Tuesday 26th January LO: Understand how the rainforest is structured

What are the different layers of the rainforest called? There are four main parts of a rainforest.

The layers of the rainforest.

The Emergent Layer It is very sunny here because it is right at the top.Only the tallest trees reach this level. What do you think lives here?

The Emergent Layer Birds, butterflies and small monkeys live here with bats, snakes and bugs.

The Canopy Layer Not much rain reaches here because of the dense vegetation. Most trees in the forest grow to this height. There are plants that grow in the canopy layer. Their roots don't reach the ground. These are called air plants. What do you think lives here?

The Canopy Layer Birds, monkeys, frogs, and sloths, as well as lizards, snakes and many insects live here.

The Understory Layer There are many vines here with dense vegetation and not much light. What do you think lives here?

The Understory Layer Birds, butterflies, frogs and snakes live here.

The Forest Floor It is dark and damp here, full of many dead leaves, twigs and dead plants. The forest floor is dark due to the trees above stopping the sunlight from entering the forest. It is estimated that only 2% of the sunlight actually reaches the floor. What do you think lives here?

The Forest Floor Jaguars in South America, gorillas and leopards in Africa and tapirs and tigers and elephants in Asia.

The layers of the rainforest.