Emergent layerThe tallest trees, standing above the rest in full sun and wind.
CanopyA roof of leaves and branches over the two layers below.
UnderstoryDark, still and humid. Plants here are shorter, with larger leaves.
Forest floorThe darkest layer, where fallen leaves decay quickly.
In the forest 4
LianaA woody vine rooted in the ground that climbs trees toward light.
EpiphyteA plant that grows on another plant, such as an orchid.
Buttress rootsLarge, wide roots round the base of a shallowly rooted tree.
Leaf litterFallen leaves, seeds and branches that rot fast in warm, wet air.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 in at least two of these. (1) National Geographic Education, Rainforest, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/rain-forest (four layers: emergent, canopy, understory, forest floor, and what each is like). (2) Missouri Botanical Garden, MBGnet, Tropical Rainforest Layers, https://www.mbgnet.net/sets/rforest/explore/layers.htm (the same four layers; canopy branches covered with epiphytes and tied together with vines, lianas; a thin layer of fallen leaves on the floor). (3) NASA, Mission: Biomes, Rainforest, https://science.nasa.gov/kids/earth/mission-biomes/biorainforest/ (canopy, understory and floor; thick woody vines; wet leaves and leaf litter). (4) University of California Museum of Paleontology, The forest biome, https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/forests.php (buttressed trunks and shallow roots; vines, lianas). (5) Wikipedia, Rainforest and Tropical rainforest, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainforest (the four layers, epiphytes, leaf litter). (6) Wikipedia, Buttress root, Liana and Epiphyte, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttress_root. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Own original drawing; nothing is traced or copied. Licence: own work
How it works
The parts of a forest are stacked by height. This drawing shows the parts of a rainforest: four layers, each with a bracket and a box for its name, and a liana, an epiphyte, buttress roots and leaf litter.
Read the full guide
Read the forest from the top down
The emergent layer is the few tallest trees, out in the sun and wind. Below it the canopy closes like a roof and blocks most of the light and rain. The understory beneath is dark, still and humid. The forest floor is darkest of all, and fallen leaves decay there quickly.
Label the rainforest layers worksheet
Print the drawing blank to use it as a label the rainforest layers worksheet. The print with names is the answer key.
Questions and answers
What are the four layers of a rainforest?
From the top: the emergent layer, the canopy, the understory and the forest floor. National Geographic and the Missouri Botanical Garden both count these four.
Does every source count four layers?
No. NASA’s biome page counts three, the canopy, the understory and the floor, and puts the tallest trees in the canopy.
Which layer has the most animals?
The canopy. National Geographic says more animals live there than in any other layer, because so much food grows among its leaves and branches.
What is the difference between a liana and an epiphyte?
A liana is a woody vine rooted in the ground that climbs a tree to reach the light. An epiphyte grows on another plant and takes its water from rain and air, not from the soil.
Do other forests have the same layers?
Most forests have a canopy, an understory and a forest floor. A tropical rainforest adds the emergent layer on top; other forests are often divided into a shrub layer and a herb layer under the trees.