In: Biology
Compare the adaptations of plants in Tropical Rainforests and Temperate Forests
Adaptation of plants in tropical rainforest
The leaves of trees in tropical rainforest have waxy surface and pointed tips which helps to drain away the excess water quickly to prevent the growth of algae and fungus. These are known as drip tips. Many rainforest trees also have buttress roots which uses other trees to climb up high to receive maximum sunlight. Lianas are the structures of young rainforest sapling which acts as a sunscreen for them to protect from extreme sunlight. Stilt roots also develop to absorb the nutrients from soil as the soil is shallow in rainforest. The bark is thin as there is no need to conserve the moisture.
Adaptation of plants in temperate forests
The bark of the tree is often thick as to conserve moisture and nutrients. They shed their leaves once in a year at the dry phase. They have a broad green leaves to absorb sunlight for photosynthesis. As the temperature falls and in the absence of enough sunlight , they shed their leaves to escape the burden .