What makes a cake a cake? What parts of a cake are important to us? How is a tropical rainforest like a cake?

Uppermost layer of the rainforest Small number of very large trees Usually meters, sometimes growing to 70 or 80 meters tall Strong, to withstand hot temperatures and strong winds Emergent Layer Sarah Moore

Underneath the emergent Continuous cover of foliage formed by treetops Home to about 50 percent of rainforest plant species Epyphytic (meaning: growing on another plant) plants attach to trunks and branches; obtain water and minerals from rain and debris Sarah Moore

Between canopy and forest floor Leaves are much larger at this level Seedlings that will grow to canopy level are present here Recieves 5 percent of sunlight Also known as shrub layer Bethany Andrews

Bethany “Big Time” Andrews