Rainforest Plants

The Amazon Rainforest lies in South America, it's greatest part belonging to Brazil. The Amazon rainforest is the world's largest rainforest and encompasses about 6.5 million square kilometers (about 1.6 billion acres).

The rainforest is home to some of the most unique and useful plants on the planet. Nowhere else on earth are so many species of different plants found. In fact, tropical rainforests hold more than two- thirds of the world's plant species.

The rainforest is divided into four different layers, all of which exhibit different properties and characteristics. Each layer has different plants and animals that call it home.

The lowest layer of the rainforest is the forrest floor. This area receives very little sunlight, due to the canopy of trees above it. Because of this lack of sunlight, few plants grow in this area. The forrest floor is home to many different kinds of fungi, however, which are found amongst the plant and animal matter decomposing on the ground.

The next rainforest layer is known as the understory layer. This layer is home to a large variety of different organisms. The seedlings and saplings of trees that will one day reach to the top of the rainforest are found in this layer, as are a large variety of different shrubs and herbs. Because it is difficult for openings to be found in the canopy, many trees remain in the understory for decades. Some trees remain small their entire lives, and never reach out of this layer. Some examples of this include the dogwood and holly trees.

The canopy layer is the next highest layer of the rainforest. This is where the majority of the large trees living in the forest are found. Some scientists believe that the canopy layer is home to nearly half of all plant species on earth, making the variety of different plants living there very diverse. Many animals have evolved to live entirely within the canopy, sleeping in the trees and finding food in the form of different plants located there.

The final layer of the rainforest is known as the emergent layer. The emergent level is incredibly high, and thus, very few plants are found in this layer. The tallest trees of this forest are the only species that reach the emergent layer, and protrude above the canopy below.

The many different plants found in the rainforest have been proven to be useful to humans. Several of the foods that are now cultivated around the world were originally grown in the rainforest. Amongst the many different foods originally discovered in the forest were rice, bananas, onions, and tomatoes. Furthermore, many plant species in the rainforest have been found to have medicinal qualities, and have been using in medications to treat fever, burns, wounds, and infections, amongst many other sicknesses.

The rich variety of plants that grow in the rainforest is a testament to how unique this environment truly is. Unfortunately, many of these species are in danger of extinction, due to deforestation. The many different plants are another reason that it is important to preserve the rainforest, as it is possible that cures to many human aliments could be discovered from the plants growing there.

The Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world. Learn about the Size of the Amazon Rainforest


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	Home » Rain Forests » Rainforest Plants Rainforest Plants The Amazon Rainforest lies in South America, it's greatest part belonging to Brazil. The Amazon rainforest is the world's largest rainforest and encompasses about 6.5 million square kilometers (about 1.6 billion acres). The rainforest is home to some of the most unique and useful plants on the planet. Nowhere else on earth are so many species of different plants found. In fact, tropical rainforests hold more than two- thirds of the world's plant species. The rainforest is divided into four different layers, all of which exhibit different properties and characteristics. Each layer has different plants and animals that call it home. The lowest layer of the rainforest is the forrest floor. This area receives very little sunlight, due to the canopy of trees above it. Because of this lack of sunlight, few plants grow in this area. The forrest floor is home to many different kinds of fungi, however, which are found amongst the plant and animal matter decomposing on the ground. The next rainforest layer is known as the understory layer. This layer is home to a large variety of different organisms. The seedlings and saplings of trees that will one day reach to the top of the rainforest are found in this layer, as are a large variety of different shrubs and herbs. Because it is difficult for openings to be found in the canopy, many trees remain in the understory for decades. Some trees remain small their entire lives, and never reach out of this layer. Some examples of this include the dogwood and holly trees. The canopy layer is the next highest layer of the rainforest. This is where the majority of the large trees living in the forest are found. Some scientists believe that the canopy layer is home to nearly half of all plant species on earth, making the variety of different plants living there very diverse. Many animals have evolved to live entirely within the canopy, sleeping in the trees and finding food in the form of different plants located there. The final layer of the rainforest is known as the emergent layer. The emergent level is incredibly high, and thus, very few plants are found in this layer. The tallest trees of this forest are the only species that reach the emergent layer, and protrude above the canopy below. The many different plants found in the rainforest have been proven to be useful to humans. Several of the foods that are now cultivated around the world were originally grown in the rainforest. Amongst the many different foods originally discovered in the forest were rice, bananas, onions, and tomatoes. Furthermore, many plant species in the rainforest have been found to have medicinal qualities, and have been using in medications to treat fever, burns, wounds, and infections, amongst many other sicknesses. The rich variety of plants that grow in the rainforest is a testament to how unique this environment truly is. Unfortunately, many of these species are in danger of extinction, due to deforestation. The many different plants are another reason that it is important to preserve the rainforest, as it is possible that cures to many human aliments could be discovered from the plants growing there. The Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world. Learn about the Size of the Amazon Rainforest
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