Rainforests contain millions of different species of plants, animals, and insects that form a complex ecosystem that is essential to the life of the entire planet. In addition to important respiratory functions and fresh water reserves, they are also the source of many life-saving drugs. Unfortunately, the rainforests are being threatened by development. Tropical rainforests are areas that covered in thick vegetation and filled with one of the widest collections of unique creatures and plant life. The rainforest is home to half of all known living species. Due to all the plant life they yield a great deal of water vapor through evaporation that is used by other biomes. It normally is very warm and very wet in these areas. It has been known to rain up to four hundred inches annual in these regions. This ecosystem covers just under ten percent of the planet and is one of the oldest biomes on Earth having been around since the time of dinosaurs.
This collection of worksheets offers short reading passages, questionnaires, and activity sheets about the plants, animals, and cultures found in the rainforests. Fun Fact: Though they only cover about 2% of the Earth's surface, it is estimated that rainforests house over 50% of the planet's plant and animal species.