The Layers of the Rainforest

The Layers of the Rainforest

Table of Contents

Introduction...........1
Forest Floor............2
Understory.............3
Canopy...................4
Emergent..............5

Introduction

Rainforests have many trees and animals. It is very wet and warm in the rainforest.

Forest Floor

The first layer is the forest floor. It is very dark and damp in this layer. The leaves block the sun from reaching the forest floor. Not many plants grow on the forest floor. Many insects and rodents live here. The biggest animals of the rainforest live here.

Understory Layer

There is very little light and no breeze in this layer because it is blocked by the canopy. The plants in the understory must be able to live with very little sunlight. Bushes, large green plants, and small trees make up this layer. Often they will only grow in open patches where a big tree has fallen down. Other plants, like vines, grow on the big trees.

Canopy Layer

The canopy is like a huge green roof over the forest. The trees grow up thin and straight. The trees are so close together that very little light gets to the lower layers.Their roots do not go deep into the soil but spread out in all directions along or just under the ground. Many kinds of monkeys, birds, and insects live in the layer. They live in this layer all their lives and often never touch the ground.

Emergent Layer

The emergent layer is the farthest from the ground. Butterflies, eagles, parrots, toucans, and hundreds of other colorful birds constantly fly through the tops of the trees. This layer gets bright sunlight, lots of rain and is very windy.

There are four layers to the rainforest. It can take 10 minutes for a drop of rain to fall to the forest floor! We get pineapple, cinnamon and chocolate from rainforests. Would you like to visit the rainforest?