Preview - Rainforest Biomes

Rainforest Biomes

Purchase Options

Title Information

Tell a Friend

DVD (Chaptered)

$99.95

DVD + 3-Year Streaming

$149.93

3-Year Streaming

$99.95

Rainforest Biomes (20:00)

Item# 29773
©2002

At one time, lush, steaming jungles covered much of the planet’s land mass. Through this program, students can expand their understanding of rainforests and how their inhabitants live. Particular attention is given to the factors that threaten these incredibly rich ecosystems, home to more than half of the different kinds of animals and plants that live on Earth. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Cambridge Educational Production. (20 minutes)

Segments in this Video - (6)

1. Locations (03:39)

Available for Free Preview

Rainforests are home to one-half the world's species of plants and animals, yet they only cover six percent of the planet's surface. Rainforests are either tropical or temperate.

2. Climate (01:58)

Rainforests receive on average of 70 to 100 inches of rainfall annually. Humidity and cloud cover insulate rainforests, preventing wide temperature fluctuations.

3. Plant Life (03:55)

Vertical layers of the rainforest are divided into five different categories from the top down: emergent, canopy, understory, shrub, and herb layers. Topsoil may only be one or two inches thick.

4. Vines and Epiphytes (02:59)

Rainforests are home to 90 percent of the world's vines, some of which are 3000 feet long and as thick as tree trunks. Epiphytes such as ferns, orchids, mosses, and lichen grow on other plants.

5. Animal Life (02:56)

Each layer of the rainforest has its unique animal population. Creatures such as birds and bats in the emergent layer rarely descend into the lower layers. Most creatures live in the canopy layer.

6. The Human Effect (02:55)

Rainforests provide a wide variety of foods, wood, flowers, and herbs. Rainforests are often cleared for subsistence farming, planned communities, and pastures. Deforestation means loss of biodiversity.