Tropical Rainforest Plants Adaptations
The leaves of rainforest trees have special adaptations.
Tropical rainforest plants adaptations. Most plants in the tropical rainforest have adapted to the strong sunlight heavy rain thin soils and dark conditions in the undergrowth. Specific adaptations in the Tropical Rainforest Courtesy of Damon Ramsey. Lianas - these are woody vines that have roots in the ground but climb up the trees to reach the sunlight.
It is thought that these drip tips enable rain drops to run off quickly. The leaves of forest trees have adapted to cope with exceptionally high rainfall. Most plants in the tropical rainforest have adapted to the strong sunlight heavy rain thin soils and dark conditions in the undergrowth.
Since this is not a concern in the high humidity of tropical rainforests most trees have a thin smooth bark. In the rainforest it rains anywhere from 50-260 inches per year which means that the trees and plants need to be able to survive with excess water. Many tropical rainforest leaves have a drip tip.
Plants and Animals Adaptations to the Tropical Rainforest. The plants need sunlight for photosynthesis the way they make their own food. Also some leaves have flexible stems so they can turn toward the sun another adaptation is.
Most of the leaves are soft with little fibrous tissue and they face horizontally towards the sun to capture more light for photosynthesis. This is because the plant traps the suns energy in the chlorophyll in the leaves. Despite the rich vegetation and animal life found in the rainforest many adaptations have had to occur to allow these species to remain alive.
For example some trees such as the kapok grow very tall because of the competition for sunlight. Bark In drier temperate deciduous forests a thick bark helps to limit moisture evaporation from the trees trunk. Native plants in tropical rainforests have specific adaptations tailored to their unique ecosystem.