Vocabulary

biodiversity- many different kinds of life.

bromeliad- a tropical plant, a member of the pineapple family, that grows on the branches or trunks of trees.

buttress- a fan shaped bottom on some of the tall rainforest trees that helps hold the tree upright.

canopy- a thick, overhead layer of the forest made by the tops of tall trees and vines.

conservation- a careful preservation and protection of something.

deforestation- the process of stripping an area of trees and other vegetation.

drip tips- leaves that come to a point allowing rainwater to drip off.

endangered species- an animal or plant that is threatened with extinction.

epiphyte- a plant that grows on another plant, but doesn't harm it.

equator- the imaginary line around the earth halfway between the North and South Poles.

extinct- no longer living.

forest floor- the bottom layer of the rainforest.

liana- a woody vine that is rooted in the soil and grows up tree trunks.

parasite- a plant or animal that grows and feeds on another.

tropical rainforest- an evergreen forest found in an area around the equator.  There is much rainfall and the climate is warm and humid year round.  Sometimes called a jungle.

understory- the layer of the forest below the canopy where small trees, shrubs and herbs grow.