8 Interesting Facts about Rainforests

Rainforests cover only about 6% of the Earth's surface, but they are home to over half of the world's known plant and animal species.

The Amazon can be considered the Earth's air conditioner, pulling carbon from the atmosphere and accounting for around 20% of the oxygen produced by photosynthesis on land. 

The Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world, covering an area of around 2,300,000 square miles. If the Amazon was a country, it would be the seventh largest in the world.

Rainforests are incredibly biodiverse, with new species being discovered all the time. A variety of endangered species including tigers, javan rhinos, gorillas, and orangutans can all be found in rainforests.

Deforestation is a major threat to rainforests, with around 13.2% of the original Amazon forest biome already lost to it and other causes.

Many common houseplants originated in the rainforest and have adapted to low sunlight and little water, making them the perfect companion for your indoor space. 

Around 25% of drugs used in modern medicine are derived from the rainforest — and researchers believe that approximately 70% of rainforest plants have anticancer properties.

Some have survived in their present form for over 70 million years!