What is a Rainforest?
A rainforest is just as the name means: it is a forest that gets a lot of rain. The Amazon Rainforest receives an average of 250 centimeters (98inches) to 450 centimeters (180 inches) of rain every year. There are several things that all rainforests have in common. They usually have moderate climates that never get too cold. They can be very hot and humid. Most rainforests have layers of trees: very short to very tall. This is called stratified. There is basically four layer or strata of trees. Starting on the forest floor, there are small plants, along with tiny versions of what will be the forest giants. Next, in the strata is the understory. These trees are the homes for most of the rainforest’s animals. The trees in the understory are shrubs and bushes. The next layer is the canopy. These are the largest trees that give the rainforest a dense shade and create a thick tree cover. These trees are usually 30 meters (8 feet) to about 45 meters (148 feet) tall. Above the canopy is the emergent layer. These are the trees that have grown taller than the other trees in the canopy layer.
