Madagascar Rainforest Essay
The Madagascar is fourth largest island in the world, located approximately 400 km off the southeastern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. The rainforests of Madagascar are located in very humid, low-elevation, and narrow regional strips along the east coast of the island. The Madagascar rainforest is just another ecosystem, it actually acts as a home to many endangered species including the silky sifaka, sportive lemur, and the red-ruffed lemur. Another very important species that is indigenous to this rainforest is the rosy periwinkle, which is used to cure leukemia. Furthermore, rainforest are distinguished by receiving at least 80 inches of rain per year, and a canopy (a layer of branches formed by closely spaced trees) (Kids.mongabay).
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The Madagascar rainforest receives an average of 200 centimeters of rain per year, for this to happen it must rain at least an inch every day. According to the WWF (world wildlife), there are many different reasons that rainforests receive more rain than anywhere else. Since the Madagascar rainforest is approximately 1, 311 miles north of the equator, the solar radiation from the equator can affect the climate in many different ways. Another reason, is the rainforest is very humid, thus causing the vapor in the air to become rain.
Although, rainforests are one of the most biologically diverse habitats, their flora and fauna are being deforested at alarming rates due to the lack of sunlight (National Geographic). The uppermost layer of the rainforest, otherwise called the canopy, consists of very tall trees - some trees over 150 feet tall. However, because of this canopy, little amounts of sunlight reaches the ground, in some cases the canopy can block out 95% of the sunlight (Learning Garden). The rainforest floor is usually shaded due to the lack of sunlight, less than 1% of the sunlight that reaches the canopy penetrates the forest floor. However, these rainforest plants have adapted to their environment in many different ways. In order to quickly shed water off their leaves, many plants have drip tips and grooved leaves and some even have oily coatings to shed water. To absorb sunlight on the dark forest floor, the leaves are very big. Furthermore, some trees have leaf stalks that turn with the movement of the sun to absorb lots of sunlight. Additionally, the climate of the Madagascar Rainforest depends on the southeastern trade winds that originate from the Indian Ocean. The Madagascar has two very different seasons, one being a hot, humid, and rainy season usually from November to April; and the other being a dry, cool season from May to October (Wild Madagascar). Approximately ⅔ of the of the world's rainforests, including many Madagascar rainforests, are considered wet deserts, meaning that the plants in these ecosystems grow on extremely poor soil that lack minerals and nutrients. However, this depends on the nutrient cycling of the rainforest. In rainforests most of the essential nutrients are stored in living vegetation, dead wood, and decaying leaves. As organic matter decays, the recycling process is very quick which means that little to no nutrient reach the soil, causing it to become sterile.
Although, the Madagascar rainforest has some poor qualities, it creates a home for many different species that are not only endangered but help create medical treatments. This project can be very beneficial to not only other students but rainforest ecosystems. By creating this terrarium, we can spread awareness about how rainforests are being destroyed over time. Not only that but the project can create a better understanding of our environment around us and the different ecosystems that are apart of the Earth.
The Madagascar Rainforest is home to thousands of different species. 70% of which can’t even be found anywhere else in the world. The rainforest is known for it’s 5 layers of plant and animal life; the overstory , the canopy, the understory, the shrub layer, and the forest floor. The primary focus in this project is the rainforest floor. In the Madagascar Rainforest, the abiotic factors directly impact the biotic factors (Madagascar Lowland Rainforest). An example of this would be with sunlight. Because such a small amount of sunlight reaches the forest floor due to the amount of vegetation from other layers, there isn’t much plant life on the forest floor. However, some plants in the forest have adapted to the lack of sunlight and grow up against trees in order to get their required amount of sunlight. The rainforest floor is also a key part to the decomposition of dead organisms. Fungi, bacteria, earthworms and a multitude of other creatures all work together to break down the decaying plant and animal matter on the forest floor. In fact, the process of decomposition is also sped up due to the lack sunlight. A leaf that might take a year to decompose in a regular climate would be completely decayed within six weeks on the forest floor (Layers of a Rainforest). Other biotic factors in the rainforest are the producers. Main producers in the rainforest include: avocado, vines, shrubs, ferns,orchids, and many tropical fruit trees such as lemon, orange etc. The Madagascar rainforest is a place of organism diversity filled with many different biotic factors that all play significance in the forest.
Abiotic factors also play a significant role in the Madagascar Rainforest.
Things like water, soil, sunlight, and climate all come together to form the biome. One of the most important abiotic factors of this biome is water. It’s common knowledge that the average rainfall in the Madagascar Rainforest is fairly high, so much so that only certain plant and animal wildlife are fit to live there. If the rainfall were to decrease for any reason whatsoever, it’s highly likely that the amount of organisms alive would also decrease. Another key abiotic factor in the rainforest is soil. Soil is the foundation of the entire rainforest. It provides nutrients for the growing plants, which in turn provide nutrients for consumers. According to Abiotic Characteristics, the dirt, which is very moist, allows many plants to grow and prosper there . Sunlight is another abiotic factor in the rainforest. As stated before, the lack of sunlight on the forest floor causes plants to grow up the bark of trees in order to receive more sunlight. The final abiotic factor is the climate. Climate in the Madagascar Rainforest is hot and humid. The hot and humid climate meets a certain standard required for specific organisms to survive. The abiotic factors in this biome are all essential to keep the rainforest
intact.
The Madagascar Rainforest is a place
The Madagascar rainforest receives an average of 200 centimeters of rain per year, for this to happen it must rain at least an inch every day. According to the WWF (world wildlife), there are many different reasons that rainforests receive more rain than anywhere else. Since the Madagascar rainforest is approximately 1, 311 miles north of the equator, the solar radiation from the equator can affect the climate in many different ways. Another reason, is the rainforest is very humid, thus causing the vapor in the air to become rain.
Although, rainforests are one of the most biologically diverse habitats, their flora and fauna are being deforested at alarming rates due to the lack of sunlight (National Geographic). The uppermost layer of the rainforest, otherwise called the canopy, consists of very tall trees - some trees over 150 feet tall. However, because of this canopy, little amounts of sunlight reaches the ground, in some cases the canopy can block out 95% of the sunlight (Learning Garden). The rainforest floor is usually shaded due to the lack of sunlight, less than 1% of the sunlight that reaches the canopy penetrates the forest floor. However, these rainforest plants have adapted to their environment in many different ways. In order to quickly shed water off their leaves, many plants have drip tips and grooved leaves and some even have oily coatings to shed water. To absorb sunlight on the dark forest floor, the leaves are very big. Furthermore, some trees have leaf stalks that turn with the movement of the sun to absorb lots of sunlight. Additionally, the climate of the Madagascar Rainforest depends on the southeastern trade winds that originate from the Indian Ocean. The Madagascar has two very different seasons, one being a hot, humid, and rainy season usually from November to April; and the other being a dry, cool season from May to October (Wild Madagascar). Approximately ⅔ of the of the world's rainforests, including many Madagascar rainforests, are considered wet deserts, meaning that the plants in these ecosystems grow on extremely poor soil that lack minerals and nutrients. However, this depends on the nutrient cycling of the rainforest. In rainforests most of the essential nutrients are stored in living vegetation, dead wood, and decaying leaves. As organic matter decays, the recycling process is very quick which means that little to no nutrient reach the soil, causing it to become sterile.
Although, the Madagascar rainforest has some poor qualities, it creates a home for many different species that are not only endangered but help create medical treatments. This project can be very beneficial to not only other students but rainforest ecosystems. By creating this terrarium, we can spread awareness about how rainforests are being destroyed over time. Not only that but the project can create a better understanding of our environment around us and the different ecosystems that are apart of the Earth.
The Madagascar Rainforest is home to thousands of different species. 70% of which can’t even be found anywhere else in the world. The rainforest is known for it’s 5 layers of plant and animal life; the overstory , the canopy, the understory, the shrub layer, and the forest floor. The primary focus in this project is the rainforest floor. In the Madagascar Rainforest, the abiotic factors directly impact the biotic factors (Madagascar Lowland Rainforest). An example of this would be with sunlight. Because such a small amount of sunlight reaches the forest floor due to the amount of vegetation from other layers, there isn’t much plant life on the forest floor. However, some plants in the forest have adapted to the lack of sunlight and grow up against trees in order to get their required amount of sunlight. The rainforest floor is also a key part to the decomposition of dead organisms. Fungi, bacteria, earthworms and a multitude of other creatures all work together to break down the decaying plant and animal matter on the forest floor. In fact, the process of decomposition is also sped up due to the lack sunlight. A leaf that might take a year to decompose in a regular climate would be completely decayed within six weeks on the forest floor (Layers of a Rainforest). Other biotic factors in the rainforest are the producers. Main producers in the rainforest include: avocado, vines, shrubs, ferns,orchids, and many tropical fruit trees such as lemon, orange etc. The Madagascar rainforest is a place of organism diversity filled with many different biotic factors that all play significance in the forest.
Abiotic factors also play a significant role in the Madagascar Rainforest.
Things like water, soil, sunlight, and climate all come together to form the biome. One of the most important abiotic factors of this biome is water. It’s common knowledge that the average rainfall in the Madagascar Rainforest is fairly high, so much so that only certain plant and animal wildlife are fit to live there. If the rainfall were to decrease for any reason whatsoever, it’s highly likely that the amount of organisms alive would also decrease. Another key abiotic factor in the rainforest is soil. Soil is the foundation of the entire rainforest. It provides nutrients for the growing plants, which in turn provide nutrients for consumers. According to Abiotic Characteristics, the dirt, which is very moist, allows many plants to grow and prosper there . Sunlight is another abiotic factor in the rainforest. As stated before, the lack of sunlight on the forest floor causes plants to grow up the bark of trees in order to receive more sunlight. The final abiotic factor is the climate. Climate in the Madagascar Rainforest is hot and humid. The hot and humid climate meets a certain standard required for specific organisms to survive. The abiotic factors in this biome are all essential to keep the rainforest
intact.
The Madagascar Rainforest is a place