Tropical Rain Forest

 

What is a tropical rain forest?

 

To start, what is a tropical rain forest? A tropical rainforest is a type of forest just like a temperate rain forest. These forests are found close to the equator and have a hot and humid climate all year round. It also rains an astonishingly lot. This climate leads to the tropical rain forest biome to probably have more plant and animal species than every other biome combined.

 

In a tropical rain forest, there trees form several different layers.  The tall trees create the canopy which is the roof of the forest and it is made of leafs. Shorter trees and vines create the understory. Plants in the understory live well in the shade made from the canopy. Then there is the forest floor which is dark so there are few plants.

 

 

Slash and Burn

 

Slash and burn is a cheap way clear trees to make way for farmland. It works by cutting down the trees and then burning them so they can start planting seeds. This is the leading form of tropical deforestation

 

Because of the climate in tropical rainforests, the soil is quite infertile. However, plants have adapted to this absorbing the nutrients so they don't get eaten by bacteria or washed away by the rain. Slash and burn ends up burning the plants which creates a small burst of nutrients in the ash. These nutrients however quickly dissapear leaving no nutrients behind. This in turn leads to a rapid decline in the soil's fertility.