How have plants and animals adapted to life in the rainforest?
Your TASK: 1. USE SKETCHES (or images – copy and paste them into word) TO HELP YOU EXPLAIN 4 WAYS IN WHICH PLANTS HAVE ADAPTED TO LIFE IN THE RAINFOREST. MAKE SURE YOU LABEL YOUR SKETCHES You can do this work either in your book or as a word document – print it out and glue it in please. Check you know what ADAPTATION means? These are the main challenges that plants face: • Availability of light – less than 1% of the sunlight reaches the forest floor. • Heavy rainfall – it rains every day in the rainforest! • Poor quality soil – due to the intense heat the soil is heavily weathered and so not very fertile – it is only the very efficient nutrient cycle that maintains a fertile surface layer of humus. So plants have adapted in a range of ways to survive these challenges… Plant adaptations include: • Drip tips • Waxy cuticles • Buttress roots on the tallest trees • Long, shallow root systems • Large surface areas on leaves, particularly on forest floor plants • The ability to live on ot
