Geography of Tropical rain forests by Nicholas Joannou!
The Tropics are located between 23½°N of the Equator and 23½°S of the Equator. The largest rain forests are in Brazil (South America), Zaire (Africa) and Indonesia (South East Asia). Other tropical rain forest places are in Hawaii and the islands of the Pacific & Caribbean. As illustrated on this picture:
The Tropical rain forest has a structure. Emergents (upper canopy) are the tallest trees and are usually over 50 metres tall. Emergents receive the most sunlight. The level of trees underneath the emergents is the middle canopy. This canopy receives some of the sunlight left and over 50% of the rainforest wildlife lives there. This includes birds, snakes and monkeys. Vines climb to the canopy to reach this sun light. The canopy underneath this canopy is the lower canopy which mainly contains bare tree trunks and vines. This canopy also receives some of the sunlight, which means there is not much sunlight left for the level underneath, the shrubs. The shrub level has the thickest plant growth. It contains shrubs, ferns and other plants needing less light. Saplings of emergents and canopy trees can also be found here. The last level is the forest floor (ground). The forest floor is usually dark and damp. It contains a layer of rotting leaves and dead animals called litter. This diagram below is a diagram illustrating the structure:
There are many activities to do in tropical rain forests such as the amazon. Things like canoe rides in small creeks, alligator spotting, piranha fishing, jungle trekking, lectures on medicinal plants, sport fishing, bird watching, jungle survival courses, visit dwellings of aborigines and sunrise tours. So watch and listen as the jungle wakes up in the morning. You might be relaxing on a boat and then suddenly your tour guide quickly snatches an alligator out of the dark Rio Negro river, then lets you hold it. In the Amazon jungle, you learn medicinal secrets of endangered and often extinct indigenous tribes. You even get to snuggle sloths, eat fruits you never would have imagined existed, watch monkeys swing through the magnificent branches of "the world's lungs", enjoy the view of the massive lily-pads, drink water from the trees, canoe through the endless water world of the Amazon, visit local river dwellers, fish for piranhas, enjoy the marvellous sunsets and fall asleep at night fascinated by the hum of the ecosystem. The Tropics is the best destination for rejuvenation and adrenaline! Do you know? That the Amazon rainforest serves as the lungs of the world providing enough oxygen for the whole planet!
Belize
In the 1980s, Belize began taking a interest in preserving its environment. It first started Half Moon Caye National Monument, a 44-acre reserve which serves as a nesting ground for the red-footed booby(a type of animal), among many other species. Another set of important landmarks in the Belize rainforest are the Mayan ruins. Belize was the center of Mayan civilization, which grew from 300 BC to 900 AD. Some of the most famous Mayan sites include Cahal Pech and Caracol, Xunantunich and El Pilar.
In the 1980s, Belize began taking a interest in preserving its environment. It first started Half Moon Caye National Monument, a 44-acre reserve which serves as a nesting ground for the red-footed booby(a type of animal), among many other species. Another set of important landmarks in the Belize rainforest are the Mayan ruins. Belize was the center of Mayan civilization, which grew from 300 BC to 900 AD. Some of the most famous Mayan sites include Cahal Pech and Caracol, Xunantunich and El Pilar.
Amazon River. The world's largest river, the Amazon flows for 4,007 miles from the top of the Peruvian Andean Mountains into the Atlantic Ocean. The Amazon River is the world's largest river in volume of water ,holding as much as all of the next 10 largest rivers in the world combined . Pouring 8 trillion gallons of water into the ocean every day, and the second in length. The Amazon River holds 20% of all of the fresh water on the planet. The Amazon's width is of 120 miles when it meets the Atlantic, and its average depth is of 50 ft. The rare pink dolphin and a diversity of fish species inhabit the mighty waters of the Amazonian rivers.
City of Manaus. Fixed in the Amazon Forest, the beautiful city of Manaus excites with its natural resources, ecological parks, exuberant nature, endless green spaces, wonderful restaurants and bars, busy port, exciting nightlife, diverse shopping, museums, palaces, and myriad of cultural attractions, such as Teatro Amazonas, an opera house built in 1896, and Municipal Market. It is also known as “The Paris of the Jungle”. It is the heart of Amazonia and the launch port of eco-tourism for the Amazon rainforest and river tours and cruises. El Cento features a variety of attractions, hotels, shops, restaurants, a convention centers and the popular local market. Nature lovers discover endless outdoor activities, such as trips to an ecological park, visits to giant water lilies, observation of the Meeting of the Waters, forest treks, exploring caboclos settlements, and canoeing, fishing and swimming on the rivers and lakes. Founded in the late 17th century, Manaus is the capital of Amazonas, the largest Brazilian state. Eight airlines link Manuas to Brazilian capitals, and operate direct flights to Miami, Caracas, Bogotá, Santa Cruz and La Paz.