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At Home in the Tropical RainforestWe will be learning how to identify the layers
of the rainforest and the animals that live within them.
How Many Layers are there? FOUR
Emergent LayerCanopy LayerUnderstoryForest Floor
The Emergent Layer What is it?
The emergent layer is the top layer of the rainforest.
What Kind of trees are in this layer? Trees that reach above the canopy layer.Trees that have huge mushroom shaped tops. These trees receive the most amount of
sunlight , but also have to take in high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds.
Example of the Emergent LayerThe Emergent layer
What is an Animal that lives in the Emergent Layer?Top predator that lives in the Emergent
layer….Harpy eagle
He is a fierce hunter who perches in the tallest tree to seek out his prey.
His color helps him blend in with the bark of the trees.
The Canopy LayerWhat is it?
This is the layer located right under the Emergent layer.
Also located 60 to 90 feet off the ground.What is it like?
The trees in the Canopy have broad irregular crowns that form a tight continuous Canopy.
Branches of the trees are covered with other plants and tied together with vines.
This is were 90% of the organisms in the rainforest are located.
Example of the Canopy
The Canopy layer
Notice the vines
Two examples of Animal that lives in the Canopy…There are many animals that live in
the canopy, but today we are going to look at…..The White faced Capuchin
AND TheTucan
White Faced Capuchin
• The canopy for these monkeys is their home.• They stay here for shelter, to avoid predators on the forest floor, and to seek fruits and seeds from the trees and epiphytes of the rainforest canopy.
The Toucan
•The bill of the toucan is hollow and very lightweight.• He uses his bill to reach fruits at the ends of small branches .•His bill gives him a competitive advantage over other birds.
The Understory What does this layer consist of?
This layer is a dark layer because the Emergent and Canopy layer takes most of the sunlight, leaving this layer with only 2-15% of sunlight
It is mostly an open area, with young trees and plants that tolerate low light.
Fun FactMost of popular house plants come from
this layer.
Understory Example…
The Understory
Notice that there is not much sunlight
What is a popular animal in the Understory?
•The Anteater• These anteaters forage the
rainforest floor for ants and termites.• Never stay in one area for
long.• After looking for food all day
they find shelter for the night in tree bases, hollow logs, or by scraping a hollow place in the ground.
The Forest FloorWhat is it?
The bottom layer of the rainforestWhat does it contain?
The forest floor only receives 2 % of sunlight.Not much grows here but plants that can live
in ver y low sunlight.You could find fallen leaves, seeds, fruits, and
branches that decompose quickly.
What kind of Animals live on the Forest floor?Along with the many insects of the forest, the
bigger predators live on the forest floor. Such as:
Tigers, which are the biggest cats of the rainforest. The are an endangered specie They can live in almost any climate All they need is shade, water and prey. That is
exactly what they can find in all layers of the rainforest.
Bibliographyhttp://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/3095
http://mbgnet.net/sets/rforest/explore/layers.htmhttp://www.tigerhomes.org/animal/images/rainforest-layers.
gifhttp://striweb.si.edu/rainforest/rainforest_layers.htmlhttp://www.rainforesteducation.com/life/canopy3.htmhttp://www.maiaw.com/anteater/