Rainforest - The Canopy

+++ open since 16.12.2022 +++

After the first part of the new permanent exhibition, the UNDERSTOREY, was opened in 2016 on the ground floor of the museum, an equally lifelike staging of an African lowland rainforest canopy can now be explored on the first floor.

Get more information about the realisation of the RAINFOREST exhibit here.

The canopies of tropical rainforests are among the most biodiverse habitats on earth. Two large canopy dioramas offer our visitors insights into this diverse "top-level region", in which species compositions of animals and plants differ significantly from those of the lower rainforest levels: Animals in this habitat often have special adaptations that enable them to move skillfully through the dense network of branches and allow them to climb or slide from tree to tree. In the upper levels of the forest, plants are exposed to completely different light, air and moisture conditions than on the forest ground. The variety of epiphytes and climbing plants, which found their own way to gain access to sunlight, is particularly high. Also and above all, the biodiversity of insects and other arthropods is exceptionally high. However, how high exactly is still far from being explored - because for us humans, the canopies of tropical rainforests are among the most inaccessible research areas on Earth.

As for the UNDERSTOREY, employees of the Museum Koenig have undertaken a collecting expedition to a real African rainforest area with the aim to faithfully reproduce the Rainforest canopy habitat down to the last detail with the original plant material brought along. The material had to be partially collected this time from the 40-60 meter high giant trees - a special challenge that could be achieved with the help of two professional tree climbers.