Vegetation in the Tropical Rainforest
How Vegetation In The Tropical Rainforests Adapts To The Climate Conditions. In the tropical rainforest the climate is very humid due to the vast amount of rainfall, which can be up to 2,000 mm per year. They high temperatures vary little, but the average is around 27°C. This climate makes it very good conditions for plants to grow in. However, many plants have had to adapt to survive in the harsh conditions of the tropical rainforest. Some trees grow buttress roots which is when large, thick roots grow at the surface of the ground. The tree roots have had to adapt because in the tropical rainforest the nutrients in the ground from decomposed and decaying leaves are near the top of the soil. This is because usually when decomposed matter is on the earth the nutrients soak through into the soil, deeper and deeper, until there is a fairly even spread of nutrients in the soil. However in the rainforest because there are so many plants fighting for sunlight, water and nutrients, as soon as nutrients are absorbed into the soil, plants quickly take them up, before giving it a chance to soak deep into the ground. Some leaves, known as drip tip leaves have a waxy coating to protect them. Because of the intense rain fall in the tropical rainforest, normal leaves would sag under the weight of all the rain and probably snap off the branches. Drip tips have long extended tips and a waxy coating to help the rainfall drip off the leaves. The waxy coating also helps protect the leaves from too much sunlight and from insects to eat the leaves. Lianas are plants that weave in between trees and climb up them in order to reach the sunlight at the top of the canopy. Lianas are thin and flexible which helps them dodge obstacles. With roots in the ground and the tips of them in the canopy they have the advantage of gaining both nutrients, water and sunlight. Epiphytes are similar to parasites, they live on different plant and cannot survive without them. Epiphytes are plants