Rainforests

Spanning over 5.5 million square kilometers, the Amazon Rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest in the world, covering parts of nine South American countries, with 60% of it in Brazil. It is often called the “lungs of the Earth” because it produces around 20% of the world’s oxygen and is critical in carbon dioxide absorption. This rainforest is incredibly biodiverse, home to more than 390 billion individual trees, 2.5 million insect species, 1,300 species of birds, and 430 mammals, including iconic creatures like jaguars, sloths, and pink river dolphins. The Amazon River system, which runs through it, contains one-fifth of the world’s freshwater supply, making it vital for life in the region and global water cycles. However, Amazon faces ongoing threats: deforestation has claimed about 17% of its area since 1970, mainly due to cattle ranching, illegal logging, mining, and agriculture (especially soy). Scientists warn that losing 20–25% could trigger an ecological tipping point, turning parts of the rainforest into dry savannah. If Amazon vanished, what global effects would we feel first?

Covering 1.7 million square kilometers, the Congo Basin is the second-largest tropical rainforest after the Amazon, stretching across six countries in Central Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Gabon. It stores around 30 billion metric tons of carbon, helping to regulate Earth’s climate. The rainforest is also a lifeline for 75 million people, including over 150 distinct ethnic groups, such as the Ba’Aka and Baka communities. The Congo Basin is home to rare and endangered species such as the lowland gorilla, forest elephant, okapi, and bonobo. It is a biodiversity hotspot for birds, fish, and plant life. Despite its ecological and cultural value, the Congo faces deforestation at nearly 500,000 hectares per year, driven by logging, mining, and slash-and-burn agriculture. How can protecting species like the gorilla help preserve the rainforest?

Stretching across countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, Southeast Asian rainforests are among the most biologically rich and ancient on Earth. Some parts are over 100 million years old, predating the Amazon. They host incredible creatures like orangutans, Sumatran tigers, clouded leopards, and the rafflesia, the world’s largest flower. These forests are also a global center for tree diversity, with thousands of species, including valuable hardwoods like teak and mahogany. Yet, this region has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. Since 1990, Indonesia alone has lost over 30 million hectares of forest. Much of this loss is due to palm oil plantations supplying products like soap, snacks, and cosmetics worldwide. This rapid deforestation causes habitat loss, species extinction, and contributes to global CO₂ emissions through forest fires and land clearing. Have you ever used a product with palm oil? What alternatives could you support? Draw an orangutan, a Sumatran tiger, a clouded leopard, and the rafflesia, and label them in the life of South Asian rainforests! Upload it to the gallery!

Located in Queensland, Australia, the Daintree Rainforest is one of the world’s oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforests, older even than the Amazon. It is estimated to be around 180 million years old. Although it covers only 1,200 square kilometers, it is home to many ancient and rare species, many of which are endemic. These include the southern cassowary, tree kangaroo, and hundreds of fern, orchid, and butterfly species. The Daintree is critical in supporting Australia’s biodiversity and is also part of Queensland’s Wet Tropics, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Threats include tourism, invasive species, and climate change, which disrupt the fragile ecological balance. Why might preserving ancient ecosystems matter more than we realize? Draw examples of the southern cassowary, the tree kangaroo, a fern, an orchid, and a few butterfly species. Post it to the Gallery!

Madagascar’s rainforests are a biodiversity wonderland. Roughly 90% of its plant and animal species are endemic, meaning they exist nowhere else on Earth. Among these are lemurs, fossas, baobab trees, and hundreds of species of chameleons. The island’s forests are found mainly on the eastern side and are home to unique ecosystems. However, 40% of Madagascar’s forests have disappeared since the 1950s due to slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal logging, and charcoal production. Preserving these forests is not just a conservation issue; it also affects climate regulation, freshwater availability, and local livelihoods. What does it mean when a species is “endemic,” and why does it matter? Draw a lemur, a fossa, and a few chameleons. Upload them to the gallery!

New Guinea, split between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, is home to the third-largest tropical rainforest in the world. Covering over 786,000 square kilometers, it holds an estimated 13,000 plant species, 5% of the world’s biodiversity, and is still relatively unexplored. Its forests are home to birds of paradise, tree kangaroos, giant butterflies, and many species new to science. The island is also vital for the cultural survival of hundreds of indigenous communities, some of whom have limited contact with the outside world. Logging (both legal and illegal), mining, and oil palm plantations are increasingly fragmenting its forests. Scientists estimate over 70% of its forests are still intact, but that number is dropping fast. What value might undiscovered species hold for humans? Draw a Bird of Paradise, a tree kangaroo, and a giant butterfly. Upload these to the gallery!

Stretching from southern Mexico to Panama, the rainforests of Central America form a crucial biological corridor, allowing animals like jaguars, tapirs, and howler monkeys to migrate across countries. Though smaller in area, these forests are biodiversity-rich and are essential in climate regulation and water cycles. Countries like Costa Rica have become global leaders in ecotourism, generating income while protecting the environment. Still, these forests face threats from agricultural expansion, illegal logging, and climate-related weather events like hurricanes and droughts. Can tourism be a solution rather than a threat to rainforests? Draw a jaguar, a tapir, and a howler monkey. Label them and upload them to the gallery.

Often overshadowed by the Amazon, Brazil’s Atlantic Forest once stretched over 1.5 million square kilometers along the eastern coast. Today, only 12% remains in fragmented patches. Despite its reduced size, it still contains over 8,000 plant species, more than 260 mammal species, and animals like the golden lion tamarin, which exists only in this region. The forest is critically endangered due to urban development, coffee and sugarcane farming, and infrastructure expansion. It is now the focus of significant reforestation efforts and protected zones, especially near metropolitan areas like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Why do you think urban expansion affects rainforests? Draw a golden Lion Tamarin to remember that nonhuman life is worth protecting too! Upload it to the gallery.

Sri Lanka’s rainforests, including the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, are among South Asia’s last remnants of tropical rainforests. Though small, about 88 square kilometers, Sinharaja is home to 50% of Sri Lanka’s endemic species, including colorful frogs, snakes, and birds. This UNESCO World Heritage site has been a haven for scientific study and eco-tourism. However, surrounding agriculture, logging, and fragmentation are ongoing threats. Because islands often have unique species with limited habitats, forest loss can quickly lead to extinction. What makes island rainforests more vulnerable to species loss? Draw a few of Sri Lanka’s frogs, snakes, and birds. Upload them to the gallery!

Unlike tropical rainforests, the Pacific Northwest rainforest is a temperate rainforest, stretching from Alaska through Canada to northern California. It features towering Douglas firs, western red cedars, and Sitka spruce, many over 1,000 years old. This region is home to black bears, bald eagles, elk, and vital salmon habitats. It absorbs huge amounts of carbon, regulates coastlines, and sustains Indigenous cultures who have lived there for thousands of years. Unfortunately, logging and urban development continue to shrink the Pacific Northwest rainforest, though efforts to protect parts of it (like Olympic National Park) are growing. How does a temperate rainforest differ from a tropical one? Draw a black bear, a bald eagle, an elk, and a salmon. Upload them to the gallery.

• The Amazon Rainforest produces about 20% of the world’s oxygen and contains one-fifth of the world's freshwater supply.
  • True
  • False
• The Congo Basin rainforest covers parts of _______ African countries.
  • 3 countries
  • 4 countries
  • 5 countries
  • 6 countries
• A major cause of deforestation in Southeast Asia is the expansion of palm oil plantations.
  • true
  • false
• The Daintree Rainforest is younger than the Amazon Rainforest.
  • true it is younger
  • false it is older
• Since the 1950s, 40% of Madagascar’s rainforests have been lost due to activities like slash- and-burn agriculture and charcoal production.
  • true
  • false
• Over 70% of New Guinea’s rainforests are already destroyed by human activities.
  • true
  • false Over 70% are still intact, but rapidly declining.
• Central America’s rainforests act as a migration corridor for wildlife like jaguars and tapirs.
  • true
  • false
• Today, more than half of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest remains untouched.
  • true
  • False Only 12% remains
• Sinharaja Forest Reserve in Sri Lanka is home to half of the country’s endemic species.
  • true
  • false
• An endemic species is one that is found exclusively in a specific geographic region and nowhere else on Earth
  • true
  • false
• Central America’s rainforests act as a migration corridor for wildlife like jaguars and tapirs.
  • true
  • false
• Central America’s rainforests act as a migration corridor for wildlife like jaguars and tapirs.
  • true
  • false