Mini Rainforest
Rainforests are tall, dense jungles and called "rain" forests because of the high amount of rainfall it gets per year. The climate of a rain forest is very hot and humid so the animals and plants that exist there must learn to adapt to this climate.
Rainforests are home to two-thirds of all the living animal and plant species on the planet. It has been estimated that many hundreds of millions of new species of plants, insects and microorganisms are still undiscovered.
There are several layers within a rainforests making it a complex ecosystem. An ecosystem is an area where plants, animals, the landscape and the climate all interact together.
EMERGENT LAYER
The tallest trees are the emergents, towering as high as 200 feet above the forest floor with trunks that measure up to 16 feet around. Most of these trees are broad-leaved, hardwood evergreens. Sunlight is plentiful up here. Examples of animals found are: eagles, monkeys, bats and butterflies.
CANOPY LAYER
This is the primary layer of the forest and forms a roof over the two remaining layers. Most canopy trees have smooth, oval leaves that come to a point. It's a maze of leaves and branches. Many animals live in this area since food is abundant. Examples of animals found are: snakes, toucans and tree frogs.
UNDERSTORY LAYER
Little sunshine reaches this area so the plants have to grow larger leaves to reach the sunlight. The plants in this area seldom grow to 12 feet. Examples of animals found are: jaguars, red-eyed tree frogs and leopards. There are also lots of insects here.
FOREST FLOOR
It's very dark down here. Almost no plants grow in this area, as a result. Since hardly any sun reaches the forest floor things begin to decay quickly. A leaf that might take one year to decompose in a regular climate will disappear in 6 weeks. Examples of animals found are: giant anteaters and sloth.
Although we can’t recreate something as incredible as an actual rainforest you can create a very small replica of this ecosystem called a terrarium. These terrariums will be designed to keep plants living indoors without having to care for them.
Activity:
Learn about ecosystems and how plants, animals, the landscape and climate all interact together.
Materials:
1 3-liter coke bottle
Gravel
Soil
Grass or other plant seeds
Plastic wrap
2 pieces of window screen (one big enough to cover the mouth of the 3 liter bottle and the other big enough to cover the fattest part of the bottle).
OPTIONAL: worms or small insects (if using these, you will need small pieces of screen to cover the top of the terrarium), small fish and water plants to add to the bottom layer.
Procedure:
1. Cut the bottle in half around the middle.
2. Cover the mouth of the bottle with a piece of screen and rubber band to secure it.
3. Fill the bottom half of the bottle halfway with water. It would be cool if you could find some water plants or small fish to add.
4. Put the top half of the bottle on top of the bottom upside down.
5. Drop in a layer of pebbles to provide drainage at the bottom of the container.
6. Cover the pebbles with about two inches of topsoil.
7. Add grass seeds and bury under soil.
8. Slightly moisten the soil. (Be careful not to use too much water.)
9. OPTIONAL: If you would like to add worms or insects to the terrarium, cover the top with a screen instead of plastic to let air through.
10. Cover the opening with a sheet of plastic wrap (if no living animals) or window screen (if animals) and rubber band it on the top.
Watch the terrarium for changes in growth of plants and animals with a magnifying glass. Terrariums must be kept in a sunny and fairly warm place in your home. We will put a small amount of water in the terrarium, which will go through the water cycle over and over again, providing food for the plants. The plants will produce oxygen that will sustain the living things within the terrarium as well. This process will take some time, but if you take care of it at home, you might be surprised by the exciting growth you will find.
How are the layers of your terrarium similar to the layers of the Rainforest?
