The tropical rainforest. A vast expanse of vegetation that gives shelter to a great variety of an immense number of insects, birds, and other types of animals, such as monkeys or rodents. Thinking about it is almost like dreaming, because nowhere else on the globe can you breathe clean air while enjoying such a pleasant climate. But, Did you know that if it weren't for it, life as we know it would have many difficulties to exist?
It is so important, that it is said that the rainforest regulates the world's climate. Let's find out why.
Where are rainforests found?
Image - Wikipedia
While they once covered the entire planet, currently we can only see them in the region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. In this area the sun's rays arrive much more directly and with much more intensity than in the rest of the world, since it is closer to it. For this same reason, the number of hours of daily light hardly changes throughout the year, so that the climate remains warm and stable, without a large thermal amplitude.
To be able to see them, we can go to Africa, Asia, Oceania, Central and South America, or being more specific to: Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Peru or Colombia, among others. Although they only occupy 7% of the earth's surface, they regulate the climate of the entire planet.
Why are they said to regulate the climate?
For a drop to form, it needs a nucleus on which to take shape, be it dust from the atmosphere, a particle of sulfur from the ocean, or even an aerobacterium. Tropical rainforests release, mainly through broadleaf trees, billions of these aerobacteria into the atmosphere. They sow the clouds, thus generating much of the world's rain. The question is, how?
These types of bacteria are known to have a protein that causes water to freeze at temperatures higher than usual. Being able to rise with air currents, they stimulate the precipitation of clouds at much higher temperatures than would be normal. Interesting, right? But there is still more.
The enormous amount of water vapor that transpires leaves creates clouds, which are what provide shade to some of the warmest parts of the Earth. This cloud cover reflects much of the heat that reaches us from the Sun into space, thus maintaining a more stable temperature.
Therefore, it is very important that we protect them, because it is one of the best ways we will have to protect ourselves.