The Rainforest

The rain forest is made up of four layers and is found in warm climates with lots of rain.

Emergent Layer The emergent layer is made up of the tallest trees that are scattered about.

The Canopy The canopy is made up of trees that look like a giant umbrella. The canopy is hotter and drier than other parts of the forest.

The Understory The understory is made up of small trees that are the young canopy trees, palm trees, small bushes and woody vines. This layer is very hot and humid because the moisture becomes trapped under the canopy.

The Forest Floor The forest floor is the bottom layer. It is dark and humid with very little sun light. Small plants, mosses, herbs, fungi, and ferns grow here.

Cool Facts -An area of a rainforest the size of a football field is being destroyed each second. -Giant bamboo plants can grow up to 9 inches a day. -The trees of a tropical rainforest are so densely packed that rain falling on the canopy can take as long as 10 minutes to reach the ground. -More than 2,000 different species of butterflies are found in the rainforests of South America. 1 out of 4 ingredients in our medicine is from rainforest plants.