Under The Treetops

Location: Moody Gardens Rainforest Exhibit

Download Guide

Before Your Visit

Read through all of the activity pages and fill out the animal and plant chart.

During Your Visit

Enjoy your time at Moody Gardens!

After Your Visit

After you leave the exhibit take some time to look at the post activity.

Introduction

Did you know that more than half of the world’s animals live in rainforests? Many of the plants and animals haven't even been discovered yet!

Pop Quiz

Do you know how much rain you get where you live every year? If not, look it up! ___________ inches
In some rainforests it rains more than an INCH a DAY!! Compare that to where you live, what is the difference in inches? ___________ inches

Isn't that crazy? Because it rains so much on rainforests there are often very thick white clouds above the treetops. These clouds are formed by something called transpiration.

Rainforests are structured in 4 layers: emergent, canopy, understory, and forest floor. Each layer has very unique characteristics differing on sunlight, water and air circulation. Each layer is distinct yet dependent on the nearby layers to be able to function properly.

With each layer being very different, there are many different animal species that are unique to their own specific rainforest layer. This is what allows the rainforest to be teeming with thousands of different species. One 4 square mile patch of forest can house up to 1500 flowering plants, about 750 tree species, 400 different birds and over 150 different species of butterflies. There are different types of rainforests on every continent except for Antarctica, but the largest one surrounds the Amazon River in South America and the Congo River in Africa.

Layers of The Rainforest

Emergent Layer (100-200ft)

This is the top layer of the rainforest. Trees as tall as 200 feet fill the sky. The tree leaves are sparse on the trunk but spread wide from the branches as they are able to catch the rays of the sun. Trees commonly found in the layer are the Brazil Nut Trees and Kapok Tree. The Brazil Nut tree, vulnerable species, can live up to 1000 years in an undisturbed rainforest habitat. Animals often travel throughout the flimsy branches of the emergent layer by flying or gliding. Animals that live in the emergent layers include bats, birds, gliders and butterflies.

White-tailed hawks and harpy eagles are its top predators. Trees in the emergent layer rely on the wind to scatter their seeds.

Canopy Layer (56-95ft)

The canopy lies directly below the emergent layer and is a thick layer of vegetation that is roughly 20 feet thick. The canopy forms a “roof” over the two remaining layers of the forest. It is difficult for the wind to blow through the canopy, so most of the plant's seeds are inside their fruit. Fruit brings in all kinds of animals to eat. Because the canopy is so dense, there is so much more food available which causes the canopies to be teeming with all kinds of creatures. Animals like the Scarlet Macaw and the keel-billed toucan, howler monkeys and two-toed sloths. There are thousands and thousands of insect species found hanging out in the canopies and well as reptiles like the draco lizards.

Understory Layer (16-55ft)

Located below the canopy is the understory, which without the sun being able to fully pass through the canopy, is a darker and even more humid environment. Plants in the understory are shorter and have much larger leaves to catch as much sunlight as they can. The plants also often produce big bright flowers easy to see so they can attract pollinators in the darker condition. Like the canopy, the understory also has lots of edible fruit. The shrubs are also enjoyed by the animals and insects. The dense foliage allows the perfect environment for camouflage. The understory is home to many creatures including the jaguar, the anaconda and python(as well as other snakes), gorillas and antelope.

Forest Floor Layer (0-15ft)

This is the darkest of all of the layers which makes it very hard for plants to grow. Leaves that fall onto the floor decay very quickly. Decomposers such as termites, slugs, scorpions, worms and fungi thrive on the forest floor. WIld pigs, armadillos and anteaters look for tasty insects in the decomposing brush. Rats and pacas use the roots from the tall trees and shrubs to hide from predators. Rivers run through the floor layer of rainforests and create freshwater habitats. The Amazon River, for example, is home to the pink river dolphin, black caiman which is in the alligator family is also part of this habitat.

Use the detailed information above and fill in the blanks below.