From ant eaters to quetzals, begonias to rosewood trees, cicadas to slugs, tropical rainforests teem with intricate webs of life. Like the rainforests themselves, tropical rainforest education may seem like an unorganized jumble of recommendations, activities, and disconnected efforts. One of the most important features of a rainforest is its vertical stratification. Different microclimates and microhabitats exist in the layers. This layering is a major factor in the rich biodiversity of rainforests.
Student groups illustrate different layers and explain their layer to the class.
Rainforest organisms are adapted for survival in the particular microclimates of rainforests. Comparing these organisms with more familiar organisms is one way to learn their structures and functions. Science supply companies now offer seeds and kits students can use to observe the growth of rainforest plants. Humidity is added with a spray bottle. Beyond observing plant growth, students can compare the growing conditions with local and cultivated plants, as well as leaf transpiration rates.