3. Weather
• A rainforest is a forest that experiences high
annual rainfall.
• Rainforests are divided into two subsets:
– tropical rainforests
– temperant rainforests
4. Tropical Rainforest
• Tropical rainforests are located in tropical
regions
• Average temperature of a tropical rainforest is
77 F
• The rainforest stays about this temperature
year round
• Extensive cloud cover and heavy rainfall keep
temperatures from getting considerably hotter
or colder
5. Temperate Rainforest
• A temperate rainforest experiences all four
seasons and a part of the rainfall count falls in
the form of snow.
• Temperate rainforests are found between an
ocean and a mountainous region
• Temperatures are mainly cool and wet, though
they can get hot in summer. The average
annual temperature is 50 F
7. Emergent Layer (Trees and Plants)
• Trees and plants that grow in the Emergent
layer receive the most sunlight and wind
– They have thick, waxy leaves to help protect them
from the strong sun and wind
16. Canopy Layer (Trees and Plants)
• The trees form a “green
roof” over the forest below
• The canopy is the busiest
part of the rainforest
• The canopy protects the
ground from the sun and
light rain
• Many of the leaves on the
plants are pointed , so that
the rain runs off the leaves
to help keep the leaves dry
and free from mold
28. Understory Layer
• Little sunshine reaches this
area
• Plants have to grow larger
leaves to reach the sunlight
• The plants in this area
seldom grow to 12 feet
45. Forest Floor
(Trees and Plants)
• It's very dark on the
forest floor
• Almost no plants grow
in this area, as a result
• Since hardly any sun
reaches the forest floor
things begin to decay
quickly.
