General Information Located near or along the equator Rainforests are hot year around with little temperature change. Rains more than 90 days per year. Any where from 100 to 400 inches of rain fall. Temperature never goes above 95 and never below 64. Average about 80 degrees

Layers of the Rainforest Forest Floor: Few plants grow here because of little sunlight. Drop leaves proved shelter for animals (Snakes, frogs, insects, deer) Understory: Little sun reaches here. Small trees shrubs and ferns grow. Little air movement which means high humidity. Many birds and animals live in this layer. Canopy: Light is easily available above and reduced below. Trees grow anywhere from 60 to 130 feet tall. Animals: Birds, Monkeys, Bats, Reptiles, and flowering plants also grow here. Emergent Layer: Tall trees rise as high as 100 to 240 feet. Wide leaves that receive lots of sun.

No dominant species in a tropical rainforest

Adaptations Plants: some trees have leaf stalks that turn with the movement of the sun. This allows them to absorb as much sunlight as possible. Amphibians: Poisonous dart frogs have a poisonous layer of slime that protects them from being eaten. They have a long, sticky tongue to catch insects. Mammals: many species of monkeys have a prehensile tail that allows them to climb and swing from tall trees in the rainforest.

Geological Feature The soil is very nutrient poor. It can only be used for one or two years after it is clear cut. The rain washes the minerals out and leaves the soil more acidic and nutrient poor. Plants survive by storing nutrients in themselves, rather than getting the nutrients from the soil.