Picture of The Tropical Rain Forest

Australia


Soil :

Dead plants and leaves fall in the jungle. They rot on the forest floor. This makes the top dirt very rich.

The rich dirt of the rainforest is very thin. Hard soil called clay is under the rich dirt.

Plants can not grow in the clay soil.

When people cut and burn the jungle, rain washes the rich soil away.

No plants fall and rot. The rich soil is gone forever.

Plants : 
1. Bark
In drier, temperate deciduous forests a thick bark helps to limit moisture evaporation from the tree's trunk. Since this is not a concern in the high humidity of tropical rainforests, most trees have a thin, smooth bark. The smoothness of the bark may also make it difficult for other plants to grow on their surface.

2. Lianas
Lianas are climbing woody vines that drape rainforest trees. They have adapted to life in the rainforest by having their roots in the ground and climbing high into the tree canopy to reach available sunlight.  Many lianas start life in the rainforest canopy and send roots down to the ground.
3. Drip Tips
The leaves of forest trees have adapted to cope with exceptionally high rainfall. Many tropical rainforest leaves have a drip tip. It is thought that these drip tips enable rain drops to run off quickly. Plants need to shed water to avoid growth of fungus and bacteria in the warm, wet tropical rainforest.
4. Buttresses
Many large trees have massive ridges near the base that can rise 30 feet high before blending into the trunk. Why do they form? Buttress roots provide extra stability, especially since roots of tropical rainforest trees are not typically as deep as those of trees in temperate zones.
5. Prop and Stilt Roots
Prop and stilt roots help give support and are characteristic of tropical palms growing in shallow, wet soils. Although the tree grows fairly slowly, these above-ground roots can grow 28 inches a month.

6. Epiphytes
Epiphytes are plants that live on the surface of other plants, especially the trunk and branches. They grow on trees to take advantage of the sunlight in the canopy. Most are orchids, bromeliads, ferns, and Philodendron relatives. Tiny plants called epiphylls, mostly mosses, liverworts and lichens, live on the surface of leaves.