The largest continuous area of coastal temperate rainforest in the world is located in North America. It extends from Oregon to Alaska. Costal temperate rainforests are one of the most complex ecosystems in the word. These coastal rainforests contain at least 350 species of birds and animals and 25 plant species, including cedar, hemlock, and spruce.

The northernmost tropical rainforests of the Americas are located in Mexico, which had three separate rainforest blocks that cover about fifty-eight thousand square miles. The species of animals include green iguanas, quetzals, spider monkeys, and jaguars.

Central America contains tropical rainforests that are especially rich in plant and animal life. For example, Panama has 700 bird species. In one seven-hundred-acre rainforest reserve in Costa Rica, scientists found 320 tree species, 394 birds, 104 mammals, 76 reptiles, 46 amphibians, 42 fish, and 143 butterflies.

Among the groups of indigenous people who live here are the Nuxalk and Heiltsuk (British Columbia, Canada), the Kuna, Embera, and Wounaan peoples (Panama), and the Eyak (Alaska).

Originally, the rainforests in this region cover about 5 million square miles. Today, less than 1.5 million acres exist. Similar to Asia, logging is presents the number one threat to the forests in North and Central America. Other problems include mining, oil drilling, hydroelectric development, infrastructure development, and agricultural expansion.