The Four Rainforest Layers
There are four layers in the rain forests:
Emergent Layer
![](https://www.homeschooler.info/content/images/2021/09/image-7.png)
The tallest trees are in the emergent layer, they receive the most amount of sunlight but have to endure low winds, very little humidity, etc.
Canopy Layer
![](https://www.homeschooler.info/content/images/2021/09/image-8.png)
The broad, irregular crowns of these trees form a tight, continuous canopy 60 to 90 feet above the ground.
Understory
![](https://www.homeschooler.info/content/images/2021/09/image-9.png)
Receiving only 2 to 15 percent of the sunlight that falls on the canopy, the understory is a dark place. It is relatively open and contains young trees.
Forest Floor
![](https://www.homeschooler.info/content/images/2021/09/image-10.png)
The forest floor receives less than 2 percent of the sunlight and consequently, little grows here except plants adapted to very low light.