The Ecology Of The Rainforest

The rainforest is found in the tropical and subtropical parts of the world. There is still so much we do not understand about the rainforest, but unfortunately the quest to make money from these forests through deforestation and other short term profit making ventures threatens the knowledge. So what all the knowledge we have about these rainforest is the basic ecology that is generalized.

On the world's map the region where these rain forests will be located will fall between the latitude 23N to latitude 23S. It is in this rainforest that we have the most diversified species; unfortunately we are yet to name all the species in the rainforest. The tropics do not have only the best ecosystem in the rain forest but also in the oceans, especially in the coral reefs. In the forest, we have species that are gradually going into extinction even without us getting to know about them.

With the bulldozers and the chainsaws that are continually running through these forest we cannot even estimate the numbers of species that are being displaced from their natural environment, neither can we estimate the number of species that are currently being extinct day by day. These activities are currently happening every day and are probably happening as I write except something is done about it. So we will continue to loss hundreds of species to the investors in the rainforest.

The rainforest ecology is a complex thing to unravel. The food chain could be considered similar to the other basic food chain seem in most ecosystem, but when we consider the food web it becomes a different stories. The rain forest in Coastal Rica, Nigeria and other parts where they have been preserved shows a large species of Arthropods and Aves that are not present in other parts of the world. There also exist a great diversity in the reptiles, mammals and amphibians.

The rainforest is a place that flowers flourish all through the year, this gives room for insects as well as other species to flourish along with the plant. Evolution is in constant process within the rainforest as some flourish, others go extinct and new ones come to life.

The species of the plants and animal, which serve as the producers and the primary and secondary producers are in abundance. There is a complex food web within the system that allows the ecosystem a very unique pattern. This rainforest do not have the best words to describe them, one has to visit them in the South East Asia, The boundaries of Coastal Rica and the rain Forest in Africa to appreciate them.

It has become necessary that voices be raise to encourage us find other means by which we get to develop our civilization lest we loss the very beauty that nature has in place. If we lose them now, not only will the ecology of the rainforest be lost but it will take years before we will get to have the diversity return back to our rainforest.

Osagu, Joseph Chinalu is a freelance writer. He resides in Nigeria and writes on a variety of subjects.

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