Rainforests and Tropical Diversity. Gaby Orihuela Visitor Experience Manager

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1 Rainforests and Tropical Diversity Gaby Orihuela Visitor Experience Manager

2 Global Strategy for Plant Conservation Objective IV: Education and awareness about plant diversity, its role in sustainable livelihoods and importance to all life on earth is promoted. Target 14: The importance of plant diversity and the need for its conservation incorporated into communication, education and public awareness programs.

3 What are Rainforests? Forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of inches, and as much as 390 inches. (Miami receives an average annual of ~60 inches.) Two types: Tropical (wet and warm) and Temperate Around 40% to 75% of all biotic species are indigenous to the tropical rainforests Natural reservoir of genetic diversity and ecological services: Rich source of medicinal plants High-yield foods and a myriad of other useful forest products Sustain a large number of diverse and unique indigenous cultures Important habitat for migratory animals

4 Peruvian Amazonia

5 Where in the World? Today less than 3% of Earth s land is covered with these forests (about 2 million square miles). A few thousand of years ago they covered 12% (6 million). Tropical forests are restricted to the latitudes 23.5 North and 23.5 South of the equator, or in other words between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. Global distribution in four biogeographic realms: Afrotropical (mainland Africa, Madagascar, and scattered islands) Australian (Australia, New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands) Indomalayan (India, Sri Lanka, mainland Asia, and Southeast Asia) Neotropical (South America, Central America, and the Caribbean islands)

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7 Neotropical Realm The Amazon Rainforest +50 % of the world s rainforests lie in the Neotropical realm The largest unbroken stretch of rainforest is found in the Amazon river basin of South America It include parts of 9 countries: Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Surinam, Guyana, French Guiana and Bolivia Over half of this forest lies in Brazil (~1/3 remaining in the world).

8 Rainforest Structure Typically divided into four main layers, each with different plants and animals adapted for life in that particular area: The emergent layer contains a small number of very large trees, which grow above the general canopy, reaching heights of feet. The canopy layer contains the majority of the largest trees, typically 98 to 148 feet tall. The densest areas of biodiversity are found in the forest canopy, a more or less continuous cover of foliage formed by adjacent treetops. The understory layer lies between the canopy and the forest floor. Only about 5% of the sunlight shining on the rainforest canopy reaches this layer. The leaves are much larger at this level and many seedlings that will grow to the canopy level are present. The forest floor, the bottom-most layer, receives only 2% of the sunlight. Only plants adapted to low light can grow on this layer.

9 Rainforest Structure

10 Plant Diversity Rainforests contain 170,000 of the world s 250,000 known plant species A recent survey in the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil found 487 tree species in 2.5 acres, while the US and Canada combined only have 700 species

11 Botanical Biodiversity

12 A Tropical Rainforest

13 1/3 of world s spp.

14 Insect Biodiversity A single square mile of rainforest often houses more than 50,000 insect species Whereas all of Europe has some 321 butterfly species, a locality in the Southeastern Peruvian Amazonia has ~ 1,300 species

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16 So, why are Rainforests important? Help stabilize the world s climate; Habitat to many thousand of spp. of flora and fauna; Maintain the water cycle; Protect against flood, drought, and erosion; Are a source for medicines and food; Support livelihoods of native people

17 Threats to Rainforests Natural threats Fire Draughts Tropical storms Human induced threats Deforestation Pollution Hunting Dams

18 Causes of Rainforest deforestation in the Amazon

19 #1 cause of deforestation: Cattle ranching

20 Deforestation Agriculture Timber extraction Roads +15% carbon emissions come from deforestation and forest degradation. UN data. REDD

21 REDD What is REDD and why do we need it? Reducing Carbon Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation UN mechanism to mitigate climate change by using forest management It gives financial incentives to help developing countries reduce deforestation rates to meet Carbon emission baseline Countries can sell carbon credits on the international carbon market Over 70 countries eligible

22 Other threats: Bush meat hunting

23 Other threats: Illegal mining

24 & the native communities of the rainforest!

25 Biodiversity inventories Some solutions in the field:

26 Using Technology as well as traditional survey methods. Camera Traps Smithsonian Project, Images courtesy of Patricia Alvarez

27 Amazon Rainforest: Still new discoveries, new ethnicities and new species for humanity and science! Photo by Diego Cortijo/Survival International

28 How can YOU save Rainforests? Teach others about the importance of this ecosystem and how they can help save rainforests Interpreting this ecosystem at Fairchild! Encourage people to live in a way that doesn t hurt the environment Reduce, reuse and recycle way of living Support companies which operate in ways that minimize damage to the environment Sustainable tourism Be an ethical consumer Buy sustainable forest products like certified cacao, coffee, timber, etc.

29 Thank you!