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Fungi are also very common in rainforest areas as they can feed on the decomposing remains of plants and animals. The great diversity in rainforest species is in large part the result of diverse and numerous physical refuges , [ 25 ] i.e. places in which plants are inaccessible to many herbivores, or in which animals can hide from predators.
The structure of a tropical rainforest is stratified into layers, each hosting unique ecosystems. These include the emergent layer with towering trees, the densely populated canopy layer, the understory layer rich in wildlife, and the forest floor, which is sparse due to low light penetration. The soil is characteristically nutrient-poor and ...
The green leaf area of plants and trees in the rainforest varies by about 25% as a result of seasonal changes. Leaves expand during the dry season when sunlight is at a maximum, then undergo abscission in the cloudy wet season. These changes provide a balance of carbon between photosynthesis and respiration. [57]
Much of the lowland rainforest has been destroyed by human deforestation activities. [3] Dipterocarp trees with wide buttresses dominate this area. [7] These trees are massive, growing up to 60 metres (200 ft) tall with diameters between 1–2 metres (3.3–6.6 ft). [2] Vatica pachyphylla is a critically endangered tree species endemic to the ...
Hura crepitans, the sandbox tree, [2] also known as possumwood, monkey no-climb, assacu (from Tupi asaku) and jabillo, [3] is an evergreen tree in the family Euphorbiaceae, native to tropical regions of North and South America including the Amazon rainforest. It is also present in parts of Tanzania, where it is considered an invasive species. [4]
Trees from the plant families Burseraceae and Sapotaceae are also common in the canopy. [1] There is an understorey stratum under the canopy, composed of shade-tolerant trees draped with lianas and epiphytic orchids and ferns. Understorey trees are commonly of the plant families Euphorbiaceae, Rubiaceae, Annonaceae, Lauraceae, and Myristicaceae.
The canopy level is the third level of the temperate rainforest. The trees forming the canopy, conifers, can stand as tall as 100 metres or more. A variety of species survive in the canopy. The tops of these trees collect most of the rain, moisture, and photosynthesis that the rainforest takes in. They form a canopy over the forest, covering ...
Very few plants can grow under this species. Other notable species are the nalca or Chilean rhubarb (Gunnera tinctoria) and the ferns Lophosoria quadripinnata and Parablechnum cordatum. Chile's national flower, the copihue (Lapageria rosea) is a pioneer species that grows in disturbed areas of the Valdivian rain forest.