Download The Rainforest Canopy and You

The Rainforest Canopy and You
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!
Every tropical rainforest consists of
major strata, or layers.
Though these layers are related, each layer is like its own distinct
world.
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 softstemmed plants. The understory is
darker, has less wind, and is more
humid then the canopy above it.
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.
I live in the rainforest
canopy!
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.
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 canopyis common. 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.
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.
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.
The End