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Mongabay.com is considered a leading source of information on tropical forests by some of the world's top ecologists and conservationists. TROPICAL RAINFORESTS: The Understory





What if there were no Insects?

Insects play a monumental, yet widely unappreciated, role in ecosystems throughout the world. Insects, like humans, affect virtually all life on earth. Without them, things on planet Earth would be much different. Insects take part in pollination, nutrient recycling, the food cycle, and population control.

If humans disappeared, only a few other species would be affected for the worse, like the mites than live in human hair follicles and sebaceous glands.


Continued: Rainforest floor


This article was written by Rhett A. Butler [bibliographic citation for this page] and was last updated on the most recent date listed in the column on the right side.



Other pages in this section:
 Forest Floor Intro
Seeds & Fruit
Mammals (Herbivores)
Birds
Invertebrates
- - - - -
References
 Soils & Nutrient Cylcing
Forest Succession
Mammals (Carnivores & Omnivores)
Reptiles & Amphibians

- - - - -
Kids version of this section
The forest floor



For kids
Tour: the Amazon
Rainforest news
Tour: Indonesia's rainforests

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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2011

"Rainforest" is used interchangeably with "rain forest" on this site. "Jungle" is generally not used.