A decade ago the rain forests seldom came up in every day conversation. Today the tropical woodland is the theme and setting for popular movies such as the Medicine Man, and Arachnophobia. In addition there is an International restaurant chain called the Rain Forest Cafe, the cafe has a rain forest theme, and is located in such countries as the United States, England, and Australia. The Rain Forest Cafe actually donates a percentage of their profits toward rain forest conservation. Rain forests are one of the most beautiful, important, and complex ecosystems on the planet. There are ten billion acres of forest that exist on the earth today (Miller and Tangley xv). A forest is classified as a rain forest when it has from about 80 to 120 inches of rainfall a year (Gay 1). The coloring of some animals acts as protection from other animals. Year round the rain forest maintains nearly a perfect temperature of 75 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit (Gay 8). .

             Due to the rain forest climate the forests contain the most diversity of plants and animals on earth. Another reason for the forests having the most diversity on earth might be that rain forests are the oldest ecosystems on earth. It would probably take only a few hours of poking around in a rain forest to find an insect unknown to science. The tropical rain forests usually have three to five layers of plant life, with the canopies being the upper layer of trees. The vast canopies in the rain forest protect many of the plants and animals; therefore, the animals in the forest do not have to worry about freezing, or finding shade on hot summer days. The canopies also provide homes for thousands of insects and animals in the rain forest. The immense trunks from the tropical trees provide homes for millions of insects and animals. "Most tropical forests are in the warm, wet areas ten degrees on either side of the equator, where they flourish best" (Gay 8).