It's a Jungle Out There

It's a Jungle Out There!

Rainforests (also called “jungles”) are forests that have high amounts of annual rainfall. A jungle is defined as an “impenetrable equatorial forest.” Tropical rainforests have been called the “jewels of the earth” and the “world’s largest pharmacy” since over one-fourth of natural medicines have been discovered there. They also supply 28% of earth’s oxygen. There are different types of rainforests, such as mangroves (from a Portugese word, mangue) which are characterized by distinctive roots that spread out into the water. This type of rainforest is found on coasts and river banks from Florida to Vietnam.

Flooded forests are forests that can be flooded by heavy rains for short periods of time or for up to 11 months each year!

Montane (“high land”) forests often are characterized by heavy mist and are found in places like Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. As the elevation increases, the climate becomes more harsh.

Lowland Rainforests have high rainfall and humidity all year and are characterized by 2 seasons: dry and wet.

What is the largest rainforest in the world? The Amazon of Brazil (also called “Amazonia” or the “Amazon Jungle”) covers over 2 million square miles of territory belonging to nine nations! The Amazon River runs through it and is the second longest river in the world (about 4000 miles; the Nile is the longest). Because of the amount of rainfall it receives, the river rises more than 30 feet each year and supplies 20 percent of earth’s fresh water. The width of the Amazon reaches 30 miles during the wet season and about 6 miles in the dry season; hence, it is called “The River Sea.”