Download Tropical Rainforest - Secondary One Geography for AHS 2012

TROPICAL
RAINFOREST
ADAPTATIONS OF PLANTS TO THE CONDITIONS
IN THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST
WHY ADAPT
Adaptations help
the plants in the
rainforest to
• Get Sunlight,
water, air or
nutrients
• Not to be eaten
• Stay put
• Reproduce
Plants in the rainforest
must adapt to the
EQUATORIAL
CLIMATE.
It is a hot and wet
climate.
ADAPTING TO HIGH
RAINFALL
With over 2000mm
of rain per year,
plants must shed
water efficiently
The leaves of many of
the plants in the
rainforest has drip tips
for this purpose.
Also the buttress roots
provide extra support for
trees growing in the
spongy wet soils
DRIP TIP LEAVES AND
BUTTRESS ROOTS
ADAPTING TO A LOT OR LACK
OF SUNLIGHT
The Canopy
layer of the
tropical
rainforest
blocks out 90%
of the sunlight,
making the
forest floor very
dark.
Large leaves are common
in the rainforest. They
increase the amount of
sunlight a plant can
capture.
Other plants like orchids,
bromeliads and ferns
grow as epiphytes high
up in the canopy where
there is more sunlight.
THESE ARE BROMELIADS
BARK IS THIN AND
SMOOTH
Main objective is to grow
towards the sunlight.
Second, smoothness of
the bark makes it difficult
for other plants to grow
on them.
LIANAS
Lianas are climbing
woody vines that drape
rainforest trees. They
have roots in the
ground and climbing
high into the tree
canopy to reach
available sunlight.
Many start their lives in
the rainforest canopy
by sending their roots
to the ground for food.