What secrets are hidden in the rainforest canopy?
Half of all life on Earth lives in a layer of forest most scientists had barely explored until recently.
The answer
The rainforest canopy, located 25-45 meters above ground, hosts an estimated 50% of all terrestrial species. Canopy research, revolutionized by construction cranes and walkways since the 1990s, has revealed astounding discoveries. Epiphytic plants - species growing on other plants without parasitizing them - number over 28,000 species, holding up to 50% of a forest's total nutrient supply in suspended soil mats. Canopy 'tanks' formed by bromeliads hold up to 10 liters of water each, creating aerial aquatic ecosystems housing tadpoles, mosquito larvae, and specialized crab species. A single canopy tree in Peru was found harboring 43 ant species - more than the entire British Isles.
Source: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
- rainforest
- canopy
- biodiversity
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