a
of
multitude
interactions
The hot humid climates
have allowed most living things
to evolve over millions of years.
Consequently, tropical rainforests
are characterised by an exceptional
biodiversity, also due to a multitude
of interactions between species.
The plant diversity of these forests
offers a wide range of habitats and food
sources for many animal species, favouring
their life in these ecosystems.
The trees work rather like large buildings where,
from the basement up to the top, microorganisms
and animals eat, reproduce and sleep. On each
storey of these structures, including in the soil
where the tree roots live in symbiosis with numerous
microorganisms, surprising interactions are
observed between these species, often the result of
coevolution processes.
Fungi and bacteria allow them to absorb the
nutrient elements from the soil and the air, without
which they could not develop.
Extinction
of a species
can threaten
the existence
of many others
which depend on it.
Ocelot, predator in
the Ecuador forest.
Impacts!
At the head of the food chain, man consumes and makes
use of forest resources. Although hunting and gathering activities
have only small effects, intensive exploitation can have
a significant impact on the tropical rainforests
and their biodiversity.
The three-toed sloth harbours
algae in its fur. These give
the animal a greenish tinge
which adds to its camouflage.
And butterflies can take
advantage of this by feeding
on these algae.
This hummingbird
pollinates the
flower as it
gathers nectar.
Did you know? Elephants of the
African forests carry seeds of the tree
Omphalocarpum with them as they feed on its fruit. The seeds,
released further along the elephant’s path, will find a natural
manure favouring their development in the animal’s dung •
The tropical forests are home
to
two
thirds
of all the Earth’s plants
8
MINISTÈRE
DES
AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES
ET EUROPÉENNES
FTH/en - 2011