the.com/canopy
the rooftop world where most rainforest life happens and never bothers coming down
means The uppermost layer of a forest formed by the spreading crowns of trees, or by extension any overhead covering like an awning or the cover of a parachute.
from From the Greek 'konops,' a mosquito or gnat, which gave 'konopeion' — a bed draped in fine netting to keep the biting things out. That sleep-protecting mesh drifted through Latin and into medieval French as 'conopé,' eventually arriving in English as 'canopy.' So the lofty leafy ceiling of the jungle owes its name, fittingly enough, to the very insects that swarm beneath it.
- crown shyness
- some trees refuse to touch, leaving gaps between crowns
- hidden majority
- most rainforest species live there, not the floor
- own climate
- the canopy makes its own humidity and temperature
- slow to study
- scientists ignored it until crane and rope access arrived
amazon rainforest canopy — covers ~5.5 million km² across 9 countries, forms continuous layer 30-40m above ground
daintree rainforest canopy — australia's oldest tropical rainforest, canopy layer reaches 60m high in queensland
congo basin canopy — world's second-largest rainforest spanning 2 million km² across central africa