The frequency and intensity of rainfall varies across the United States, with the Pacific Northwest experiencing more drizzly days while the southeast sees more hard, pouring rain. Tall trees with wide-spreading limbs may serve as a means of preventing the spread of diseases among trees.
The majority of life in the Amazon rainforest, 60 to 90 percent, resides in the canopy, which consists of tall trees with overlapping branches. The trees in the canopy appear to overlap, but in reality, they are a few feet apart, which is still a mystery to scientists.
The ground-level environment in forests is often characterized by steady climate due to tree canopies serving as barriers to diseases and destructive beetles. On the other hand, the canopy environment fosters rapid decomposition and diminished ability for forest soils to hold nutrients.
The study of rainforest life is still in its early stages because of the difficulty in consistently accessing these areas. However, the use of drones is making it easier and less destructive to study rainforest life.
The Amazon rainforest receives between six and ten feet of rainfall each year during the rainy season from December to May, while Mississippi receives about five and a half feet and Atlanta receives 4.3 feet annually. In contrast to the Pacific Northwest, the Southeast experiences harder and less frequent rainfall, with August being the driest month typically.