-Thank you to Cluan S.for this lovely graphic Tropical Rainforests flourish around the Equator because they like high, even temperatures and abundant rainfall. When the area is large enough, some such as the Amazon, generate rainfall themselves. Large leaves on tall trees intercept the rain and allow it to percolate gently into the earth. As the sun warms up each day, they slowly release this moisture back into the atmosphere through transpiration. The trees with their layered understoreys act like multistorey apartments for a whole range of species, some ground dwelling, some preferring the intermediate levels and others the canopy. Despite covering only 2% of the earth's surface, tropical rainforests contain around 50 - 80% of its biodiversity. They also do a great deal for humans. Rainforests are considered the lungs of the earth, with the Amazon alone producing around 20% of the world’s oxygen. They influence weather and climate – they buffer...
Practising Geographer - nature culture places people