Hobbies And Interests
Tropical Rainforest
The most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, tropical rainforests circle the globe between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Rainforests are found in South America, Asia, Oceania and Africa. However, almost half of the world's rainforests are found in Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A complex system, rainforests are divided into layers. From highest to lowest, the layers are the Emergent Layer, the Canopy Layer, the Understorey Layer, the Shrub Layer and the Floor Layer. Each layer is its own mini-ecosystem with unique climates, plants and animals.
Rainforests provide food, medicine, water and fiber to nearly 2 billion people. Rainforests also provide many benefits to the rest of the world. They regulate rainfall, store water and play a crucial role in global warming by absorbing man made carbon dioxide.
Desert
Occurring in areas that receive less than 10 inches of rain per year, deserts form about one fifth of the world's surface. Desert plants conserve water and have widespread, deep root systems to tap underground sources of water. Desert animals rest during the day and forage for food at night. Common desert animals include rodents, reptiles, insects, arachnids and birds. Larger animals are rare due to the lack of water and shelter from the sun.
Savanna
Found in warm or hot areas where the annual rainfall is between 20 and 50 inches, savannas exist in central Africa, Australia, South America and India. Rainy weather occurs in a six to eight month period during the year and is followed by hot, dry weather, drought and wild fire. Savannas can be created by either natural conditions or human activity such as clearing of forests for farming. In parts of Africa, elephants create savannas by eating and smashing the trees. Plants in the savanna include grasses, trees and shrubs. Animals living in savannas include antelope, giraffes, zebras, gophers, lions, squirrels, snakes, leopards, moles and termites.
Tundra
Tundras are treeless plains found near the Arctic or in mountainous areas where trees cannot grow. They are characterized by extremely cold climates, simple vegetation, short growing seasons, frosty landscapes and limited precipitation. Animals living in the tundra are adapted to the cold, raise their young quickly during short summers and either hibernate or migrate to warmer climates during the long winters. The plants found in the tundra tend to be short to resist the wind, group together to resist the cold and are protected by snow during the winter. They carry out photosynthesis in low temperatures and low light.
Steppes
Found in areas with 10-20 inches of rain each year, steppes are grasslands with hot summers and cold winters found in the interior of Europe and North America. Plants growing in the steppes often grow more than a foot tall and include grasses, cacti, sagebrush and relatives of the sunflower. Animals that call the steppes home include badgers, hawks, owls and snakes. Humans use steppes for farming crops and grazing livestock.