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Rainforest Canopy
Photo: C & D Frith
Australia's Wet Tropics Rainforest Life
The Canopy
- The canopy can be described as the seal on the rainforest. If there is no seal,
then there is no rainforest, only sclerophyll forest.
- It is the search for light that creates the canopy, and the rainforest depends
largely on moisture and control of moisture by the canopy in its survival.
- The rainforest canopy may be as high as 45 m above the floor. Its height is
controlled by competition. If there are a few high trees, then others will be forced to
grow taller too.
- It may be even or uneven with several layers of trees, and if a gap appears in
the top layer, wait-a-while and adjoining trees will be fast to plug up the holes in their
competition for light.
- No matter how high, it plays a vital controlling role in rainforest ecology
– with no canopy there is no rainforest as nutrients will be lost to the clouds. It
also creates a darker atmosphere as it is closed.
- There are many physical factors that affect the composition of the rainforest.
These include altitude and its effect on rainfall, prevailing winds (these bring the most
rainfall to the south and east of the Tablelands), soil types (parent bedrock), fire
frequency and intensity to name a few.
- The canopy provides an enormous food source for the many insects, birds, possums,
and other creatures, as well as a habitat for some tree-dwelling species such as the
snake. The large quantities of epiphytes provide more habitats for lizards, birds and
other small animals.
- Animals living in the canopy play an important role in the rainforest ecology too
– by knocking fruit down from the trees, they allow the terrestrial animals to feed
for a longer period of time as they do not have to wait for the fruit to fall by itself in
its own time.
- In young rainforests there are generally many small trees and in old rainforests
there are generally fewer but larger trees. As one tree dies or is removed, others will
grow up and fight for the available light.
- As the rain falls to the ground it helps leaf mould develop, which allows
nutrients to be brought up through the soil to the plants. Condensation in the atmosphere
leads to rain again, so a nutrient cycle is successfully completed.
- Giant emergent trees often project well above the canopy and reach even more
impressive heights, spreading their crown over it. Leaves are of great variety, differing
in shape, size, texture and colour. These sometimes provide food for species like the
ringtail possum and tree-kangaroo.
- Fruits are also an important food source for many fruit and seed-eating
canopy-dwellers (who in turn help with dispersal). The pericarp (outer fruit case) may be
soft and succulent or hard and woody. It may enclose one or many seeds. Fruit-eating
pigeons, bowerbirds, and flying foxes eat succulent fruits whereas parrots eat harder
woody nuts and seeds. Indigestible seeds voided by the birds will germinate in a tree
crevice or hole.
- Most tree seedlings have to start their struggle for survival on the forest
floor. Others, such as the strangler fig, begin life as an epiphyte in the canopy, slowly
growing and putting out long cable-like roots that travel down the trunk of the host tree
to the soil beneath. This allows it to readily absorb nutrients and water so it can
flourish.
- Mistletoes, partial parasites that also start life up in the canopy, have
developed a fascinating way of ensuring the dispersal of their fruits. Mistletoebirds and
other frugivorous birds eat its soft berries. These berries have sticky seeds inside that when
voided adhere to a branch and germinate.
- Flowers in the canopy often provide a contrast to the colours of the dense green
background. Their size, shape, colour and scents are considerably different, and are
designed to attract nectar-feeding tree-dwellers to ensure their pollination. This may be
from butterflies, bees, lorikeets, and other species during the day and from moths,
blossom bats, flying foxes and others during the night.
- One significant plant family in the Atherton region is the Proteacea. They are
represented by about 50 species, of which approximately 70 percent are peculiar to the
area. Some examples of this family include silky oaks, tree waratahs and macadamias. Some
endemic species of the Wet Tropics are the Northern Silky Oak, Brown Silky Oak and Ivory
Curl Flower.
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