gorilla and bonobo enclosures also
simulate the various layers of a rain forest.
A display explaining nutrient recycling and the thin soils in rain forests is found at the
western end of Primates of the World (next to the siamangs).
Many of the animals listed on the next page are exhibited in enclosures that resemble some
aspect of a rain forest habitat. However, many smaller exhibits do not provide a sense of a
rain forest’s structure or overall scale.
18
RAIN FOREST ANIMALS AT THE MCZ
Aviary (not a complete list)
Junglefowl
Inca tern
Nicobar pigeon
Mauritius pink pigeon
Victoria crowned pigeon
Livingston’s turaco
Giant kingfisher/kookaburra
Tawny frogmouth
Rhinoceros hornbill
Micronesian kingfisher
Apes of Africa
Western lowland gorilla
Bonobo
Primates of the World
Mandrill
Golden lion tamarin
Spider monkey
Orangutan
Diana monkey
Colobus monkey
Siamang
Aquatic & Reptile Center (not a complete list)
Panther chameleon
Madagascar day gecko
Tokay gecko
West African green mamba
King cobra
Boa constrictors (several)
South American river turtle
Green iguana
Green crested basilisk lizard
Green anaconda
Gaboon viper
Spitting cobra
Pythons (several)
Poison arrow frog
Black tree monitor lizard
Small Mammals Building
Goeldi’s monkey
Cotton-top tamarin
Golden-headed tamarin
Golden lion tamarin
Acouchi
Kinkajou
Tayra
Masked palm civet
Ring-tailed lemur
Black and white ruffed lemur
Short-eared elephant shrew
Straw-colored fruit bat
Ruwenzori long-haired fruit bat
Senegal bushbaby
Douroucouli/Owl monkey
Fat-tailed dwarf lemur
Ground cuscus
Malayan chevrotain
Felines -- not present until mid-2005
Jaguar
Outdoor Yards
Sloth – South American yard
Capybara – South American yard
Brazilian Tapir – South American yard
Macaws – South American yard
Malayan tapir – near Asia yard
Tomato frog
19
PRE ZOO ACTIVITY:
If I Were a Rain Forest Animal
1. Ask student teams to brainstorm and list animals and plants of the rain forest. Compile
master list on the chalkboard. Explain that tropical rain forests, while covering less than
7% of the land area of the Earth, are home to between 50 and 60% of the world’s
species.
2. Have students pick an animal that lives in the rain forest.
3. Ask them what kind of animal they would want to be if they lived in the rain forest?
4. After each student has picked an animal, have them research the following:
˛ Kingdom/Phylum/Class/Order/Family/Genus/Species
˛ Which forest layer it lives in
˛ Range (where located)
˛ Foods it eats/depends upon
˛ Predator/Prey relationships
˛ Place the organism in a typical food chain
˛ Defining physical characteristics
˛ Unique abilities or distinguishing habits
˛ If the animal has any particular defensive characteristics or behaviors
˛ Relationship of the organism to humans
˛ Whether or not the animal is threatened or endangered
˛ What the animal might do on a typical day
5. After they have finished researching their animal, have each student write a short report
on their animal. Or, encourage them to think as if they are that animal and write a diary
or journal entry in the first person (the animal) that includes everything they learned
about their animal.
6. Finally, have the students draw and color a picture of their animal.
7. These could then be compiled to make a book of rain forest animals.
20
PRE ZOO ACTIVITY:
Products of the Rain Forest
{ Introduce your class to the importance of rain forests in our everyday lives with a tropical
rain-forest grab bag.
Materials
x Big brown paper bag
x Rubber eraser (may now be synthetic)
x Stick of chewing gum (chicle)
x Chocolate items
x Woven basket (rattan, jute or bamboo)
x Fruits, nuts of the rain forest (bananas, mangoes, cashews, etc…)
x Coffee, cola
x Many spices (pepper, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika, vanilla, mace,
allspice)
x Balsa wood (children may know of this for making models)
What to do:
1. Use a big brown paper shopping bag and fill it with items like a rubber eraser, a stick of
chewing gum, a chocolate bar, a basket.
2. Tell the children that only items made of materials from tropical forest areas are in the
bag.
3. Ask the students to name some products they think come from tropical forests.
PRE ZOO ACTIVITY:
Smell the Rain-Forest Game
Materials:
x empty film canisters
x cotton balls
x scents from cloves, lemon, pineapple, chocolate, patchouli, cinnamon, banana, vanilla,
other scents from the rain forest
What to do:
1. Put a little fragrance onto one or two cotton balls. Place the cotton ball in a film canister.
Each canister should contain a different scent.
2. Have children smell each canister. Have children guess the scent.
21
PRE ZOO ACTIVITY:
Where are the Rain Forests?
Materials:
x World map
x globe
x adjustable-height lamp
x photocopy of a blank world map
x pencils
x green colored pencils
x poster board (or construction paper)
x glue
x pictures of rain-forest plants and animals
x reference books
What to do:
1. Look at the world map. Tropical rain forests exist within 20º north and 20º south of the
equator. Identify the main regions where rain forests are located and discuss why they
are located where they are. What are the countries and what are their climates like?
Name the continents on which rain forests are found.
2. Shine a lamp at the globe perpendicular to the equator. Where does most of the light
hit? (along the equator). The sun shines on the Earth in much the same way. What
does this tell you about what the temperature of a tropical rain forest might be?
3. On a blank world map, color green the areas of the world map where rain forests are
found. Glue onto middle of the poster board.
4. Choose one country where rain forests are found, highlight it on the world map.
Research that country. Write a short paragraph about that country (who the people are,
how they earn a living, etc…)
5. Glue pictures of rain-forest plants and animals found in that particular country’s rain
forest (not all plants and animals are found in all rain forests) in a collage around the
world map. Present project to class.
22
PRE ZOO ACTIVITY:
Diversity of Life
Objective
The students will be introduced to the concept of biodiversity.
Materials
1 bag of blue marbles
1 bag of red marbles
2 bags multicolored beads
2 equal-size plastic tubes (size must hold 2 bags marbles)
What To Do
1. Place half of the red and half of the blue marbles in one plastic tube. In the other tube place all of
the multicolored marbles.
2. Explain to your students that the first tube (half red, half blue) represents a Wisconsin forest. We
have in our forests, for example, white-tailed deer (blue marbles) and we have raccoons (red
marbles). Ask students if there are many or a few of each species. (The answer is there are
many).
3. Explain that the second tube (multicolored marbles) represents a rain forest. Ask students if they
can find marbles that are alike. (There should be no more than 2 or 3 matching marbles). Explain
that each of these marbles represents a different animal or plant in the rain forest: a monkey, a
tapir, a blue morpho, etc. The marbles will demonstrate to students that there are many different
species of animals in the rain forest, but there are not very many of each species. Wisconsin
forests, on the other hand, have fewer species of plants and animals but higher numbers of
individuals of each species.
NOTE: Rain forests contain more animals than a Wisconsin forest, although exact estimates vary
from rain forest to rain forest and from researcher to researcher. It is safe to say there are at least
three times as many total animals in one acre of rain forest than in an acre of a Wisconsin forest.
4. Write and pronounce the word “biodiversity.” “Bio” means life and “diversity” means different.
When you put them together, it means “different types of life.” Explain to your students that there
is great “biodiversity” in the rain forest due to the stable climate, year-round availability of food,
and due to the layers of the rain forest.
ANOTHER WAY TO SHOW BIODIVERSITY
1. Find a picture of a butterfly and make 20 copies of it. Place them on tagboard. Explain that in
Wisconsin, we could have a large number of one type of butterfly.
2. Find 20 different pictures of butterflies. Place these on a separate piece of tagboard. Explain that
this is what life in the rain forest is like. There are many types or species of butterflies, but there
are not very many of each type. This represents more biodiversity. Explain to the students that
the diversity of life in a forest is dependant upon the number of niches that can sustain life in that
particular habitat. A niche is the “slot”, or place, of an organism within its habitat. The actual
physical space an organism occupies is called its habitat niche, while the role it plays in relation to
other organisms, as in a food chain, is called its ecological niche.
23
POST ZOO ACTIVITY:
Classroom Rain Forest
{ Make your classroom into a rain forest.
Materials
butcher paper, paint, construction paper, glue, crayons or markers, crepe paper,
pictures of rain forest animals and plants (from magazines, or drawn, or made of
construction paper)
What to do:
1. Draw on butcher paper, or cut out of construction paper and paste onto butcher
paper, plants from the layers of the rain forest (emergent trees, canopy trees,
understory trees, vines, orchids, etc…). Or, a small group can paint a few large tree
trunks on butcher paper to put on the wall or hang from the ceiling and another
group can decorate these with brown crepe paper for tree roots, and green crepe
paper for vines.
2. Cut out, or draw and color, rain-forest animals and glue them in the layer where they
live (i.e., toucans in the emergent layer, sloths in the canopy and understory, jaguars
on the forest floor, etc…)
Other ways in which to proceed:
˛ Stuff and paint butcher paper for 3-D trees, animals and indigenous people. Post the trees
all along the walls and attach animals to the appropriate level (understory, canopy, etc.).
Put a flock of colorful birds at the top. Papier-mache animals can be placed at various
places in the room as well.
˛ Make a hut using chicken wire covered with palm fronds or butcher paper and decorate the
inside to look like a tribal family's home. Use bamboo mats and tribal patterned fabrics, and
bring in wooden bowls filled with rain forest nuts (in their shells unless you want the
students to snack on them).
˛ Hang strips of green fabric from the ceiling and use construction paper, tissue paper, crepe
paper, etc. to make the leaves, and canopy. Hang big leaves from strings or the strips of
green fabric.
˛ Cut out big, colorful orchids to place on the walls and create a waterfall and pool in a corner
with cellophane and/or glitter paper. For the very ambitious, make a volcano in the middle of
the room with chicken wire, papier-mache and paint. Use dry ice and water to make steam.
˛ Ask a local nursery if you can borrow some tropical plants and palms to place around the
room.
25
POST ZOO ACTIVITY:
Animal Habitat Strata
Materials
x Rain forest scene sheet (master provided)
x Rain forest animals sheet (master provided)
What to do:
1. Discuss how the animals in any habitat exist in a place that is home to other animals
of the same species and of other species. Animals that have the exact same needs
for a particular food or type of shelter may compete for use of that resource.
Animals that set up territories do so to protect a resource. If animals can find a
resource that few other animals use, they minimize competition with other animals
and may improve their own (species’) chances of survival. This is because
competition for a limited resource can lead to fights and starvation -- if the resource
is depleted or destroyed altogether. Opportunities to use different resources in a
habitat or natural community are called niches. Each type of animal can minimize
competition by finding its own niche, or role, in the community. Since a rain forest
has both vertical and horizontal spaces in which animals can live, there are many
niches available to them.
2. Make a copy of the animal sheet and the habitat sheet for each student.
3. Have students cut out the animals, then place each animal where the students think
each would live in this community.
4. Have the students pick two of the rain forest animals to research and then answer
the following questions:
In which layer or strata of the forest do these animals live?
Are they herbivores, carnivores, omnivores?
What do they eat?
How do they move through the forest?
Are they nocturnal, diurnal, or crepuscular?
What size are these animals?
What color?
How do they protect themselves from predators or how do they hunt for their prey?
Closure
Discuss the students’ answers.
26
POST ZOO ACTIVITY:
Create a Canopy
This activity shows how the canopy of the rain forest traps heat and moisture.
Materials:
x plant cutting (such as a philodendron or coleus)
x glass of water
x dark jar large enough to go over the glass
x two thermometers
What to do:
1. Place the plant cutting in the glass of water and let it start to grow.
2. Once the plant cutting has begun to root, put the large jar over the glass of water
and plant.
3. Place one thermometer on the inside of the jar. Place the second thermometer
outside of the jar. Place all pieces in direct sunlight.
4. Have the students make predictions about what will happen in one hour and what
will happen over several days.
5. Make observations and record (perhaps in a journal). Teachers or students may
have to lift the outer jar to check the internal temperature and for moisture.
Recommended Web sites for Rain Forest Animal Pictures:
http://www.allaboutnature.com/subjects/rainforest/animals/Rfbiomeanimals.shtml
http://www.animalsoftherainforest.org/frames.htm
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/rforest/animals/
http://jajhs.kana.k12.wv.us/amazon/animal.htm
27
Things to remember when visiting
the Milwaukee County Zoo…
1.
One chaperone is required for every 10 students.
2.
Teachers and chaperones must accompany their students at all times and
monitor their behavior.
3.
The animals are on special diets to promote good health and prevent
disease. Please do not feed them.
4.
Please do not enter “restricted areas”.
5.
Treat the animals with respect. Don’t harass or mistreat them.
Blue Mound Road
N
Mold-a-rama
Pet Holding Area
Change Machine
North Pine
Herb & Nada
Mahler Family
Aviary
Zoofari
Conference
Center
Parking
Macaque
Island
Aquatic &
Reptile Center
(ARC)
Stearns Family
Apes of Africa
Primates of
the World
Flamingo
Cafe
Peck
Welcome
Center
Zoological
Society Office
Zoomobile
Ticket Booth
Taylor Family
Humboldt
Penguins
ARC
Theatre
Small
Mammals
ENTRANCE
Pull-Ups®
Stroller
Rental
Afric
Parking
Raptory
Aviary
Stackner
Heritage Farm
Hatchery
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Ba
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Go
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Ya
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Giraff
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North American
Yard
Maple Cove
Wolf
Woods
Brown
Bear
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Australi
Dall Sheep
Koala
Brown
Bear Den
Old
Style
Zoo
Terrace
Animal
Petting Area
Raptory
Theatre
Dairy
Ice
Complex
Birds
Cream
of Prey
Show
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Elep
Birds
Without
Borders
Deck
Strong
Carousel
Camel
Ride
Polar
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Lake Evinrude
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Pac
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Big C
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Ice Cream
Dairy
Council of
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Imp
Black
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Elk
Asia
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Southca Red a Ca
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Pan
Grizzly Bear
Camel
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Pony
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Admin.
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Woodland Retreat
Caribou
Walk-In
Entrance
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Auto Teller
First Aid
Pull-Ups®
Stroller Rental
Miniature Train (summer)
Miller Brewing
Wong Family
Company
Oceans of Fun Pheasantry
Sea Lion Show
nc
Rest Rooms
Food
Gifts
Information
Telephone
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St. Francis Bank Zoomobile
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Roundy’s Pick’n Save’s
Birds of Prey Show
En
Private Picnic Area
Lost Children’s Area
Animals in Action
Penny Press
Handicap / Changing
Station
Miller’s Oceans of Fun
Sea Lion Show
Australian
Out back
Little Oak
Oak Grove
Zoofari
Conference
Center