canopy
KAN-oh-pee
The uppermost layer of a forest, formed by the crowns of the tallest trees — the ceiling of the living space below. The canopy determines how much light, rain, and wind reach the forest floor. In a closed canopy, the branches interlock and the understory lives in permanent shade. In an open canopy, light reaches the ground and a different community of plants thrives. The canopy is not a surface; it is a habitat — birds, insects, epiphytes, and mammals live their entire lives in it without touching the earth.
Etymology
From Latin canopeum, a covering, from Greek kōnōpeion, a couch with mosquito curtains. Originally an architectural term for a cloth covering; applied to forests by analogy — the trees provide a roof.
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