Features of the Amazon Rainforest.
The Amazon Rainforest makes over 20% of the Earth's oxygen, Every species that lives in the Rainforest, plays an important role in maintaining the forest and keeping the balance healthy. Researchers have split the Forest into 4 main layers: The Forest Floor, The Understory, The canopy and finally The Emergent layer.
The Forest Floor - The forest floor is the first layer, the bottom. This layer is very moist because of the decomposing plants and trees. The forest floor gets no sunlight at all, therefore, makes no important vegetation. Insects feeding on the decomposing material is basically the only activity that happens in this layer.
The Understory - The understory is the second layer, this layer also receives a very small amount of sunlight, making it damp, the understory is the layer where mosses and ferns grow. There are a tremendous number of insects in the understory. Many trees and flowers are in this layer, because of the lack of wind and sunlight, many insects in this layer pollinate their flowers.
The Canopy - The third layer, the thickest layer in the Amazon Rainforest, The Canopy. Scientists believe that the Amazon canopy contains half of the Earth's species. This layer because of its extreme density, filters most of the sunlight to the bottom two layers. A whole other ecosystem blossoms in the treetops of the Amazon Rainforest, the canopy is inhabited by a number of species, birds, insects, mammals and flowers.
The Emergent - This is the fourth and final layer, the highest layer that can be as high as 60 meters from the ground. This layer is exposed to the bad weather, high winds and severe rain. some animals find everything they need to survive in the emergent layer and they rarely ever leave.
The Amazon:
The Amazon Rainforest makes over 20% of the Earth's oxygen, Every species that lives in the Rainforest, plays an important role in maintaining the forest and keeping the balance healthy. Researchers have split the Forest into 4 main layers: The Forest Floor, The Understory, The canopy and finally The Emergent layer.
The Forest Floor - The forest floor is the first layer, the bottom. This layer is very moist because of the decomposing plants and trees. The forest floor gets no sunlight at all, therefore, makes no important vegetation. Insects feeding on the decomposing material is basically the only activity that happens in this layer.
The Understory - The understory is the second layer, this layer also receives a very small amount of sunlight, making it damp, the understory is the layer where mosses and ferns grow. There are a tremendous number of insects in the understory. Many trees and flowers are in this layer, because of the lack of wind and sunlight, many insects in this layer pollinate their flowers.
The Canopy - The third layer, the thickest layer in the Amazon Rainforest, The Canopy. Scientists believe that the Amazon canopy contains half of the Earth's species. This layer because of its extreme density, filters most of the sunlight to the bottom two layers. A whole other ecosystem blossoms in the treetops of the Amazon Rainforest, the canopy is inhabited by a number of species, birds, insects, mammals and flowers.
The Emergent - This is the fourth and final layer, the highest layer that can be as high as 60 meters from the ground. This layer is exposed to the bad weather, high winds and severe rain. some animals find everything they need to survive in the emergent layer and they rarely ever leave.
The Amazon:
- 70% of plants found to have anticancer properties are found only in the rainforest.
- The number of edible fruits found in the rainforest is estimated in 3,000. Amazon natives consume more than 1,500, but only 200 are cultivated for use today.
- There may also be fifty or so Amazon tribes living in the depths of the Amazon Rainforest that have never had contact with the outside world.
- An estimated number of 2,700 million acres of the rainforest are burned each year.