Tropical rainforests circle the globe near the equator, where warm temperatures and heavy rain persist all year. Although they cover only about six percent of the land surface, they are home to more than half of the world's plant and animal species. The forest is arranged in layers, from the dim floor through the understory to the dense canopy and the scattered emergent trees that tower above it. Most of the life is found high in the canopy, where monkeys, birds, insects, and orchids compete for light. Because nutrients are recycled so quickly by fungi and insects, the soil beneath a rainforest is often surprisingly poor.
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