Vegetation adaptations:

Buttress roots – rainforests soils is thin so shallow roots are needed to soak up nutrients in soil. These massive roots give the 30m trees extra stability in shallow soil
Stilt roots – provide tall trees with support is shallow rainforest soil
Red leaves – give protection from sunlight for plant saplings as reflect red light to protect internal organs for photosynthesis while still developing
Lianas – roots in ground and use other trees to climb up into canopy for sunlight. Some start in canopy and go down for roots
Leaf angling – leaves arranged at different angles so plant avoids shading its own leaves as competition for sunlight is high
Drip tips – waxy surface with pointed tips to enable excess rainwater to run-off. Prevents growth of algae (which would block out sunlight and reduce photosynthesis)
Epiphytes – live on surface of other plants (mostly tree trunks and branches) to get most sunlight in canopy
Thin bark – don’t need thick bark as plenty of water available. Smooth bark also makes it harder for plants to grow on it.

	Created by Jan Kowalski almost 6 years ago

Case studies for climate

Climate case studies