Plant Life Trees here are mostly evergreen. This means that they slowly loose leaves. There are not a lot of flowers in this layer, however, the orchid loves the very bottom of this layer. There are several different trees that call this layer home:
The emergent layer receives the most sunlight out of all the layers. This layer has giant trees that stand above all other trees in the rain forest. Towering as high as 250 feet above the ground and can be 16 feet around. Emergent trees are exposed to the hot sun and strong winds.
They rise up on tall, slender trunks that are often supported by buttresses or stilt roots (see picture above). The treetops are shaped like umbrellas and the leaves are often thick and waxy to protect them from the sun and wind. The wind helps spread the seeds to other parts of the forest.
These trees have thick branches allowing birds and other flyers to call it home.
Temperature and Climate Temperature in the rain forest is between 70 to 95 degrees year round. Because this is the highest layer temperature changes are common. This layer also is the first to receive the rain. With the high temperatures and lots of rain water, people are able to see condensation changing into clouds.