1. Go through and highlight important information.
Fan palms have large, fan-shaped leaves that are good for catching sunshine and water. The leaves are segmented, so excess water can drain away and not damage the leaves with the weight of the water.
Rainforests have a shallow layer of fertile soil, so trees only need shallow roots to reach the nutrients. However, shallow roots can't support huge rainforest trees, so many tropical trees have developed huge buttress roots. These stretch from the ground to two metres or more up the trunk and help to anchor the tree to the ground.
TRF are formed in layers.
Emergents is the highest layer 35-50m.
Main canopy 20-35m- most productive layer
Lower canopy-10-20m-shaded area
Shrub layer 0-10m-ferns grow due to lack of light.
Soil known as latosol- has rapid nutrient cycle but if forest is cleared rainfall will wash nutrients away this is called leaching.
Many trees have smooth, thin bark as there is no need to protect the trunk from cold temperatures. The smooth surface allows water to run off easily.
Strangler figs start at the top of a tree and work down. The seed is dropped in a nook at the top of a tree and starts to grow, using the debris collected there as nourishment. Gradually the fig sends aerial roots down the trunk of the host, until they reach the ground and take root. As it matures, the fig will gradually surround the host, criss-cross its roots around the trunk and start to strangle. The figs branches will grow taller to catch the sunlight and invasive roots rob the host of nutrients. Eventually the host will die and decompose leaving the hollow but sturdy trunk of the strangler fig.
Lianas are woody vines that start at ground level, and use trees to climb up to the canopy where they spread from tree to tree to get as much light as possible.
Drip tips can also be found on leaves which allow the water to drip off the leaf otherwise it would start to decay in the warm humid air.
Homework on TRF
Go through and highlight important information.
Produce a revision card on the outline.
Answer the Exam question

2. Suggest how plants have adapted to survive in the rainforest
9 marks
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Marks 1-3
Basic sentences about adaptation. Does not use very much evidence
Marks 4-6
Able to back up points made with actual evidence from a named rainforest
Marks 7-9
Able to back up points made with evidence and explanations using named examples all the way through.