These tropical forests are found in three large groups in Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. They cover a large part of the tropics. About half of the animals and plants of the world live in tropical rainforests. Rainforest trees crowd together and many are very tall. The thick, leafy, tree-tops are called the forest canopy .
More animals live in the canopy than in any other part of the forest.
Just below the tree tops is the forest understory , filled with vines and young trees. The forest floor is covered with a layer of dead leaves. Above the canopy, at the very top of the forest, are the isolated crowns of the very tallest trees. These tree tops, homes of many rainforest birds and insects, are called the emergent layer . About half the rain that falls on tropical forests is absorbed in forest soil and then slowly released into rivers and streams as fresh water.