True and false

The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest. It covers an area of nearly 2.8

million square miles, which is nearly the size of the continent of Australia. The

Amazon Rainforest gets its life from the majestic Amazon River, the world's

second largest river, which runs directly through the heart of the region. The

rainforest itself is simply the drainage basin for the river and its many tributaries.

The vast forest itself consists of four layers, each featuring its own ecosystems

and specially adapted plants and animals.

The forest floor is the lowest region. Since only two percent of the sunlight filters

through the top layers to the understory, very few plants grow here. The forest

floor, however, is rich with rotting vegetation and the bodies of dead organisms,

which are quickly broken down into nutrients integrated into the soil. Tree roots

stay close to these available nutrients and decomposers, such as millipedes and

earthworms, use these nutrients for food.

The understory is the layer above the forest floor. Much like the forest floor, only

about 2- 5 percent of the sunlight reaches this shadowy realm. Many of the plants

in the understory have large, broad leaves to collect as much sunlight as possible.

The understory is so thick that there is very little air movement. As a result, plants

rely on insects and animals to pollinate their flowers.

The layer above the understory is the canopy. This is where much of the action in

the rainforest occurs. Many canopy leaves have specially adapted leaves which

form "drip tips". Drip tips allow water to flow off the leaves which prevents

mosses, fungi, and lichens from occupying the leaves. Leaves in the canopy are

very dense and filter about 80 percent of the sunlight. The canopy is where the

wealth of the rainforest's fruits and flowers grow. Bromeliads, cup-like plants,

provide drinking pools for animals and breeding locations for tree frogs.

The emergent layer is above the canopy, and is the top layer of the rainforest.

Trees in the emergent layer break through the canopy and may reach heights of

200 feet. Leaves in the emergent layer are small and covered with a special wax to

hold water. Seeds are blown to other parts of the forest. Trees which rise to the

emergent layer are massive. Many are braced by huge buttress roots. Trunks can

be 16 feet in circumference. Many animals that survive in the emergent layer never

touch the ground.

1. The amazon Rainforest covers an area bigger than size o Australia False
2. The canopy is not the layer the rainforest False
3. The understory is right above the forest floor False
4. Most of the fruits and flowers of the rainforest grow in its forest floor True
5. Bromeliads provide drinking pools for animals and breeding locations for tree frogs True
6. Many trees in the emergent layer of the rainforest are braced by huge buttress roots True
7. Animal that live in the emergent layer may never touch the ground True
8. Few plants grow in the understory because there is not enought nutrients False
9. Plants in the understory have to rely on insects to pollinate tchem because there is very little wind in the understory True
10. The canopy is higher than the Emergent Layer. True