Wonders of the Rainforest
Rainforests Under Threat
m . u
w ww
. te
© IMSI
r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S
ew i ev Pr
Teac he r
Many of the world’s rainforests are under threat because they are being Did You cleared for mining, farming and Know? logging. The clearing can result in the destruction of many different species of z Tropical rainforests are the world’s oldest plants and animals. living ecosystems. Biologists and other z Over 78% of the researchers world’s old growth estimate that 130 forests have been logged. different plant and animal species are z The rainforests of India, Bangladesh, lost every day as they are either Sri Lanka and Haiti destroyed in the logging process or have been completely have died because they have no home. destroyed. The © approximately ReadyE dPubl i ca t i o n s This means 50,000 Philippines has lost species each year are becoming extinct 55% of its rainforest • f o r r e v i e w p u r p o s e s o n l y • in that region. and Thailand has lost 45% since 1960. If you study a four kilometre square area of rainforest, the range and number of species is amazing. You would most likely discover at least 1500 species of flowering plants, 750 different species of trees, 125 species of mammals, 400 various species of birds, Extinct Species These species hav havee 100 species of reptiles and died out because of a 60 species of amphibians, loss of rrainfor ainfor est ainforest as well as 150 different habitat. species of butterflies. z Saber-toothed tiger That is a lot of wildlife! z Megatherium – the
o c . che e r o t r s super Check out: www.tooter4kids.com/
giant ground sloth
Rainforest/animals.html © IMSI
59