The Rainforest

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The Rainforest

• Lets find out about the rainforest.
• What lives there?

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Layers of the Rainforest

• EMERGENT LAYER
• The tallest trees are the emergents, towering as
  much as 200 feet above the forest floor with
  trunks that measure up to 16 feet around.   Most
  of these trees are broad-leaved, hardwood
  evergreens. Sunlight is plentiful up here. 
  Animals found are eagles, monkeys, bats and
  butterflies.

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Layers of the Rainforest

• CANOPY LAYER
• This is the primary layer of the forest and
  forms a roof over the two remaining layers.  
  Most canopy trees have smooth, oval leaves that
  come to a point. It's a maze of leaves and
  branches.  Many animals live in this area since
  food is abundant.   Those animals include
  snakes, toucans and treefrogs.

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Layers of the Rainforest

• UNDERSTORY LAYER
• Little sunshine reaches this area so the plants
  have to grow larger leaves to reach the sunlight.
    The plants in this area seldom grow to 12
  feet.  Many animals live here including jaguars,
  red-eyed tree frogs and leopards.  There is a
  large concentration of insects here.

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Layers of the Rainforest

• FOREST FLOOR
• It's very dark down here.  Almost no plants grow
  in this area, as a result.  Since hardly any sun
  reaches the forest floor things begin to decay
  quickly.  A leaf that might take one year to
  decompose in a regular climate will disappear in 
  6 weeks.   Giant anteaters live in this layer.

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Emergent
Canopy
UNDERSTORY
FOREST FLOOR
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Animals of the Rainforest
Macaws
Sloth
Poison-arrow frog
Spider Monkey
Toucan
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• Poison-arrow frogs are social frogs found in
  Central and South America. They are known by
  their bright colors which warn other animals that
  they are poisonous. Its poison is one of the most
  powerful known and can cause paralysis or death.
  It is so potent that one millionth of an ounce
  can kill a dog and an amount smaller than a grain
  of salt can kill a human. One frog carries enough
  poison to kill about 100 people. Native hunters
  use it on the tips of their arrows which is how
  the frog got its name.

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Sloths are extremely slow-moving mammals found in
the rainforest canopies of Central and South
America. There are two species of slothstwo-toed
and three-toed. Most sloths are about the size of
a small dog and they have short, flat flat heads.
Their hair is grayish brown but, at times they
look grey-green in color because they move so
slowly that tiny camouflaging algae grow all over
their coats.
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Macaws are the largest of all parrots. There are
16 different species of macaws and they range in
size from a little over three feet to one foot.
They have beautiful, graceful, tails that are as
long or longer than their bodies. They also have
long, pointed wings that enable them to fly
swiftly.
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• Bromeliads are related to the pineapple family.
  Their thick, waxy leaves form a bowl shape in the
  centre for catching rainwater. Some bromeliads
  can hold several gallons of water and are
  miniature ecosystems in themselves providing
  homes for several creatures including frogs and
  their tadpoles, salamanders, snails, beetles and
  mosquito larvae. Those that die decompose and
  furnish the plant with nutrients. One bromeliad
  was found to contain several small beetles, crane
  flies, earwigs, a frog, a cockroach, spiders, fly
  larvae, a millipede, a scorpion, woodlice and an
  earthworm!