(SCIENCE TREK MUSIC) JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST: To understand a forest, you need to look at its layers or zones.
At the bottom is the first zone, the forest floor.
It's where de-composition takes place, making the soil rich for plants to grow.
It's where most animals and insects live.
And the stuff you find on the floor.
it has a name.
It's called duff.
Next, is the understory.
That's the area where small bushes, plants and saplings live.
In rainforests, it tends be darker and more humid than the area above.
Flowers here tend to be brighter to attract pollinators.
And it's a good place for reptiles to live.
The next zone is called the canopy.
It's at, what's called, the crown of the trees, where the tops of the branches can intertwine.
The canopy can block out as much as 95 percent of available light.
Many creatures spend much of their lives just living in the canopy.
In rain forests, there's a fourth zone called the emergent layer.
Here a few tall trees stick out above the canopy.
And because they get so much sun, the leaves in this zone may be small and waxy to survive in hot weather.
For more information about forests, check out the Science Trek website.
You'll find it at ScienceTrek.org.