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Due to the hot and wet climate, there is dense and luxuriant vegetation. The crowns of the trees form a distinct layered arrangement. The highest level consists of scattered emergents which are 40-50m tall. The middle layer consists of trees that are 20-30 m tall. Their crowns form a nearly continuous canopy which shields the sunlight from the forest floor. The lower layer is made up of smaller trees with narrow crowns. These trees are 5-15m tall. The few trees per acre in this layer enjoy unfettered access to the sunlight. The method of seed dispersal of these trees are also diifferent from those found below,in the canopy layer, mainly maximising the use of wind. This layer also has its own set of creatures living, very much different from those found below. An example would be the harpy eagle and toucan.
This layer looks more like a green carpet from above. Photosynthesis occurs mainly in this canopy, absorbing 90 percent of the sunlight that falls. Butterflies and mammals such as the sloth roam this layer. Productivity here is also the highest due to the high level of photosynthesis. around 25-30 tonnes of new growth per acre, twice as much as a temperate oak forest. Since most of the sunlight do not reach this layer, this layer do not have much vegetation. Life is much harder here, as organism fight for their share of sunlight and raw materials. The temperature here is lower and humidity is higher.
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