The seasons do not change in the tropical rain forest. It has been hot and wet for millions of years. The average temperature year-round is about 80 degrees. The tropical rain forest is the wettest place on earth. It rains every day. In one year it may rain about 100 to 400 inches. This means that 9 to 30 feet of rain may fall each year.

How does your area of the country compare to the tropical rainforest? Go to the site How Rainy is the Rain Forest? When you see the map, click on the area of the country where you live and compare it to the rainforest.

The heat and moisture in the rainforest cause plants and animals to rot quickly once they have died. This is called decay. When things decay, all the rich nutrients are recycled back into the soil to feed the roots of other plants.

Rain forests even recycle their rain! As water evaporates from the forest back into the air, it forms clouds above the canopy. Later, the clouds will rain once again over the forest.

Scientists think destroying rainforests makes our earth warmer. This is called the Greenhouse Effect and is not good. Without rainforests, we will have less rain. This will harm the trees and plants that help to keep the air we breathe clean. Our earth could become very dry and barren, like a desert.


Back to the Rainforest Page