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Facts about Rain Forest

Rainfall: rainforests receive at least 80 inches (200 cm) of rain per year. Canopy: rainforests have a canopy, which is the layer of branches and leaves formed by closely spaced rainforest trees [picture]. Most of the plants and animals in the rainforest live in the canopy.

Rainforests are often called the lungs of the planet for their role in absorbing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and producing oxygen, upon which all animals depend for survival. Rainforests also stabilize climate, house incredible amounts of plants and wildlife, and produce nourishing rainfall all around the planet.

Epiphytic ferns are one of the most common features in rainforests. They grow on the trunks and limbs of trees but unlike parasitic plants such as mistletoe, do not steal nutrients from their host tree. They survive instead on rainwater and the nutrients they get from trapped fallen leaves.