Vertical stratification - tropical rain forest, Biology

Assignment Help:

Vertical Stratification - Tropical Rain Forest

In a tropical rain forest, vertical stratification is very clearly seen. In addition to the different layers described above, there are lianas and climbers that twine around the .trees. A forest with four or five strata can support a greater diversity of life forms as compared to grassland with only two strata. Stratification is also seen in the underground plant parts, that is, the root and the rhizome systems. Root systems of different plant species tap moisture and nutrients from different soil depths. This enables them to avoid competition and too much exploitation of a particular soil layer.

Coming back to the above-ground parts of vegetation, the canopy which is the primary site of energy fixation, it has a major influence on the rest of the forest community.

A canopy is said to be open when considerable sunlight reaches the lower layers. In such cases the shrubs and understory tree strata are well developed. In a closed forest most of the sunlight is intercepted by tree canopies. The understory plants remain deprived of direct sunlight consequently the lower strata is comprised of shade tolerant species with poor growth of herbaceous layer. In such situations species requiring intense sunlight are absent or flourish only in the gaps created by the death of top canopy trees.


Related Discussions:- Vertical stratification - tropical rain forest

Polarity in regeneration, Polarity in Regeneration A distinct polarit...

Polarity in Regeneration A distinct polarity or gradient exists in planarians (and in other animals). The meaning of this is that in any piece or segment of the body; its ant

Define the energy cost of growth, Define the Energy Cost of Growth? The...

Define the Energy Cost of Growth? The energy cost of growth has two components: 1) The energy needed to synthesize growing tissues; and 2) The energy deposited in these tis

Nerve impulse, NE R VE IMPULSE (IT'S GENERATION) - It is an electr...

NE R VE IMPULSE (IT'S GENERATION) - It is an electro chemical phenomenon manifested through ionic movement across cell membrane. It was discovered by A. L. Hodykin & A

Why are the plants having single-seeded fruits, Why are the plants having s...

Why are the plants having single-seeded fruits and plants having fruits with surplus one seed? The Plants that produce single-seeded fruits, for instance, avocado and mango oft

Systems of human body, Systems of Human Body Many organs work in a coo...

Systems of Human Body Many organs work in a coordinated'manner to form a system. For example in our-body the nose, the trachea and the lungs form the respiratory system. Table

Polysaccharides and oligosaccharides, Polysaccharides and Oligosaccharides ...

Polysaccharides and Oligosaccharides are both parts of carbohydrate molecules, but they vary in complexity and size. The Oligosaccharides are much easier and smaller, according to

What is a community, What is a community? What is the difference between th...

What is a community? What is the difference between the concepts of community and population? A community is a set of the populations of living beings that live in the same reg

Death of post-thymic lymphocytes induced by corticosteroid, A 21-year-old w...

A 21-year-old woman presents with a 3-month history of malaise, joint pain, weight loss, and sporadic fever. Her temperature is 38°C (101°F). The serum antinuclear antibody (ANA) t

Two homologous human chromosomes, Two homologous human chromosomes have the...

Two homologous human chromosomes have the following structure: --A--B-.-C--D--E--F--G--H--I--J-- --A--D--C-.-B--E--F--G--J--I--H-- where the letters represent genetic markers and t

How does the intensity of simple diffusion differ, Q. How does the intensit...

Q. How does the intensity of simple diffusion differ in relation to the concentration gradient of the moved substance? The higher the concentration gradient of a substance the

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd