The Rainforest Canopy and You

1. The Rainforest Canopy and You

2. Hi! I am Mango the Monkey and I am here to tell you all about the rainforest canopy. First, lets learn about the other layers of the rainforest! 4 3 2 1 Every tropical rainforest consists of four major strata, or layers. Though these layers are related, each layer is like its own distinct world.

3. The first strata is the forest floor, which is very humid and receives very little light. Most of the plants on this strata consists of fungi and other organisms that feed off of the decaying leaves and plant matter that have fallen from the trees above. The second strata is the understory. The understory is made up of young trees, short trees, shrubs, and soft-stemmed plants. The understory is darker, has less wind, and is more humid then the canopy above it.

4. The third strata is the canopy. The canopy is about 20 feet of thick greenery formed by the trees too tall to be apart of the understory. More species live in the canopy then anywhere else in the entire rainforest. The fourth and final strata is the emergent layer. The emergent layer is collection of trees that are much taller then the other trees in the rainforest. Life is tough for an emergent layer tree, as they face the most extreme weather. These trees have the tropical sun beat down on them, are tossed about by harsh winds, and receive the full force of rainstorms. I live in the rainforest canopy!

5. Now we are going to focus on the rainforest canopy! About 80% of sunlight is absorbed by the canopy, which means the two layers below receive very little sunlight. Photosynthesis, the plant’s process of converting sunlight into energy, occurs all the time in the canopy thanks to the countless leaves at this layer. When carbon dioxide and water are converted into oxygen at a fast pace, the result is a lot of fruits and flowers that attract many species of animals. Pollination of plants in the canopyiscommon. This results when flying animals such as birds, bats or insects feed on plant nectar from one plant and deliver it to the pistil of another.

6. Meet all my friends that live in the canopy with me! Food is plentiful in the canopy as a result of all the sunlight it receives. Animals such as squirrel monkeys, bats, snakes, tree frogs and toucans eat the fruit and seeds from the trees. Many animals take shelter in the canopy from predators on the forest floor, as well as from strong winds and rainstorms.

7. The rainforest canopy is the layer of the rainforest with the highest concentration of plant and animal life. Some animals, like the red howler monkey, never have to leave the rainforest canopy, since all the food they need is located there. What would happen if there was no rainforest canopy? Without the canopy, animals like the red howler monkey would have no home, and important plants like epiphytes, special plants that are important to the biodiversity of the rainforest, would have no home.

8. The End