Structure of vegetation in the rainforest
Emergent's are the tallest trees and are usually over 50 meters tall.
The sea of leaves blocking out the sun from the lower layers is called the canopy.
The under canopy mainly contains bare tree trunks.
The shrub layer has the densest plant growth. It contains shrubs and ferns and other plants needing less light.
The forest floor is usually dark and damp. It contains a layer of rotting leaves and dead animals.
Impacts on indigenous people
- The replacement of forest with grassland can also have a major effect on the way of life of indigenous people. Without the forest wood, they cannot make the artifacts, tools, and buildings that are an important part of their economy
- Deforestation in indigenous territories by loggers has sometimes triggered violent conflict. Logging, mining, and farming in tropical forests sometimes displace native communities. Left without land or other resources, native cultures often break up.
- ropical forests are home to millions of native people who make their livings through subsistence agriculture, hunting and gathering, or through low-impact harvesting of forest products like rubber or nuts