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RAIN FOREST SELF-DIRECTED TOUR PROGRAMCLASSROOM MATERIALS AND TEACHER BACKGROUND

Table of ContentsPages

Vocabulary 2

What are Tropical Rain Forests 3Rain Forest Structure 3

Importance of Rain Forests 5

Indigenous Peoples 7

Animals of the Rain Forest 8Forest Structure and Diversity 8

Plants of the Rain Forest 13Rain Forests versus Wisconsin Forests 13Plant Adaptations 13Plant and Animal Partnerships 16

What’s Happening to Rain Forests? 17

Rain Forest Exhibits & Animals at the Milwaukee County Zoo 18

Pre Zoo Activity: If I Were a Rain Forest Animal 20Pre Zoo Activity: Products of the Rain Forest 21Pre Zoo Activity: Smell the Rain Forest Game 21Pre Zoo Activity: Where are the Rain Forests? 22Pre Zoo Activity: Biodiversity 23

Zoo Activity: Rain Forest Animal Observation Sheet 24

Post Zoo Activity: Classroom Rain Forest 25Post Zoo Activity: Animal Habitat Strata 26Post Zoo Activity: Create a Canopy 27

Recommended Web Sites 27Habitat & Animal Sheets 28World Map Indicating Rain Forest Areas 29Zoo Map 30

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Teacher Background

VOCABULARY

Bromeliad: tropical plants in the pineapple family that grow on the trunks and branches oftrees.

Buttresses: woody flanges that radiate from the bases of some tropical forest trees. Theymay help support shallow-rooted trees.

Canopy: the layer of the rain forests formed by the crowns of tall trees. These trees are flat-crowned and are often 65 – 100 feet tall.

Deforestation: the destruction of a forest. In rain forests, destruction occurs because ofagriculture, cattle ranching, mining, and timber harvesting.

Emergent: a tree that grows taller than the canopy trees around it; they may be more than200 feet tall.

Epiphyte: a plant that grows on other plants. The roots of many epiphytes can absorbmoisture directly form the air around them.

Equator: the imaginary great circle on the earth's surface, everywhere equally distant fromthe 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 wildplants.

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 cuttingdown patches of forest and then burning.

Sustainable development: using products of the forest in a way that does not permanentlydestroy them, so that people in the future can also use them. Sustainable development allowsnatural resources to regenerate.

Tropical rain forest: an evergreen forest located in regions between the Tropics of Cancerand Capricorn. They are characterized by abundant rainfall and a very warm, humid climateall year round.

Understory: the forest layer beneath the canopy that includes small trees, young canopytrees, 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 theforests of Southeast Asia have existed in more or less their present form for 70 to 100 millionyears.

First, tropical rain forests are found along the earth’s equator, the imaginary line that cuts theearth in half. There are rain forests in South and Central America, Africa, Oceania (theislands around Australia), and Asia. Tropical rain forests presently cover only about 7% ofthe Earth's surface.

Second, they have humid and hot weather all year long. They typically get more than 60inches of rain, but some areas get more than 200 inches, and yet other areas may get morethan 400 inches of rain! The temperatures in the rain forest stay pretty constant, between70º 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, rainyseason and the dry season. The temperature varies little throughout the year. There is alsolittle 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. Eachlayer has its own plants and animals that are adapted to living in that layer.

Emergent LayerThe 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 therain forest; there are usually only one or two of these giants per acre. These trees tend tobe very straight, with just a few lower branches and leaves to absorb sunlight. Many of theleaves are waxy to hold in moisture.

Trees in the emergent layer have to withstand high and changing temperatures, lowhumidity, and strong wings. Many of these trees have thick, ridged buttresses. Otheremergents have long, round stilt roots around the base of the trunk. These buttresses andstilt roots help to support trees with shallow roots.

CanopyThe canopy layer resembles a thick green carpet from the air and is made up of relativelyflat-topped trees that may be 65 to 100 feet tall. Trees of the canopy are very straight-trunked and generally have branches only at the crown -- where the sunlight falls. Thesecrowning branches form an umbrella over the plants below. The tops of canopy trees arealmost always in the sun, but their branches block most of the sun from reaching the lowerlayers 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, theirpointed leaves have “drip tips” to help keep the leaf surface dry. These tips allow water todrip off to the plants below.

Like emergent tress, many canopy trees have to withstand changing temperatures andhumidity. Many also have buttresses or stilt roots.

UnderstoryThe understory is made up of smaller trees that can be about 15 feet tall, and a shortershrub layer of very young canopy trees and small woody plants. Some of the understorytrees will grow large enough to become part of the canopy, but others will always stay belowthe larger canopy trees. The understory trees receive very little sunlight, so many of thetrees are shaped like candle flames with extended crowns and have large leaves to helpthem absorb as much sunlight as they can. The air is still, the humidity high, and the heatconstant.

Forest FloorThe forest floor is well protected from direct sunlight by the other layers of the forest; only2% to 5% of sunlight reaches the forest floor. Because of the lack of sunlight, not manyplants are found on the forest floor, except for where sunlight reaches the floor through agap in the trees.

Unlike the emergent and canopy layers, the air of the forest floor is very still. It also has aconstant high humidity (above 70%), and the temperature remains rather constant.

There are ferns, seedlings, and herbs that grow on the forest floor. However, the vegetationis sparse due to the lack of sunlight. You may think of the rain forest floor as being coveredin decomposing leaves and trees, but that’s not true. The forest floor is actually very openbecause of how fast dead plant matter decomposes.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF RAIN FORESTSRain 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 animalspecies, 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 toflowers/nectar to vertebrate and invertebrate animals. In fact, some animals living in thetreetops 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 milepatch of rain forest contains as many as 1500 species of flowering plants, 750 species oftrees, 125 mammal species, 400 species of birds, 100 species of reptiles, 60 species ofamphibians, and 150 species of butterflies.

Biodiversity and Rain ForestsEarth’s rich variety of living things - its biodiversity - has been called its living treasure. Of allland ecosystems, rain forests contain the greatest amount of biodiversity. Biodiversity is basedon the variety of all organisms, species, populations, genetic variations, and communitiesfound within ecosystems. All plants and animals are pieces in a huge, complex jigsaw puzzlethat 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 otherorganisms. The interactions of all of them contribute to every detail of that habitat. Togetherthey maintain its balance. No single habitat stands on its own either. Entire ecosystems touchand mingle around the globe to form the wonderful Web of Life. Every living thing contributesits own special strand to that web. If we lose one strand in this web, every living creature ispotentially affected. Biodiversity is a strength and an indicator of a healthy environment. Thebiological diversity of rain forests is the source of many benefits for humans.

MedicinesOne fourth of the medicines available today owe their existence to substances made byplants. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3000 plants that are active againstcancer cells. 70% of these plants are found in rain forests. Twenty-five percent of the activeingredients in today's cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rainforest. Drugs used to treat leukemia, Hodgkin's disease and other cancers come from rainforest plants, as do medicines for heart ailments, hypertension, and arthritis.

FoodsMany 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 providegenetic materials essential to fortify our existing agricultural crops.

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ClimateTropical rain forests regulate global and regional climate-systems by acting as heat andwater pumps. They release moisture into the atmosphere, which returns to the ground asrain. 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 theessential 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. Astanding forest stores carbon. Tropical rain forest trees and plants remove carbon dioxidefrom the atmosphere and store the carbon in their roots, stems, leaves, and branches. Onthe other hand, when forests are burned or logged and the debris is left to decay, carbondioxide is released into the atmosphere.

Prevention of Flooding and Soil LossFour-fifths of the nutrients in the rain forests are in the plant matter. This means that thesoils are nutrient-poor. Tropical rain forest soils are very old and have been made nutrientpoor by hundreds of years of high rainfall leaching away their mineral nutrients. The forestshave evolved to cope with this by rapidly recycling nutrients. Forest litter, and the droppingsand remains of animals are quickly decomposed, releasing nutrients for uptake. Mostnutrients are only available from this decomposing layer, so many rain forest trees areshallow-rooting and have buttresses for support.

Rain forests act like giant sponges, soaking up moisture, and then releasing it slowly. Thismoderates the flow of rivers, thus preventing flooding, and ensures that rivers and creekscontinue to flow during periods of lower rainfall.

When the forest is cleared, rain falls directly onto the compacted soil. This often results inserious 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 callthe rain forest their home. In fact, indigenous, or native, peoples have lived in rain forests forthousands of years. Many of these groups, like the Yanomamo tribe of the Amazon rainforests of Brazil and southern Venezuela, have lived in scattered villages in the rain forestsfor hundreds or thousands of years. Until discovered by outsiders, these tribes got all oftheir 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 (andfishing for fish) and gathering edible plants, like starchy roots, and fruits. Indigenous peoplealso plant small gardens to increase their food supply, using a sustainable farming methodcalled shifting cultivation or slash & burn agriculture. They first clear a small area of landand burn it. Then they plant many types of plants to be used for food and medicines. Aftera few years, the soil becomes too poor for crops to grow. The people then move to anuncleared area nearby to begin the cycle of cutting, burning, and planting again. Land istraditionally allowed to return to forest for 10-50 years before it is cut, burned and farmedagain. Shifting cultivation is still practiced by indigenous groups that have access to a largeamount of land.

Indigenous people revere the forest that has protected them and given them everything theyneed. They live what is called a sustainable existence. This means they use the landwithout 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 andeven the common cold. The indigenous peoples had no immunity to these diseases sincenone of them had ever been exposed to them before. As a result of those encounters, anestimated ninety percent of the native peoples died from diseases that we regard as minortoday.

Another reason indigenous populations are declining is because land is being taken awayfrom 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 theland. They have no other choice but to move to different areas, sometimes even to thecrowded cities. They often live in poverty because they lack skills that are useful for a citylifestyle. For example, they know more about gathering food from the forest than buyingfood from a store. Imagine being forced to move to a different country, where you knownothing about the culture or language!

Indigenous groups are beginning to fight for their land, usually through peacefuldemonstrations. Many people living outside of rain forests want to help protect theindigenous people's culture. They understand that indigenous people have much to teachus about rain forests. By working with these groups, we can learn important informationabout rain forests -- their ecology, new medicinal plants, foods, and other products.

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ANIMALS OF THE RAIN FORESTForest Structure Supports Diversity

Rain forests contain many layers. This vertical dimension of a rain forest provides animalsand plants with different levels at which to live. Each layer contains different life forms suitedto reach that layer and take advantage of differing amounts of sunlight, exposure to rain, andthe nutrients available (in other plants or animals). Because of this, animals and plants arevery diverse in a rain forest.

The nearly perfect conditions for life also contribute to the great number of species. Withtemperatures constant at 75º - 80º F year-round, animals do not have to worry aboutfreezing during cold winters or finding shade in the hot summers. They rarely have tosearch 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 atypical rain forest may have over 300 different tree species. Rain forests usually contain 10times more tree species and 5 times more bird species than temperate forests. TheAmazon forest in South America is home to more than 1600 species of birds and about amillion different kinds of insects.

Animal species find their own niche by living in a particular layer of the rain forest. A nicheis an animal’s function or role in a natural community. Birds such as the toucan and hornbillnest and feed in the tallest trees of the rain forest, while animals such as deer and capybararemain only on the forest floor. Other animals roam from one layer of the forest to another tofind shelter and food.

Some rain forest species have populations that number in the millions. Other speciesconsist of only a few dozen individuals. Living in limited areas, most of these rarer speciesare 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 World’s Smallestrodent = capybara bird = bee hummingbirdinsect = 13-inch stick insect amphibian = poison arrow frogspider = Goliath bird eating spider deer = chevrotainsnake = reticulated python or anaconda

Many animals that live in the same layer of the rain forest avoid competition by eating aspecific type of food, eating in a specific place, or eating at a particular time of the day. Forexample, the colobus monkey and the potto (a small bear-like animal) both feed on treetopfruits. 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 foranimals to see one another. So, instead of using sight to communicate, most animals usesound 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. Forexample, 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 suchconditions. An adaptation is any physical or behavioral characteristic that increases ananimal’s chances for survival in its environment. Some adaptations to look for in rain forestanimals 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 withsurroundings

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 AmericaThey are related to crows, and share such characteristics as strong feetand toes, a strong beak, good flying endurance, and loud voices. The malebird of paradise is very colorful and attracts its mate by displaying his tailfeathers while hanging upside down and making loud calls.

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Harpy Eagle South AmericaThe harpy eagle is the second largest eagle in the world. Eagles live in the top of the treesin 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 agrizzly bear’s claws (about 5 inches).

EXAMPLES OF CANOPY ANIMALS

Emerald Tree Boa South AmericaThese snakes are found in treetops, and are often in branches hanging over water. Thisboa's green coloration, along with white markings and a solid yellow underside, is used forcamouflage. 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 forestsFruit 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 theirfood. 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 plantseeds far and wide.

Howler Monkey Central and South AmericaBlack howler monkeys live in troops of between four and eight members. Each troop has itsown territory in which it feeds and lives. They defend their territory from other troops throughthe use of their voices. The howling is one of the loudest animal sounds in the tropical rainforest.

Orangutan Southeast AsiaThese apes mostly live in trees and swing from branch to branch usingtheir 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 requirea lot of food, they live by themselves. The orangutan sleeps in the trees ina platform nest made of sticks; it may make a new nest every night.

Poison Arrow Frogs South AmericaPoison 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 SouthAmericans 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 AmericaThis 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 bythe tail, the monkey’s hands are free to gather food. They have very long arms and fingersto aid their movement through trees, and do not have a thumb to get in the way.

Toucan South AmericaThe toucan's large bill enables it to perch inside the crown of a tree, wherebranches are thicker, and then reach far outwards to pluck berries or seeds fromtwigs too thin to bear their weight. Seized in the tip of the bill, food is thrown backinto 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 AmericaMale blue morphos have brilliant blue wings that can reach six inches when spread out. Theundersides of the wings are brown and have eyespots to help protect the butterfly frompredators. Adults drink the juices of rotting fruit using their straw-like proboscis.

Jaguar Central and South AmericaJaguars 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 orambush it, sometimes by stretching out on the branch of a tree andsuddenly 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 AmericaThe sloth is a slow-moving, nocturnal mammal that spends its entirelife hanging upside-down in trees. They have long, curved, hook-likeclaws to help them hold onto tree branches. Many sloths havecolonies of green algae living in their fur, camouflaging the sloth in itsforest environment. A camouflaged coat and slow movements makesloths hard to see among the leaves.

Wattled curassow South AmericaThis bird rarely comes to ground. The male wattled curassow has a bright red knob on topof 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 andreproduce in the Amazon River Basin.

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EXAMPLES OF GROUND LAYER ANIMALS

Brazilian Tapir South AmericaNearly always found near water, the Brazilian tapir is a good swimmer anddiver but also moves fast on land. Using its mobile snout, this tapir feedson leaves, buds, shoots, and small branches that it tears from trees, fruit,grasses and aquatic plants. The region's largest land herbivore, the tapir isrecognizable by its unusual proboscis. The proboscis is used to sweep plantsinto the mouth.

Capybara South AmericaCapybaras are the largest rodent in the world. They spend much time in water and areexcellent swimmers and divers; they have partially webbed toes. When swimming, only its

eyes, ears, and nostrils show above the water. Capybaras feed on plantmaterial, including aquatic plants, and their cheek teeth grow throughout

life to counteract the wear and tear of chewing. They live in familygroups and are active at dawn and dusk.

Mandrill AfricaMandrills 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'sopposable thumb allows it to grasp tree branches. Mandrills communicate bygrunting while in the forest; this maintains contact where visibility is low.

Okapi AfricaThe okapi was not discovered until 1900. Okapis are found only in the tropical forests ofnortheastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Okapis are related to giraffes. They havea 14-inch black tongue that they use to gather leaves and other food. Many of the plantspecies 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 ornest in one layer, but look for food in another.

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PLANTS OF THE RAIN FORESTWhere 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 mostnutrients are carried by water as they course through living systems. Rainfall in tropicalforests generally ranges between 120 and 400 inches of water each year. Wisconsin’stemperate forests may get only 28-35 inches of rain annually. Due to the much greateramount and frequency of rain in a tropical forest, rainwater constantly leaches nutrients fromforest soils, allowing plants to absorb nutrients in a rapid recycling process. The heat andhumidity within rain forests also promotes the growth of bacteria and fungi, which continuallybreak 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. Thesoils are thick because the slow rate of decomposition allows layers of soil to build up overtime through the addition of organic matter (e.g. rotting wood and leaf matter). For thisreason, it can be said that the forest floor in a temperate forest is much more productive thanthat of a tropical rain forest. In a rain forest, the larger amount of water cycling through theforest continually makes the nutrients from anything that dies almost immediately availablefor uptake by plants. In the diversity of plants supported by this rapid nutrient cycling, a vastwealth of nutrients is readily available to animals in the form of wood, leaves and fruitsthroughout the year. This is a very efficient system to support life, but it places the nutrientwealth of the forest within the living plants and animals. Rain forest soils are therefore verylow 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, themajority of the nutrients that would be needed to reforest an area are removed wheneverrain 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 tropicalforests must be managed very differently than Wisconsin forests. Basically, rain forest areascannot be widely or repeatedly cut down, as we can do with Wisconsin forests, because rainforests 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 producingflowers helps some plants conserve energy. Broad leaves also allow the plants to take ingreat 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 toproduce their own food throughout the year.

Effective use of water is a major problem for plants living where rainfall ranges between 80and 320 inches a year. That amount of water can cause plant rot, growth of mold anddecay. To get rid of the excess water, many rain forest plants have slick, water repellantcoatings 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:

BarkSince a rain forest is humid all year, trees do not need to have thick bark. Instead, mosttrees have a smooth, thin bark, which sheds water better than rough bark. Many trees alsoshed sections of their bark as a way of dumping small plants that grow on the bark.

Drip TipsRain forest trees must deal with high amounts of rainfall. So, many tropical trees haveleaves with drip tips, which allow the leaf surfaces to drain off water. This keeps the leavesfrom rotting or having fungal growths. The dripping also allows water to reach the plants andtrees in other layers of the rain forest.

Buttress RootsMost 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 verytall trees have developed ways of obtaining additional support by formingbuttressed roots, which grow out from the base of the trunk -- sometimes ashigh as 15 feet above ground. These extended roots also increase the areaover which soil nutrients can be absorbed.

Stilt or Prop RootsMangrove rain forest trees require a different kind of support system. Mangroves grow inwet, muddy soil at the water's edge, which can be subject to tides and flooding. As a meansof support they develop several aerial, pitchfork-like extensions from the trunk, which growdownwards and anchor themselves in the soil. These trap sediment, which further helps tostabilize the tree.

Opportunistic Plants or Free-loaders

BromeliadsBromeliads are related to the pineapple family. Their thick, waxy leaves form a

bowl-shape in the center that catches rainwater. Some bromeliads can holdseveral 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 thatdie in the pool decompose and furnish the plant with nutrients.

EpiphytesEpiphytes, sometimes called air plants, live on the surface of other plants, especially thetrunk and branches. These plants grow in the canopy where light is plentiful. The epiphyteuses the tree for support, getting water from the rain that falls. Some epiphytes can maketheir own food from sunlight and air. Different types of epiphytes may grow on the sametree, including orchids, cacti, bromeliads, lichens, mosses and ferns. They begin their life inthe canopy from seeds or spores transported there by birds or winds.

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OrchidsOrchids comprise one of the most abundant and varied of flowering plant

families. There are over 20,000 known species and orchids are especiallycommon in moist tropical regions. Tropical orchids are most often epiphytes.Orchid flowers vary considerably in shape, color, and size, although they sharea common pattern of three petals and three petal-like sepals. The lower petal

has a very distinctive appearance.

LianasLianas 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 treesfor support as they climb upwards toward the sunlight they need forsurvival. They do this by attaching themselves to trees using sucker rootsor tendrils, then either grow with the young sapling climb by windingthemselves around the tree's trunk.

When they reach the top of the canopy they often spread to other treesor wrap themselves around other lianas. This network of vines givessupport against strong winds to the shallow-rooted, top-heavy trees.However, when one tree falls several others may be pulled down also.

Carnivorous PlantsA plant is carnivorous if it attracts, captures, and kills animal life forms. It must also digestand absorb the nutrients from its prey. In order to survive, most plants must take in waterand minerals from the soil. These elements are combined with carbon dioxide and energyfrom sunlight to make the food that plants need to grow. Nitrogen is one of the mostimportant minerals needed for plant growth. For this reason, most plants grow best inplaces 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 plantssurvive by getting nitrogen and other minerals from the bodies of the creatures that they trapand kill. The special leaves of carnivorous plants allow them to catch and use this handysource of food.

The best known of the carnivorous plants are probably the Venus flytrap (not found in rainforests, but in bogs) and pitcher plants. Some pitcher plants are big enough to trap, drown,and digest small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.

DecomposersDecomposers work extremely efficiently and, together with the warmth and wetness (whichhelps accelerate decomposition), can often break down dead animals and vegetation within24 hours. Decayed matter contains essential nutrients like iron, calcium, potassium andphosphorous -- all of which are necessary to promote healthy rain forest growth. Thusdecomposers must work continuously to release these and other elements into the soil.

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PLANT AND ANIMAL PARTNERSHIPSBoth 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.

PollinationMany 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 carriedfrom 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 plantpollination. Also, plant species in the rain forest are widely scattered so thatthe 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 rainforest plants. In fact, many rain forest plants have exclusive pollination helpers. Forexample, each of the 900 different species of fig tree are pollinated by a different species offig wasp.

Seed DispersalSome species of monkeys, bats and birds are very important seeddispersers. Even some species of fish disperse seeds. Theplants produce large numbers of seeds, making it more likely thatat least some of them will be spread around the forest and end upin suitable places for growth. Often the seeds are enclosed infruits that attract different animals. Birds are usually attracted tobrightly colored fruit, whereas bats are drawn to strong smellingfruits. The soft fruit part is eaten and digested, and the seedpasses through the animal’s digestive system. Without animals'help, this seed spreading would not be possible.

Adaptations RaceMany plants have defensive adaptations that discourage animal pests. These may bethorns, irritating chemicals, and/or poisons. Animals are continually adapting to eitherovercome plant defenses and plants are also continually developing new defenses inresponse 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 waysthat benefit them both. The plant may provide food or shelter to the insects, which in turnmay 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 largeranimals. Similarly, many predatory insects protect plants from other insects that coulddamage the plants or their fruits. These symbiotic relationships would be a fascinatingsubject for students to study.

17

WHAT’S HAPPENING TO RAIN FORESTS?The biggest threat to the rain forest is human activity. The ever-expanding humanpopulation is exerting tremendous pressure on the resources and the space of the rainforest. 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 BusinessAccording to a report by Friends of the Earth, as much as 80% of global deforestation iscaused by conversion of forests into agricultural land. Often, endangered rain forests arecleared to make way for new or expanding farms. Thus, diverse tropical ecosystems arereplaced with single species of crop plants. Agricultural products frequently grown onconverted 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 stillclear forest land to grow their crops. Because tropical rain forest soils are so poor innutrients, farmers cannot reuse the same land year after year. Once their land becomesunproductive, farmers clear more forest and destroying forests piece by piece.

RanchingCattle 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 notcost them very much. Once the cattle have grazed sufficiently, they are slaughtered andsold to industrialized countries, like the U.S., to be made into meat products. It has beenestimated that for every quarter pound hamburger made from rain forest cattle, fifty-fivesquare feet of rain forest was cleared.

LoggingTrees from the rain forest are used for building houses, making furniture, and providing pulpfor paper products, such as newspapers and magazines. Rain forest that is selectivelylogged (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.

MiningMining, particularly gold mining, is an increasing threat to the world's rain forests. In large-scale gold mining operations, enormous pits are dug out of the land. Dynamite is then oftenused to blast holes in the ground and the ore is sprayed with cyanide solution to leach outthe gold. The cyanide poses a serious risk to water supplies and wildlife.

Oil and GasOil and gas operations are a major contributor to rain forest destruction in areas such thewestern Amazon basin and Nigeria. The opening of a network of oil roads along pipelines inpreviously intact forest areas has resulted time and again in widespread deforestation.These roads provide access for logging operations and the expansion of agribusinesses. Oiland gas operations also cause extensive water and soil contamination through on-goingspills and discharges carried out by oil companies.

18

RAIN FOREST EXHIBITS AND ANIMALS AT THEMILWAUKEE COUNTY ZOO

EXHIBITS

To give your students a true sense of the scale and structure of a rain forest, visit the Aviaryand Apes of Africa buildings during your Zoo visit.

In the Aviary, the free flight area (just beyond the penguin exhibit) and the tropical birdenclosures that immediately follow it will give your students a sense both of the humidconditions in a rain forest and the biological richness of this ecosystem in terms of plant andbird diversity. The last three enclosures in the building also represent rain forest habitats onislands.

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, soyou can talk about precipitation and nutrient cycling. You can get a sense of the forest floorand understory through the living plants growing there. The canopy and emergent layersare represented in the mural that is a backdrop for the plants. Where you are standingwould be like an area where a large canopy tree fell to create an opening -- where sunlightCAN reach the forest floor and lead to an explosive competition of plant life for the availablesunlight. The plants and murals within and behind the gorilla and bonobo enclosures alsosimulate the various layers of a rain forest.

A display explaining nutrient recycling and the thin soils in rain forests is found at thewestern 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 someaspect of a rain forest habitat. However, many smaller exhibits do not provide a sense of arain forest’s structure or overall scale.

19

RAIN FOREST ANIMALS AT THE MCZ

Aviary (not a complete list)JunglefowlInca ternNicobar pigeonMauritius pink pigeonVictoria crowned pigeonLivingston’s turacoGiant kingfisher/kookaburraTawny frogmouthRhinoceros hornbillMicronesian kingfisher

Apes of AfricaWestern lowland gorillaBonobo

Primates of the WorldMandrillGolden lion tamarinSpider monkeyOrangutanDiana monkeyColobus monkeySiamang

Aquatic & Reptile Center (not a complete list)Panther chameleonMadagascar day geckoTokay geckoWest African green mambaKing cobraBoa constrictors (several)South American river turtleGreen iguanaGreen crested basilisk lizardGreen anacondaGaboon viperSpitting cobraPythons (several)Poison arrow frogBlack tree monitor lizardTomato frog

Small Mammals BuildingGoeldi’s monkeyCotton-top tamarinGolden-headed tamarinGolden lion tamarinAcouchiKinkajouTayraMasked palm civetRing-tailed lemurBlack and white ruffed lemurShort-eared elephant shrewStraw-colored fruit batRuwenzori long-haired fruit batSenegal bushbabyDouroucouli/Owl monkeyFat-tailed dwarf lemurGround cuscusMalayan chevrotain

Felines -- not present until mid-2005Jaguar

Outdoor YardsSloth – South American yardCapybara – South American yardBrazilian Tapir – South American yardMacaws – South American yardMalayan tapir – near Asia yard

20

PRE ZOO ACTIVITY: If I Were a Rain Forest Animal1. 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 than7% of the land area of the Earth, are home to between 50 and 60% of the world’sspecies.

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 reporton their animal. Or, encourage them to think as if they are that animal and write a diaryor journal entry in the first person (the animal) that includes everything they learnedabout 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.

21

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.

Materialsx Big brown paper bagx Rubber eraser (may now be synthetic)x Stick of chewing gum (chicle)x Chocolate itemsx Woven basket (rattan, jute or bamboo)x Fruits, nuts of the rain forest (bananas, mangoes, cashews, etc…)x Coffee, colax 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 thebag.

3. Ask the students to name some products they think come from tropical forests.

PRE ZOO ACTIVITY: Smell the Rain-Forest GameMaterials:x empty film canistersx cotton ballsx 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.

22

PRE ZOO ACTIVITY: Where are the Rain Forests?Materials:x World mapx globex adjustable-height lampx photocopy of a blank world mapx pencilsx green colored pencilsx poster board (or construction paper)x gluex pictures of rain-forest plants and animalsx 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 theyare 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 lighthit? (along the equator). The sun shines on the Earth in much the same way. Whatdoes 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 arefound. 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 rainforest (not all plants and animals are found in all rain forests) in a collage around theworld map. Present project to class.

23

PRE ZOO ACTIVITY: Diversity of LifeObjectiveThe students will be introduced to the concept of biodiversity.

Materials1 bag of blue marbles1 bag of red marbles2 bags multicolored beads2 equal-size plastic tubes (size must hold 2 bags marbles)

What To Do1. 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 (redmarbles). Ask students if there are many or a few of each species. (The answer is there aremany).

3. Explain that the second tube (multicolored marbles) represents a rain forest. Ask students if theycan find marbles that are alike. (There should be no more than 2 or 3 matching marbles). Explainthat each of these marbles represents a different animal or plant in the rain forest: a monkey, atapir, a blue morpho, etc. The marbles will demonstrate to students that there are many differentspecies of animals in the rain forest, but there are not very many of each species. Wisconsinforests, on the other hand, have fewer species of plants and animals but higher numbers ofindividuals of each species.

NOTE: Rain forests contain more animals than a Wisconsin forest, although exact estimates varyfrom rain forest to rain forest and from researcher to researcher. It is safe to say there are at leastthree 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 thereis 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 BIODIVERSITY1. 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 thereare not very many of each type. This represents more biodiversity. Explain to the students thatthe diversity of life in a forest is dependant upon the number of niches that can sustain life in thatparticular habitat. A niche is the “slot”, or place, of an organism within its habitat. The actualphysical space an organism occupies is called its habitat niche, while the role it plays in relation toother organisms, as in a food chain, is called its ecological niche.

25

POST ZOO ACTIVITY: Classroom Rain Forest{ Make your classroom into a rain forest.

Materialsbutcher paper, paint, construction paper, glue, crayons or markers, crepe paper,pictures of rain forest animals and plants (from magazines, or drawn, or made ofconstruction 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 treetrunks on butcher paper to put on the wall or hang from the ceiling and anothergroup can decorate these with brown crepe paper for tree roots, and green crepepaper for vines.

2. Cut out, or draw and color, rain-forest animals and glue them in the layer where theylive (i.e., toucans in the emergent layer, sloths in the canopy and understory, jaguarson 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 treesall 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 variousplaces in the room as well.

˛ Make a hut using chicken wire covered with palm fronds or butcher paper and decorate theinside to look like a tribal family's home. Use bamboo mats and tribal patterned fabrics, andbring in wooden bowls filled with rain forest nuts (in their shells unless you want thestudents to snack on them).

˛ Hang strips of green fabric from the ceiling and use construction paper, tissue paper, crepepaper, etc. to make the leaves, and canopy. Hang big leaves from strings or the strips ofgreen fabric.

˛ Cut out big, colorful orchids to place on the walls and create a waterfall and pool in a cornerwith cellophane and/or glitter paper. For the very ambitious, make a volcano in the middle ofthe 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 theroom.

26

POST ZOO ACTIVITY: Animal Habitat StrataMaterials

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 animalsof the same species and of other species. Animals that have the exact same needsfor 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 aresource that few other animals use, they minimize competition with other animalsand may improve their own (species’) chances of survival. This is becausecompetition for a limited resource can lead to fights and starvation -- if the resourceis depleted or destroyed altogether. Opportunities to use different resources in ahabitat or natural community are called niches. Each type of animal can minimizecompetition by finding its own niche, or role, in the community. Since a rain foresthas both vertical and horizontal spaces in which animals can live, there are manyniches 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.

27

POST ZOO ACTIVITY: Create a CanopyThis 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 waterx dark jar large enough to go over the glassx 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 waterand plant.

3. Place one thermometer on the inside of the jar. Place the second thermometeroutside of the jar. Place all pieces in direct sunlight.

4. Have the students make predictions about what will happen in one hour and whatwill happen over several days.

5. Make observations and record (perhaps in a journal). Teachers or students mayhave 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

Ice Cream

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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.