The worlds rainforests contain the most diverse selection of animals and plants matched no where else. In fact.. 40 to 60% of all the plants and animals are hardbored in the lush canopy or far below on the well shaded ground in the rainforest.
There rainforest is organized in five layers. Starting at the bottom you find the shrubs and herbs. Next up is the understory. Above that you find the lower canopy. Then the upper canopy, and finally at the very top are what is know as emergents.. or the tallest trees.
Most of the plants stay green all year and they usually have broad leaves with 'drip-tips' to allow water to drip off the leaves preventing algae from forming. The trees grow up to 100 ft and above the canopy to 200ft. The trunks have flaring buttresses and roots that reach up to 300 ft in length the keep the trees steady in thin soil. Large vines called lianas are abundent. Also plants that grow on trees and aren't parasitic are called epiphytes. It's not unusual to see a great deal of these growing on the trees.
Tropical rainforests are humid beacause they are located on and near the equator. It rains almost all the time in the area around 23 degrees noth and 23 south laditude. (known as the tropics) It some area.. it rains more than 15ft!!
Several different types of parrots and other birds live in the rainforest canopy. Several other species include: Jaguars, ocelots, quite a few different types of tree frogs, the caiman, the quash, the anaconda, the tapir, many many different species of monkeys, and the toucan.
Foods like the cucmber originated in the rainforest. Like chocolate? The coaco bean (origionally from the Mayan word cacoa) also comes from the rainforest as well as hundreds of other delicious foods. Scientists have created many medicines to cure diseases in people and animals using rainforest products. In fact about 40% of all medicines use rainforest plants.
You can see now that it is extremely important to prevent the rainforest from being destroyed.