How much rain falls in the Amazon?
Lots of rain is one of the things that distinguishes a rain forest. The term “rain forest” was first used in 1898 by a German botanist named Schimper, to describe forests that grow in constantly wet conditions. They can occur wherever the annual rainfall is more than 80 inches (2000mm) and evenly spread throughout the year. Rain forests are found in temperate as well as tropical regions, but the best known ones, like the Amazon, occur in a belt around the equator. In rain forests the overhead canopy is closed, with few large gaps between trees, which can reach 130-165 feet (40-50 meters) with some trees know as emergents reaching 200 feet (65 meters). In the Amazon rain forest 65 inches (1700mm) to 140 inches (3600mm) of rain falls per year. By contrast, central Texas has an annual average rainfall of 40 inches (1015mm).
