Characteristics Of The Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem

Tropical rainforests cover only about 6 per cent of the Earth's land surface, yet they are home to more than half of all the world's plant and animal species. Hot and wet all year round, they are the most productive ecosystems on land, growing in dense layers from the dark forest floor up to towering emergent trees that break through the canopy.

This lesson explains where rainforests are found, why the equatorial climate is so hot and wet, and how the forest is structured into layers. You will see how plants and animals are adapted to compete for light, cope with heavy rain and survive on surprisingly poor soils, and how every part of the ecosystem is linked through the nutrient cycle.