NASA: Earth Observatory

Temperature 20°C to 25°C, must remain warm and frost-free Precipitation 2,000 to 10,000 millimeters of rain per year Vegetation Vines, palm trees, orchids, ferns Location Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn Other There are two types of rainforests, tropical and temperate. Example: Campa Pita, Belize Description There are two types of rainforests, tropical and temperate. The tropical rainforest is a hot, moist biome where it rains all year long.

BBC Nature - Rainforest videos, news and facts Rain Forest Facts and Information Found in the tropical climate near the equator, rain forests make up six percent of the earth's land surface, but produce 40 percent of its oxygen. The rain forest is made up of four layers: emergent, upper canopy, understory, and forest floor. Emergent trees grow far apart and tall, their branches reaching above the canopy. The upper canopy houses most of the rain forest's animal species, and forms a roof that blocks most light from reaching below it. Deforestation Recently, deforestation has reduced the amount of rain forest present around the globe. In Brazil, which houses about a third of the remaining tropical rain forests on Earth, more than 19 percent of the Amazonian rain forests were lost to deforestation since 1970, when only 2.4 percent of the rain forests there had been cleared. Biologists worry about the long-term consequences. Why "Rain" Forests? The rain forest is nearly self-watering. Benefits of Rain Forest Plants