The Canopy Project
Beyond the Canopy: 7 Rainforest Revelations
June 22, 2025
Today, on World Rainforest Day, we celebrate one of the most vital ecosystems on Earth. Rainforests shape our climate, house incredible biodiversity, and even influence global weather. From their ability to generate their own rainfall to the secret ways trees communicate, rainforests impact our planet in ways we’re only just beginning to understand.
A rainforest is defined as a dense forest that receives at least 100 inches of rainfall annually, creating multiple canopy layers and supporting. Most of us probably picture tropical jungles, when rainforests are mentioned but rainforests also thrive in temperate regions too, where towering conifers create their own lush, misty ecosystems.
Here’s seven intriguing facts you probably didn’t know about the world’s rainforests:
1. Only one continent doesn’t have rainforest, can you guess which one?
South America is famously home to the iconic Amazon rainforest, but you may not realize that rainforests also thrive in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.
Rainforests in North America may not be as widely recognized as the Amazon, but they span across each Pacific Coast state, California, Oregon and Washington, as well as within the Appalachian Mountains, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Europe’s temperate rainforests can be found in Norway, Scotland, and Bosnia.
Rainforests take on different forms and are home to different species of trees, animals and insect species depending on their location. Tropical rainforests, found near the equator, are characterized by moisture and dense vegetation, whereas temperate rainforests are found further from the equator in locations with much milder temperatures. The only continent without rainforests is Antarctica — its extreme cold and lack of rainfall mean rainforests cannot survive there.
2. Less than 5% of Light Reaches the Rainforest Floor
The dense canopy of the rainforest blocks most incoming sunlight, allowing only 0.5-5% to reach the forest floor. This creates a dim, shadowy environment where only specially adapted plants can survive. Many understory species, such as philodendrons and zebra plants have evolved large leaves and other adaptations for low-light conditions—which is exactly why they thrive as houseplants in our homes.
With such a small percentage of light making it through the layers of thick foliage, the rainforest floor becomes a highly competitive environment where smaller plants compete fiercely for any available light. When a large tree falls and creates a gap in the canopy, this sudden influx of light dramatically alters the competitive balance and can gradually reshape the entire forest composition. Meanwhile, the perpetually dim understory supports only the most adaptable fungi and plants, creating a remarkable hidden ecosystem.
3. Rainforests Can Generate Their Own Rain
New research has found that the Amazon rainforest helps trigger its own rainy season as plant leaves release water vapor. This process, known as transpiration, increases the amount of moisture in the air and leads to cloud formation and rainfall. It helps sustain the rainforest by allowing the ecosystem to self-regulate, but also highlights how vulnerable these forests are to disruption.
Deforestation disrupts this delicate balance, reducing trees’ ability to generate the rainfall they depend on. As a result the rainy season in the southern Amazon now begins a month later than it did in the 1970s, and scientists warn that a longer dry season could push the forest past a critical tipping point. However, protecting intact rainforest preserves the hydrological cycle, the natural water cycle, allowing the ecosystem to continue sustaining itself through its own rainfall.
4. The Rainforest Canopy is an Undiscovered, Land of its Own
The rainforest canopy is rich in biodiversity, with 70-90% of all life forms existing in this aerial ecosystem. In the Brazilian Amazon alone, explorers are discovering a new species every other day — adding to the 2.5 million insect species, 16,000 tree species, and 3,000 freshwater fish species we already know. Yet vast portions of the Amazon remain unexplored, and the canopy in particular is a world of mystery.
Tropical forests are home to a large percentage of Earth’s species, most of which make use of the canopy, but our understanding of this rich ecosystem remains remarkably limited. The rainforest canopy truly is a land of its own; with many of the species that call it home never descending to the rainforest floor.
5. Indigenous People Know the Forests Best
For thousands of years, Indigenous communities have shaped, relied upon, and grown alongside rainforests. Their deep connection to the forest and understanding of sustainable agriculture makes them essential in preserving these ecosystems.
However, industrial expansion poses a serious threat to both Indigenous communities and the future of rainforest biodiversity. This growing encroachment reinforces the urgent need to protect these territories and Indigenous land rights.
One study found that by ensuring land rights for the Brazilian Amazon’s indigenous people, deforestation could be decreased by 66%.
Additionally, Indigenous-managed lands people’s lands capture significantly more carbon than other locations — a critical factor as areas of the Amazon are now emitting more carbon than they absorb.
6. Trees Can ‘Talk’
New research is emerging which suggests that trees can communicate with each other. Connected to one another via an underground network of fungi, trees use hidden pathways to exchange chemical signals. Studies have shown that when trees are under attack from insects, they send warning signals to neighboring trees, allowing them to activate their defense mechanisms.
Researchers in the Pacific temperate rainforests of North America explored these fungal networks and coined the term ‘mother tree’ — referring to older, central trees that serve as hubs in the forest. These mother trees play a vital role in transmitting distress signals and can even increase the flow of nutrients to struggling trees, helping them survive.
7. Saving Rainforests = Saving Ourselves
Rainforests cover about 6% of the earth’s surface, yet play a crucial role in the fight against climate change. Tropical rainforests absorb around 50% of all carbon dioxide absorbed by plants, helping regulate and stabilize the Earth’s climate through a net cooling effect.
Protecting and restoring the rainforest impacts us all, but it is especially important for 50 million people who live in or depend directly on these ecosystems. By taking action now, we ensure a sustainable future where both the rainforests and humanity can thrive.
This World Rainforest Day, EARTHDAY.ORG is celebrating the value of our rainforests. Through The Canopy Project, we are committed to restoring forests across the globe. By donating to this initiative, you help us plant trees, revive forests and contribute to a greener, more forest-rich planet.
Rainforests are incredibly important to Earth’s well-being — protecting and restoring them is key to creating a more sustainable future!
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