Canopy

The canopy is hot and dry compared to the understory and the forest floor. Trees and other plants in the canopy absorb most of the sunlight before it can reach the lower layers. The sunlight is an important part of "photosynthesis", which is the process plants use to create food, and to breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. The canopy layer of the rainforest right under the emergent layer.

In a rainforest, the tops of tallest trees are called the emergent layer. They are like islands floating above a sea of bright green leaves. Toucans and other birds live in the emergent layer, with butterflies and many other insects. Scientists build platforms in the tops of these giant trees to study this unique place and the plants and animals that live there.

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