Transcript D. Low-Latitude (Tropical) Rainforest Biome

 Abundant
habitats and niches
 Canopy:
• Emergents: highest trees (150 - 200 ft tall)
 no branches at low levels
 Buttresses
 Umbrella-shaped canopy
• Middle Layer (65 - 130 ft tall)
 Reduces light below
• Lower Layer (15 - 50 ft tall)
 High humidity, lack of air movement
 Buttresses: woody
flanges
 thin bark; protective thorns and
spikes
 Large leaves in lower layer
 Drip tips
 Shrub
layer: woody seedlings; palms
• < 3% light
 Ground
layer
• Herbs and ferns
• Very humid, dark (<1% light)
 1/3
ppt intercepted
•lianas: woody climbers
•epiphytes (“air plants”)
•Stranglers
•Heterotrophic plants (nonphotosynthetic)
•Saprophytes
•Parasites
lianas
Abundant and diverse decomposers
 stranglers
 Some
strategies:
• Adaptation to arboreal
• Bright colors
• Loud sounds
• Fruit diets
• Diurnal patterns
• Highly specialized : 3 toed sloth feeds only on
Cecropia tree