| Tropical forests have a more elaborate "structure" than temperate forests. In the tropics there are more different kinds of trees which grow to many different heights and there is a wide variety of other plants such as vines and epiphytes (plants that grow up in the canopy of tree branches, not on the ground). All this variety creates more habitats, which in turn make it possible for more animals to live in the same amount of space. |
Food sources including nectar, leaves, and
insects, are provided all year long in a tropical forest. Similar food sources are only available seasonally in temperate forests. Animals
must be able to change their diets as different food sources become available. In the tropics, however, the same kind of food can be
found all year long, and animals can specialize in one particular food, leaving different resources for other species to take advantage of.
|
|
| Top left: The leaves of a breadfruit tree. Lower left: Plants growing under the canopy in tropical forests are not exposed to much sunlight. Photos by Maya Walters. Right: A banyan tree has thick branches which are habitat for epiphytes. Photo courtesy Naomi Woods |
biodiversity -- page 4 of 4
[1] [2] [3] [4]
related topics
[tropical forests] [temperate forests] [plants] [flowers] [leaves] [insects] [seasons] [birds]
view the condensed version of the biodiversity article for faster printing/reading
return to the forest importance article