Tropical rainforest
No rain for three days can almost be a drought in tropical rainforests. The rain is regular and often heavy.
Warm humid conditions allow plants to grow well, and these plants are a source of food and shelter for animals.
Animals living here are adapted to the ready supply of food and water.
Water is everywhere in the mountain rainforest.
Photo: Mark Adams
Being washed away in the heavy rain or fast flowing streams can be a problem but finding fresh water is not difficult.
Photo : Mark Adams
Salt is easily washed away too, so getting enough salt in this wet environment can be difficult. Some animals actually eat earth and mud to get their salt supply!
Many plants here have fleshy fruits and rely on animals to eat the fruit and so distribute their seeds.
Tropical rainforest animals
- have plenty of fresh water
- may not get much salt
- live in warm or hot temperatures.
 Vegetation
The constant supply of water and the high temperature has led to a great variety of plant life in tropical rainforests. The plants grow in layers. Emergent trees stand above a dense canopy (top) layer. Towards the top of this canopy, epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants) and climbers are common. On the dark rainforest floor saplings and seedlings struggle to survive amongst the trunks of the larger trees. Where light breaks through and reaches the forest floor there is an abundance of ferns, palms, shrubs, seedlings and climbers. Knocking down the rainforest Forest clearance is a threat to all livings things in the rainforest. Once the canopy disappears, erosion begins and nutrients are lost. This quickly destroys the soil structure and the rainforest may be unable to regrow. |