Today's lesson was interesting,as per usual.We got new notes for Elective Geography and I think they're going to help us a lot! :D Okay,so I'm going to blog the summary of the lesson :D
Today was mostly a conclusion on Tropical Rainforest.
Features of Tropical Rainforest
Epiphyte is any plant that grows upon or is in some manner attached to another plant or object merely for physical support. Epiphytes are primarily tropical in distribution and are often known as air plants because they have no attachment to the ground or other obvious nutrient source. They obtain water and minerals from rain and also from debris that collects on the supporting plants. Orchids, ferns, and members of the pineapple family (Bromelialacae) are common tropical epiphytes. Lichens, mosses, liverworts, and algae are epiphytes of temperate regions.
.Air plants (grow on tree branches to get more sunlight)
.Aerial roots: Rapid water intake
.Succulent leaves
-Rich in flora and fauna
Liana, also spelled liane, any long-stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil and climbs or twines around other plants. They are a conspicuous component of tropical forest ecosystems and represent one of the most important structural differences between tropical and temperate forests. Flattened or twisted lianas often become tangled together to form a hanging network of vegetation. Lianas belong to several different plant families and may grow up to 60 cm (about 24 inches) in diameter and 100 metres (about 330 feet) in length. These structural parasites exploit the trunks and limbs of tropical trees for support in order to place their own leaves into well-lit portions of the forest canopy. The presence of large lianas provides a very good indicator of older, more mature stands of forest.
.Uses trees for support
.Thick woody vines wind around trees to reach for sunlight
.20cm in diameter (like rattan)
Adaptation by fruits and flowers in Tropical rainforest:
-Air is very still in the rainforest.Thus,seeds are unable to be dispersed by wind.
-So the fruits will be colourful and sweet smelling to attract insects for pollination and animals for seed dispersal.
-For example,birds,bats and bees are attracted by the flowers to carry seeds and pollen to other locations.
Adaptation of the bark of the trees in the Tropical rainforest:
-Thin and smooth bark since there is no need for protection against cold or dry conditions (Tropical rainforests are near the equator in the temperate region,thus,it is hot there).
