Tropical rainforests are found across the world between the
Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer, 22.5° North and
22.5° South of the Equator. Almost half of the remaining
tropical rainforest is found in tropical America, a bit more
than a third in Asia and Oceania, and fifteen percent in Africa.
Tropical rainforests cover approximately 8% of the world’s land
surface - an area of approximately 1.2 billion hectares - and
yet contain over half of the earth’s species of animals and
plants. The largest rainforest, the Amazon, is found in South
America and spans nine nations (Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador,
Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname, as well as French
Guiana), covering a total area of approximately 600 million
hectares. The rainforest is divided into four main layers: the
emergent layer consists of the tallest trees (emergent trees)
which can grow to heights of 70m. These trees act as a buffer,
sheltering the lower trees from heavy rains. Beneath this layer
is the main canopy of smaller trees