TROPICAL RAINFOREST
Shaista Tejani and Serena Bharia
Introduction
CLIMATE
PLANTS
Cuare: Chondrodendron tomentosum
Strangler Figs: Ficus aurea
Bougainvillea: Bougainvillea spectablis
Kapok Tree: Ceiba pentandra
Jambu: Syzygium aquem
Bengal Bambu: Bambusa tulda
Plant Adaptations
- Most leaves in this biome are drip tip leaves which means they have a drip tip that enables rain drops to to run off the leaves quickly. This adaptation is helpful so that fungus and bacteria don't grow on the plants.
- Some plants like Lianas, climb on other plans to reach sunlight. They keep their roots in the ground and climb high into the tree canopy to reach available sunlight.
- Buttresses, Prop, and Stilt roots give support and hold up plants in the shallow, wet soil.
- Most trees have thin, smooth bark because of the high humidity in a tropical rainforest. The thin bark also makes it hard for other plants to grow on its surface.
- Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants to reach sunlight. They don't need soil structure for rooting, instead they rely on other plants for physical support. They are found on trunks, branches, and leaves of their hosts.
ANIMALS
King Cobra: Ophiophagus hannah
Bengal Tiger: Panthera tigris
Chimpanzee: Pan troglodytes
Golden Lion Tamarin: Leontopithecus rosalia
Linne's Sloth: Cholopeus didactylos
Dawn Bat: Eonycteris spelaea
Animal Adaptations
- Many animals of the tropical rainforest are use camouflage to avoid predators, or some use camouflage to hide in wait for their prey.
- Some animals such as Poison Dart Frogs have bright bold colors to serve as a warning for predators not to eat them and that "they will regret it".
- Since there are so many animals competing for food in this biome, some animals have adapted by learning to eat a particular food that is not eaten by any other animal. For example Parrots have really sturdy bills to crack nuts and dig our hidden food.
- Many animals in the tropical rainforest are adapted to being nocturnal, which means they feed at night while sleeping in the day. When they go hunting for food at night they have a reduced amount of competition for food.
- Animals like Spider Monkeys' are adapted to live in a certain area. This is a benefit because the ground floor and lower canopies of the rainforest are really crowded with many organisms competing for food. Spider monkeys live at the top of the tree canopy, and with their prehensile tail they can swing gracefully from tree to tree to get their food.
Energy Pyramid
producers: 2,018kcal/m2
primary consumers: 201.8kcal/m2
secondary consumers: 20.18kcal/m2
tertiary consumers: 2.018kcal/m2
Food Web
Mutualism: Capuchin monkeys feed on the nectar of orchids and other flowering plants. When they feed on the nectar of flowers by lapping it up, they get pollen in their faces which eventually transfers to the other flowers they visit. The flowers like orchids provide the monkeys with food, and the monkeys aid in pollination of the flowers.
Commensalism: Frogs get shelter and water from bromeliads, but the bromeiad is unaffected.
Parasitism: Rafflesia has a parasite relationship with liana vines. These large plants stick to the vines, have the largest flower of any species, and give off the aroma of roting flesh to attract flies for pollination. This scent and the insects it attracts is not good for the vines, resulting in a parasitic relationship.
Competition: Monekeys and grasshoppers both compete for their food source of orchids.
DID YOU KNOW????
1 out of 4 ingredients in our medicine is from rainforest plants!!!!
BATS are essential for the pollination of many tropical foods such as bananas and mangoes!!!!
Bibliography
http://www.ri.net/schools/West_Warwick/manateeproject/Rainforest2/climate.htm
https://sites.google.com/site/utahbiomesplantsanimals/forest/forest-plants-animals
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rainforest.htm
http://www.wildernessclassroom.com/amazon/2008/04/seasons_of_change_in_the_amazo.html
http://www.naturetours.com/amazon-weather.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangler_fig
http://tropicalrainforestscience10.weebly.com/food-web.html
https://prezi.com/m/or2qyywuokqn/succession-in-tropical-rainforests/
http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/animalprotein.html
http://www.rainforestconservation.org/rainforest-primer/rainforest-primer-table-of-contents/f-forest-maintenance-and-succession/
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rainforest.htm