What are the four layers of the equatorial forest?
Answers
In general, it is divided into four layers: emergent layer, canopy layer, understory, and the forest floor.
Layers of the Rainforest
Emergent Layer. The first layer of a tropical rainforest from the top is called the emergent layer.
Canopy Layer.
Understory.
Forest Floor.
Answer:
The first layer of a tropical rainforest from the top is called the emergent layer. The emergent layer consists of towering trees (basically taller than most trees in the forest) that protrude out of the rest of the plants in the area. The average height is about 70-100m from the ground level.
It can be inferred that trees found in the emergent layer tend to experience the extremes of environmental condition. Being at the top means they receive direct heat from the sun, causing them to dry out constantly. Rains and winds also tend to strain them out. Fluctuations in temperature, from high temperatures during the day to extremely cold ones at night, also torn them down.
To adapt to these said conditions, trees develop small yet very tough leaves coated with thick wax that can help withstand them. Meanwhile, to grow in the emergent layer, plants and animals should adapt to the bright sun rays and yet strong winds.
Another adaptation exhibited by animals living in the emergent layer is their small sizes. Many branches in the tree canopy are thin and cannot support heavy weights; therefore, animals that live there are usually the flying and the gliding ones.