FLOWER GARDEN

The tropical rain forest is discussed in depth elsewhere. In brief, it is a forest consisting of a dizzying variety of trees, shrubs, and other plants that remain green year-round. The growth is lush and usually includes both a dense canopy formed by the crowns of the largest trees and a thick understory of smaller trees and shrubs. Growth is often continuous, rather than broken into periods of dormancy and active growth, so that fruiting trees are occasionally seen bearing blossoms and mature fruit simultaneously.

See also: Temperate Forest, Boreal Forest, Forest Ecology and Resources, Threats to the Forest