Plant Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest Flashcards
What are lianas and how do this help plants adapt
These plants have their roots in the ground and use other trees to climb up into the rainforest canopy to maximise the sunlight they receive
How adapting to buttress roots help plants
Rainforest souls are very thin and therefore shallow roots are needed to soak up nutrients in these thin soils. Since trees in the rainforest grow very tall, massive buttress roots form to give these tall trees extra stability in the shallow soils
How do adapting to stilt roots help plants
In a similar way to buttress roots, these provide tall rainforest trees with support as they are anchored in the shallow rainforest soils
How do adapting to red leaves help plants
Young rainforest plant saplings may have these to give them protection from the sunlight whilst there internal organs for photosynthesise are still developing. They act as a sunscreen by reflecting red light whilst the leaf is still young
How do adapting to drip tips help plants
Leaves often have a waxy surface with pointed tips at the end to enable excess rainwater to run off easily. This is important because it prevents the growth of algae which if able to grow would block out sunlight . It also stops leaves from breaking
How does adapting to thin bark help plants
Rainforest trees don’t need thick bark to prevent moisture like those in temperature deciduous forest there is always plenty of rain thus moisture available therefore bark is often thin and smooth the smoothness may also make it more difficult for other plants to grow on trees services
How does adapting to leaf angling help plants
Leaves are often arranged at different angles so that a plants avoids shading its own leaves
How does adapting to epiphytes help plants
These plants live on the surface of the other plants, mostly tree trunks and branches. This allows them to make the most of the sunlight in the canopy layer
