Insects and other living organisms break down organic matter into humus.
Climate
Animals evolve to cope with the conditions provided by climate.
The humus provided by the plants makes the soil fertile, which in turn provides nutrients for plants.
Animals’ diets and habits are controlled by the plants that grow there.
Climograph for Manaus Temperature in °C
100 150 200 250 300 350
50 0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Month
: Fig. 29.1 Using the graph, identify the wet and dry seasons Rainfall (in mm)
10 15 20 25 30 35
0 5
Climate is the most important factor controlling the characteristics of a biome. Climate determines:
• What soil develops • What plant grows • What animals live there
The tropical rainforest biome lies in the tropics (the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn). Tropical rainforests can be found in Central America, South America, Africa and Australasia.
The largest tropical rainforest is located in South America in the Amazon Basin. In Africa, tropical rainforests
are found along the west and centre of the continent. A dense tropical rainforest lies in the eastern half of Madagascar, which has the world’s most diverse range of animals and plant life. This diversity of life is accredited to the island’s remoteness. This has allowed new plants and animals to evolve on the island which have not evolved elsewhere in the world.
Due to the continued felling of rainforest trees, they now only cover 6 per cent of the Earth’s land surface.
: Fig. 29.2 Heavy rainfall in the Amazon 568 EARTH
In this chapter, we will look at the characteristics of the Amazon Rainforest and the impact human interference has had on the rainforest.
