Loading...

Two Types of Forests

 

Goal:

Goal:

What do you know about life in a forest?

Have you ever been to a forest where the trees were so high you could not see their tops? Have you ever sat so still you could hear animals rustling in the leaves? Many plants and animals live in the forest, from the canopy at the very top to the soil at the very bottom and all the shrubs and smaller plants in between.

Let’s learn about two types of forests, a tropical rainforest and a temperate forest. Click on each picture to read about these types.

ALTTEXT: Enter key opens full-screen view with caption; escape key exits full screen.

Tropical Rainforest

Tropical rainforest scene

Tropical rainforests are home to more plants and animals than anywhere else on Earth. Lots of animals like monkeys, sloths, macaws, and snakes all live in the tops of the trees called the canopy.

ALTTEXT: Enter key opens full-screen view with caption; escape key exits full screen.

Temperate Forest

As the weather gets warm, chipmunks and squirrels might be playing in a temperate forest. The chipmunks come out of holes, bears come out of caves, and ground beetles come out from under rocks and leaves. Earthworms come to the top of the soil. This is what spring is like in a temperate forest.

Question

What part of a forest is the canopy?

The canopy is the tops of the trees, where many animals live.