Portraits of Rainforest Diversity

• Rainforests contain 170,000 of the world's 250,000 known plant species
• A recent survey in the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil found 487 tree species in a single hectare (2.5 acres), while the US and Canada combined only have 700 species
• 1/3 of world's birds found in South America
• Whereas all of Europe has some 321 butterfly species, the Manu National Park in Peru (4000 hectare-survey) has 1300 species, while Tambopata National Park (5500 hectare-survey) has at least 1231 species
• The United States has 81 species of frogs, while Madagascar, smaller than Texas, may have some 300 (99% of which are found nowhere else).  80 frog species have been collected in a single day at localities in Peru.
• A single square mile of rainforest often houses more than 50,000 insect species