What is a rainforest?
- Rainforests are a type of habitat. Heavy – often daily – rainfall and dense, evergreen tree cover characterize rainforests.
- Rainforests are sometimes known as the ‘lungs of the planet.’ That’s because plants ‘draw in’ carbon dioxide and ‘breathe out’ oxygen.
- There are different types of rainforests, as they are found on every continent except Antarctica. There are warm, wet tropical rainforests close to the equator, like the Amazon, and more incredible, temperate rainforests farther north.
Layers of the tropical rainforest
Tropical rainforests are made up of four different layers. Different plants live in separate layers. That’s because they experience other conditions: varying amounts of sunlight, different animals may live in the plants (and eat them); it might be rainier and windier, too.
- The emergent layer
This is the top layer of the rainforest. Only a few animals live in this layer. It’s hot, wet, and windy.
- The canopy layer
This is located below the emergent layer. The canopy is home to most of the plants and animals of the rainforest. There’s lots of food and shelter available.
- The understory layer
Beneath the canopy is the understory. It’s very dark and humid – not much light can get through the dense canopy leaves.
- The forest floor layer
The forest floor is dark, hot, and humid. As a result, only about 5% of the sunlight makes it to the forest floor!
These layers create lots of diversity and a beautiful array of plants. So many things we use daily come from plants in the rainforest, especially tropical rainforests of the southern hemisphere. From the food, we eat to the furniture and buildings around us and medicine. We have a lot to thank for plants of rainforests, both tropical and temperate! Here are some examples.
Plants of the tropical rainforest
Many tropical rainforest plants provide a home, food, and tools for those living there and the resources we use daily!
- Banana plants and pineapples.
- Rubber trees – yes, that’s where the rubber is from!
- Vibrant plants with fantastic shapes include Heliconia – or ‘lobster claws.’ The ‘claws’ protect their delicate flowers from birds like hummingbirds.
- Amazing, varied flowers like orchids
- The cacao plant – this is where we get chocolate from.
Plants of temperate rainforests
Temperate rainforests in the northern hemisphere include some of the biggest, oldest plants on Earth. They are called mild as they are neither very hot nor freezing. There are fewer temperate rainforests than tropical rainforests. Nevertheless, they support a wide variety of life.
- Sitka spruce trees, doulgas fir trees, and giant sequoia trees. Coastal redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth. One such tree alive today is over 115m tall!
- Evergreen huckleberry and western hemlock.
- Many kinds of ferns, mosses, lichens, and liverworts grow in the understory, where it’s dark and shaded. Lichen is found hanging from tree trunks and branches, while mosses are small plants that do not flower. Instead, you can spot them on rocks and tree trunks.
- Oak trees, beech trees, elm trees, and birch trees are common in temperate forests of the U.K. Oak trees produce acorns.
- Bamboo grows in the temperate forests of Asia.
