- equatorial biome with the highest terrestrial biodiversity on Earth
- receives 2000+ mm rainfall per year, with minimal seasonal temperature variation
- layered canopy structure: emergent, canopy, understory, forest floor
- contains over 50% of all known species in approximately 6% of land area
- drives massive carbon cycle flux through rapid photosynthesis and decomposition
- thin soil with nutrients locked in biomass, rapid recycling by fungi and bacteria
- major regions: Amazon basin, Congo basin, Southeast Asian archipelago
- critical for the water cycle: transpiration generates atmospheric rivers
- threatened by deforestation, agriculture expansion, and climate change
- cyberia envisions regenerative integration with tropical forest systems
- home to extraordinary evolutionary radiations of insects, birds, and plants