new and improved use this version

1. T he Four Layer s
of the Amazon
Rainfor est
By Emma Tussey
Mrs.Schaltz Social Studies Class

2.  The Emergent Layer
 The Canopy
 The Understory
 The Forest Floor

3. The Emergent Layer
 Gets 100% of the sunlight
 Trees have waxy leaves so they will stay
moist
 130 - 250ft above ground

4. Emergent Layer
Animals
• The Sloth
Sloths move so slowly that
green algae covers its
body. They live in the
emergent layer because
they are so slow they will
get eaten in any other
layer.

5. Another Emergent
Layer Animal
 Macaw
The Macaw is the
largest of all parrots.
They eat the nuts
and fruits that grow in
the tall trees.

6. Plants of the Emergent
Layer
 Kapok Tree
The top of the Kapok
tree is shaped like an
open umbrella. Many
animals live in the
trees branches. It
reaches heights of
150ft or more.

7. Another Emergent
Layer Plant
 Tualang
The Tualang is best
known for the disc
shaped honeycombs
which hang from its
branches. It can
reach heights of
250ft.

8. The Canopy
 Gets 95% of the sunlight
 Upper canopy leaves are waxy so they
can hold water
 60 -130ft above ground

9. Canopy Animals
 Harpy Eagle
The Harpy Eagle eats
mostly monkeys and
sloths. It is Panama’s
national bird. They
prefer large areas of
continuous forest.

10. Another Canopy Animal
 Toucan
Toucans live in
hollowed out trees.
They eat the fruits
and insects that grow
and live in the
canopy.

11. Canopy Plants
 Curare
The Curare has heart
shaped leaves. They
are smooth on top
and hairy white on
the bottom. It grows
like a vine up the tall
canopy trees.

12. Another Canopy Plant
 Strangler Figs
The Strangler Fig is
food to many animals
including: parrots,
toucans and gibbons.
They also grow up
the sides of the
canopy trees.

13. The Understory
 Gets 2 – 15% of the sunlight
 The leaves are large so they can get
more sunlight
 Ground level – 60ft

14. Understory Animals
 The Ant Shrike
The Ant Shrike makes
its nest in the
understory and eats
the insects that live
on the forest floor.

15. Another Understory
Animal
 The Vine Snake
When a Vine Snake is
in danger it puffs up
the front of its body
and opens its mouth
really wide. It eats
the animals that live
in the understory.

16. Understory Plants
 Orchids
There are over 230
species of orchids
found in the
rainforest. Orchids
grow in the shade of
the understory.

17. Another Understory
Plant
 Acacia Tree
The Acacia Tree
produces little yellow
buds. The buds
provide food for
some ants. It doesn’t
get enough sunlight
to grow as tall as the
trees in the canopy.

18. The Forest Floor
 Gets only 2% of the sunlight
 Leaves decay quickly due to the lack of
sunlight
 Ground level

19. Forest Floor Animals
 Army Ants
Army Ants can travel about
65ft in a hour. They can
eat almost anything.
They live on the forest
floor because the food
they eat lives there and
they can’t live in trees.

20. Another Forest Floor
Animal
 Coatimundi
The Coatimundi is also
known as the White –
nosed Coati. It has
adapted to the forest
floor with a long nose
and claws for digging
holes.

21. A Forest Floor Plant
 Moss, Herbs and
Fungi
Due to the lack of
sunlight, almost no
plants live on the
forest floor. What
little that do live there
are able to survive in
wet environments.