Tropical Rainforest

Distribution
 Distribution
• Tropical rainforests are located between
latitude 10° north and south of the Equator
• It covers approximately 6% of the earth’s land
surface
• Main areas include the Amazon rainforest in
Brazil, Congo in Central Africa, Islands of
Indonesia, parts of the Caribbean (Guyana,
Trinidad)
Climate – Climograph
 Climate – Main characteristics
• Temperatures are high and uniform all year
round (26°C -28°C)
• Low annual temperature range (1°C – 3°C)
• Low diurnal temperature range (5°C – 10°C)
• Rainfall is heavy and well distributed (> 2000
mm per year)
• Rainfall type – convectional
• Humidity is high – about 80 – 100%
 Rainforest vegetation
• There are no marked seasons in the tropical
rainforest
• This means that the growing season is all year
round
• Rainforests are very productive ecosystems
 Rainforest vegetation
• Great variety of species which grow in mixed
stands ( over 300 in one hectare)
• Mainly hardwoods including mahogany,
rosewood, greenheart, purple-heart
• Trees are evergreen as they grow continually
under the ideal climatic conditions
Rainforest vegetation - layers
Rainforest vegetation - layers
 Rainforest vegetation - layers
Five layers
1.Emergents – tallest trees (up to 50 metres)

1.Canopy – Trees grow up to 30m. Trees have

overlapping branches  absorbs over 70% of
light and intercepts 80% of rainfall
 Rainforest vegetation - layers
3. Under-storey/under-canopy – discontinuous
layer of trees. Tree height 15-20m.
4. Shrub layer – consists of small trees approx. 5
metres in height. Very little light reaches this
level so trees are adapted to living in the
shade.
5. Forest floor – Less than 1% of sunlight
reaches this layer. Shade-loving plants such
as ferns, mosses and fungi.
 Rainforest vegetation -
Adaptations
• Buttress roots – help to anchor and support
tall, slim, branchless, top-heavy trunks
 Rainforest vegetation -
Adaptations
Shallow roots

Most of the nutrients and water can be found

in the topsoil. Shallow roots will absorb the
nutrients quickly before they are quickly
leached downwards.
 Rainforest vegetation – Adaptations

Leaves – have drip tips which are leaves with

pointy shapes to allow excess water to drip off
after a downpour. A dry leaf is better for
photosynthesis and transpiration
 Rainforest vegetation -
Adaptations
Leaves – have oily/waxy coatings to allow
excessive water to run off.

Leaves – of the tallest emergent trees may be

small and phototrophic to avoid exposure to
intense solar insolation.
 Rainforest vegetation -
Adaptations
Leaves – are broad in under- storey trees for
maximum absorption of sunlight.
 Rainforest vegetation -
Adaptations
• Barks – are thin and smooth to help shed
rainwater quickly and allow excess
transpiration
• Tree crowns – are wide and are near the top
of the tree. This helps to absorb maximum
sunlight since light is unavailable at lower
levels
 Rainforest Vegetation – Other plants
• Lianas – are thick woody climbers which have
their roots on the floor but loop around trunks
and branches to reach the sunlight.
Lianas
 Rainforest vegetation - epiphytes
Epiphytes – are plants that do not have their
roots in the soil, but grow on the trunks and
branches of trees and shrubs.
• They only live on other plants, but do not get
nutrients from them. They have their own
source of nutrients.
• Examples include orchids, bromeliads, ferns
Epiphytes
 Rainforest vegetation – other plants
Parasites –these plants have difficulty obtaining
the nutrients that they need to survive.
• They have a system whereby they attach
themselves to a host such as a tree or a shrub
in order to obtain nourishment
• Parasites are adapted to living on the forest
floor or high up in the canopy layer.
Parasitic plants