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Question
Describe the three-tier forest of the equatorial region.
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Solution
The equatorial region has dense forests. Trees grow in this region to different heights, giving an impression of a three-tier formation. The topmost layer is the emergent layer. The giant trees thrust above the dense layer of trees and have huge mushroom-shaped crowns. The trees in this layer receive a lot of sunlight and rain. The second layer is the canopy layer. The broad irregular crown of these trees forms a tight, continuous canopy 20-30 m above the ground. The branches are often densely covered with other plants and tied together with vines.
The third layer is the understorey, which receives very little sunlight and is very dark. It has young trees, shrubs, ferns, creepers, and orchids. The forest floor usually has a layer of decomposed leaves, branches, and fruits that have fallen from the trees above. As there is very little sunlight here, the growth of plants is poor. Thus, these forests are very dense and gloomy. The hardwood trees are valuable for making good quality furniture as the wood is heavy, but the trees are difficult to exploit as they do not grow in pure stand.
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