TROPICAL RAINFORESTS

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TROPICAL RAINFORESTS

• Juliette Brettell
• Sophie Harrison

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PLANT ADAPTATIONS
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BARK

• Thinner smoother bark to allow for moisture
  evaporation
• Prevents other plants growing up the trees trunk
• Exfoliates regularly to shed epiphytes

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LIANAS(Climbing Vines)

• Roots in the ground
• Climb trees into the canopy to reach available
  light
• Some grow in the canopy and send roots down

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LEAVES

• Form shapes like drip tips to allow rain water to
  run off quickly
• To prevent the growth of fungus or bacteria in
  the warm, wet conditions of a tropical rainforest

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BUTTRESS ROOTS

• Massive ridges near the bottom of many large
  trees
• Can rise 30 feet before blending into the tree
• These provide extra stability

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PROP AND STILT ROOTS

• Above ground to provide support
• Help trees to grow in wet, shallow soils

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EPIPHYTES

• Live on the surface of other plants
• Grow on trees to take advantage of the sunlight
  in the canopy

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BROMELIADS

• Leaves make a vase or tank that holds water
• This also supports insects and creatures as well
  as itself
• Most species grow on the branches of trees
• Some grow on the ground, like pineapple

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MANGROVES

• Adapted to living in wet, marshy conditions
• Have wide-spreading stilt rots that support the
  trees in the tidal mud
• The roots also help to trap nutritious organic
  matter

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NEPENTHES

• Leaves that form a pitcher with lid
• Sweet or foul-smelling nectar in the pitcher to
  attract insects
• Downward pointing hairs inside to prevent insects
  from escaping
• Digested insects provide nutrients
• Not epiphytes, but climbers rooted in the soil

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Location

• Located around the equator, in the tropics
• The largest rainforests are in Brazil (South
  America), Zaire (Africa) and Indonesia (South
  East Asia)
• Other areas include Hawaii and the islands of the
  Pacific and Caribbean
• Tropical rainforests cover 6 of the Earths land
  mass.

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Temperature

• Small changes throughout the year no seasons
• Average day - 31C
• Average night - 22C

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Rainfall

• On Average there is 4-8m of rain per year
• Large amount of evaporation during the day
  causing the humidity to be high
• Rainfall is convectional

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SOIL

• Contains large amounts of carbon
• Low in nutrients
• Plants get the nutrients needed from decomposed
  vegetation

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LAYERS
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FOREST FLOOR

• Diffused light, therefore not covered with dense
  plant undergrowth
• The plants have adapted to the dark and quiet
• Has shrubs at 10 meters

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UNDER STORY

• 20 meters above the forest floor
• Few branches
• Younger plants waiting to penetrate the upper
  canopy

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THE CANOPY

• Covers the rainforest
• Captures the energy from the sun
• Largest amount of biomass of any ecosystem on the
  earth
• Largest amount of leaves, fruit and flowers in
  the rainforest
• At 30-50 meters above the floor

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EMERGENTS

• Trees that have grown up out of the canopy
• Over 50 meters tall
• Small leaves to prevent moisture being blown away
  by the wind, as seeds are
• Unlimited light and sun

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