Key Takeaways: Interesting Facts About Rainforests
- Rainforests are home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species, making them critical for global biodiversity.
- They play a major role in regulating the global climate by absorbing carbon dioxide and helping stabilize weather patterns.
- Rainforests contribute to the water cycle by generating moisture and rainfall, which supports ecosystems both locally and far away.
- Deforestation puts rainforests at risk, leading to habitat loss, species declines, and negative impacts on the climate and indigenous communities.
- Restoring rainforests supports critical ecosystem services, like clean air, soil stability, and cultural heritage.
What's considered a rainforest?
The term rainforest is used to describe a tropical or temperate biome that experiences high levels of rainfall – typically between 79 to 394 inches of precipitation annually. Tropical rainforests can be found close to the equator, where the temperatures are warmer, while temperate rainforests can be found in cooler coastal areas north or south of the equator.
The world’s 5 largest rainforests are the Amazon Rainforest, the Congo Basin, the New Guinea Rainforest, the Borneo Lowland Rainforest, and the Valdivian Temperate forests.
