Tropical Rainforest
Tamara Jones & Tyneshia Nelson
Plant Life in the Tropical Rainforest
Bengal Bamboo is a plant found in the tropical rainforest. It is known as the Bambusa tulda located in Southeast Asia. It is adapted to moist environments, and live in temperatures between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It is a type of grass, in fact it is one of the largest and fast growing grasses. The Bengal Bamboo is dark green and straight with stalky culms along with long and narrow green leaves growing on it. It grows between 40ft and 80ft in height and can live a life span of 25 to 40 years. The Bengal Bamboo grows tall so fast in order to get a lot of rain and sunlight. It is beneficial to the rain forest because it absorbs water from heavy rains to reduce flooding, and it also help reduce soil erosion.
The Kapok Tree is umbrella-shaped crown made of branches with thorns. It grows up to 230ft in height, and the trunk grows 9ft to 10ft in diameter.The tree trunk has large spines on it, which protect it from damage from animals. It has a life span of 300 years, and it produce creamy white or pale pink flowers that open up during the night. The tree also produce light green, woody, smooth pod fruit filled with 200 brown seeds; however, it does not produce fruit year round because during the tropical dry season it shed its leaves.
Animal Life in the Tropical Rainforest
The Vampire Bat is a deadly predator in the rainforest. It has a base that is dark-gray brown. It is about 3 inches long with wings that are 8 inches, and weigh only an ounce. The animal has many adaptations that allows it to survive in the rainforest with the large diversity of animals found there. The wings of the bat is a major part of its body because of the clawed thumbs that come out of them whenever they are about to attack its prey. It has two pointy front teeth, which allows it to bite into the neck of its prey. Whenever it spy its prey, it lifts up on its hind legs and wrist and either walk, run, or hop in order to catch its prey. The best adaptation the vampire bat has is the special saliva that runs down grooves in the tongue to stop the blood from clotting that it consumes from birds and other mammals.
Tropical Rainforest Climate
Biotic & Abiotic Factors of the Tropical Rainforest
Biotic factors include: rubber found on the bamboo trees, plants, animals, and the other 150 different species found in the forest.
Food Web in the Tropical Rainforest
Symbiotic Relationships in the Tropical Rainforest
Capuchin Monkeys and flowering trees is an example of mutualism. The flowering trees provide the Capuchin Monkey with food, while the Capuchin Monkey pollinates the flowers of this tree.
Commensalism is a relationship between two organisms where one benefits, and the other is neither harmed nor helped.
Bromeliads grow on high branches of trees in order to receive the sunlight they need to survive. The bromeliads receive sunlight while the tree is neither damaged nor helped.
Parasitism is a relationship between two organisms in which one benefits while the other is harmed.
The strangler fig and tree branches have a parasitic relationship. The fig begins life the tree branch and grows downward to the ground and upward towards the sky while rapping around the tree. The tree and its branches provide a home to the fig while the fig wraps tightly around the tree killing it and stealing the necessary sunlight and root space needed for the tree to survive.
Competition is an interaction between organisms in which they compete for food, water, or territory.
The tall trees and short trees compete for sunlight. The taller trees have grown so tall that they block the sunlight from the shorter trees that are on the forest floor.