Tropical rainforest ecosystem
Conditions and vegetation adaptations
Plants in tropical rainforests have adapted to survive in the hot, humid conditions. They need to compete with each other to get enough sunlight and to get the nutrients they need. Many have evolved to grow higher up or to find ways to make the most of thin, poor soil.
Image caption, Buttress roots
Rainforest soils are poor and most nutrients are in the top layers, so roots are generally shallow. However, shallow roots can't support huge rainforest trees, so they have grown buttress roots. Wide buttress roots join the tree far up and help to support it. They also allow it to gather more nutrients as they spread over a wide area.
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