Rainforest

Rainforest 

 

In general, a rainforest is a forested area that receives over 60 inches of rain per year.

Some rainforests receive in excess of 200 inches of rain per year while others may receive as much as 400 inches. Specific types of rainforest are labeled in terms of their elevation and average temperature.

Rainforests located from sea level to approximately 4900 feet (1500 meters) are considered lowland rainforests. These account for most of what we consider rainforests.

 

Those located above 4900 feet (3000 meters) are considered montane rainforests. Here, temperatures are lower, fewer species of plants and animals are represented, and plants are much smaller in stature. This includes what many people refer to as cloud forests, where plants are constantly swathed in mists and fogs.

 

Rainforests classified by temperature are generally referred to as temperate or tropical based on their geographic locations. Generally, temperate rainforests have average 6 temperatures less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celsius). Tropical rainforests have average temperatures from 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (21-50 Celsius).

 

When elevation and temperature characteristics are combined, we find that a majority of the world’s rainforests are tropical lowland rainforests. However, these are most commonly referred to as simply tropical rainforests, a term coined by a German scientist as early as 1898.