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Vertical Stratification

In Amazonian rainforests, the average size of the tallest trees ranges from 30 to 45 meters (98.4 to 147.6 feet).

A few trees grow above these limits, reaching 60 meters (199 feet), and many herbs, bushes, and small trees grow beneath them. The conditions from the forest floor to the highest treetop change noticeably as one ascends, offering a large number and variety of habitats for rainforest species.

To explain its complexity, researchers have suggested the concept of vertical stratification of the rainforest.

- Emergent trees

Refers to the crowns of the tallest trees, such as the lupunas, the Brazil nut trees, and the shihuahuaco, which tower above the canopy. Numerous epiphytes and other organisms that live in these treetops have adapted to the high light availability and to the enormous climatic changes to which this stratum, or layer, is subjected.

- The canopy

Is made up of the aggregation of continuous treetops intertwined with each other, giving the impression that the rainforest is an immense green carpet. In this layer, there is an abundance of leaves, flowers, and fruits that attract a great diversity of specialized animals. These animals develop a complex web of food relationships.

- The understory

Is made up of growing trees, palms, bushes, and herbaceous plants. When one of the huge rainforest trees falls, there is a sudden growth of plants in this stratum. Fierce competition to take possession of the new clearing contributes to maintaining the dynamic of tropical rainforests, as it allows new species to become dominant.

- The forest floor

Contains a superficial layer of organic material, from which plants obtain their nutrients. It is estimated that 550 different species of plants can develop per hectare (2.7 acres) (datum: Reserva Ecológica Inkaterra). It is the beginning of life even for the giant emergent trees, which also belonged to this stratum when they were seedlings. In this stratum intense animal life-mostly ants and termites-develops among the remains of fallen leaves and trunks. These animals accelerate the decomposition of organic material, producing natural nutrients.