Why Is the Rainforest Hot and Wet?

Since most rainforests are located near the equator, their climate is always hot, wet and humid. Temperatures in tropical rainforests do not change much. The Amazon rainforest generally retains a temperature between 68 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit. It also receives about six to 12 feet of rain every year. Unlike tropical rainforests, temperate rainforests can be found in temperate zones and receive a high amount of rainfall.

Rainforests cannot thrive in climates with temperatures lower than 32 degrees Fahrenheit. All tropical rainforests have four layers. The emergent layer is where the tallest trees emerge, and the canopy layer is where the majority of the trees reside. At the understory layer, there are countless birds, snakes, lizards and other wildlife, and the forest floor is the bottom layer of the rainforest.

Plants in the understory layer have larger leaves that can reach the sunlight that passes through the large trees in the canopy layer. There is no vegetation at the bottom layer since very little sun reaches the forest floor; however, many forms of fungi grow there. Animals, such as monkeys, eagles, butterflies and bats survive in the emergent layer, while toucans and snakes are often seen in the canopy layer.