Records show that the forests in some regions have existed in more or less their present form for over 70 million years. High temperatures coupled with abundant rainfall produce the steamy atmosphere that is common to rainforests from Australia to the Amazon. So much, in fact, that animals living in the treetops never have to touch the ground. A vast number of these species live in the high protection of the treetops prospering in the shade, food, and shelter provided by the rainforest. The canopy, or upper layer of the tropical rainforest, is one of the last places on earth to be explored and it is where many species of plants and animals remain undiscovered.
Rainforests are also the richest ecosystems on earth.
The rainforest in the South American country of Ecuador has 20,000 kinds of flowering plants. The state of California, a third larger than Ecuador, has only 5,000. These plants have many uses as both spices and foods that have become staples in Western diets. Millions of people live in or near the rainforests and rely on the animals and forest products for the fuel and food of everyday life and for necessary products like pharmaceuticals. Although the rainforests play a vital part in creating favorable weather patterns, rainforests are not the providers of oxygen for the world.