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the Ganges delta on the Bangladesh-India border, but man- groves are also found in Central and South America, Southeast Asia and Australia. Despite these differences, all these tropical forests have a lot in common with true rainforest. They are hot and damp, shad- ed from direct sunlight by the cover of the leaves. Usually they are drained by many rivers that carry rainwater back to the sea. Being close to the Equator, they are places where day and night are of roughly equal length. Above all they are rich in life—not just in greenery, but in insects, reptiles, birds and mammals. These animals live by either eating the forest vegetation or by preying upon each other.

Text-Dependent Questions

1. What percentage of the earth’s land surface do rainforests cover? 2. How much rain do rainforests receive each year? 3. What four major areas are covered by tropical rainforests?

Research Project

Using the internet or your school library, research the Pacific temperate rainforests of North America. How is the Pacific rainforest different from tropical rainforests, like those found in the Amazon or in Central Africa? How is the Pacific rainforest similar? What sort of animals and plant life is found in the Pacific rainforest? Write a two-page paper that explains what you have found, and share it with your class.

What Are Rainforests? 15