Tropical Rainforest

The Tropical Rainforest

x. The Tropical rainforest is one of the most complex structures on earth.

- is made up of hundreds of different plants and animals, for example the Amazon

Rainforest contains a wider variety of plants and animals that any other biome in the

entire world.

- They created about 40% of the world’s oxygen

- 70 % percent of plants are trees

- No changing seasons, constant temperature of about 80 degrees.

- Wettest place on earth, could rain up to 100 to 400 inches in one year.

- All rainforest are located in a band around the equator that includes the Tropic of

Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn

- Cover less than 6% of the earth because of constant deforestation.

x. Layers of Rainforest

- The Emergent layer contains tree that are 125 feet to 240 feet in height, widely spaced, with umbrella shaped canopies. Because emergent trees are the tallest, they are exposed to drying winds they tend to have small, pointed leaves. They have tall, smooth trunks with a shallow root system but they grow buttresses in order to support their weight.

- The Upper Canopy contains trees from 130 feet to 60 feet tall. The upper canopy has easy access to light but blocks out almost all light below it. Most of the rainforest’s animals live in this layer, there is so much food available that some animal never go down to the forest floor.

- The Lower Canopy, contains 60 feet tall trees and smaller. This layer is mostly made up of the trunks of taller trees, shrubs, plants, and small trees. There is little to no air movement and because of this the lower canopy has extremely high humidity. The Lower canopy is also in constant shade.

- The Forest Floor, is usually completely shaded so few plants and bushes can actually grow there. The area is so shaded that less then 1% of the total light reaches the forest floor. The rainforest topsoil is shallow and has few nutrients. Litter and other organic matters are broken down quickly by decompose...