Overseas tropical rainforest research

Introduction:

The amazon rainforest (also known as Amazonia) is the largest rainforest in the world.
Because its vegetation continously recycles carbon dioxide into oxygen,
it has been describes as the "Lungs of our planet".

Impact to the environment:

About 20% earth's oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest.
Amazonia receive most of its water supply from the Amazon river.
Amazonia receives about 9 feet of rain every year.
Fifty percent of this returns to the atmosphere through the foliage of trees.
Tens of millions of acres of rainforest are covered by water
as the flood advances towards the inland.

Location and animal population:

The world's largest tropical rainforest,
Amazonia covers more than half of Brazil.
Scientists believe that the canopy may contain half of the world's species.
Over 500 mammals, 175 lizards and over 300 other reptile species,
and one third of the world's birds live in Amazonia.
It is estimated that about 30 million insect types can be found here.
Competition for survival is fierce.
The most intense competition is between plants and animals.
Both plants and animals have made adaptations
to defend themselves from being eaten,
and to overcome these defensive systems.
Plants trap sunlight and turn it into energy
for themselves and herbivores of the canopy.

Some animals found in the canopy are the harpy eagle,
which preys on monkeys, kinkajous, sloth, reptiles,
and other birds.
Sloth spend most of their lives on the treetop.

Weather conditions:

High temperatures and the amount of rain
are the same throughout the year in Amazonia.
The climate is warm and humid,
with average temperatures around 79 degrees farenheit.
The difference between day and night time temperatures
is greater than those between seasons.

Other benefits to human:

Native peoples of the Amazon rainforest have used
different plants for centuries as cures and potions
for their health and survival.
Scientists are now discovering that many of the plants
are sources for new drugs for
AIDS, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and Alzheimer's.
Quinine, muscle relaxants, steroids and cancer drugs
have already been discovered.

But unfortunately,
Amazonia, the home of natural vegetation and species,
is being cleared for cattle ranches,
mining operations, logging and subsistence agriculture.
Some forests are being burned to make charcoal to power industrial plants.

Credits:
http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/ ,
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/amazon.htm ,
http://xin.msn.com/

Visit to Mangrove Sites in Singapore II

We went to keppel club on 9 june to visit the mangrove vegetation there! :)

Location of keppel club:
Keppel club is located at Bukit Kermin Road,Singapore and the mangrove vegetation in Keppel club is situated beside a sea which stretches to Harbourfront, Sentosa and Labrador park. The mangrove vegetation at the coastline outside keppel club thrives due to the large amount of nutrients it can get not only from the fertile muddy soil, but from the sea beside it. The salinity of the brackish water provides ample of nutrients for the mangrove vegetation.

The mangrove vegetation are adapted to the saline conditions there.
We spotted many different types of mangrove roots there,
mainly prop roots, pencil roots and knee-like roots. The roots that we saw are just like those of sketch 1 in the older post of "adaptations of mangrove."

Roots that different mangrove vegetation have:

Black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) : pencil-like roots
Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) : prop roots, knee-like roots


Pictures speak a thousand words,
so below are the pictures that we have taken:

One fine sunny day, we made our way early to keppel club to take a look at the mangrove vegetation there!



... Finally we have reached keppel club!




Overview of the mangrove vegetation!

Do you see the coastline?

Such magnificent natural vegetation, isn't it?

Mangrove trees!

Mangrove trees grow where no tree has grown before. They are able to survive inundation by salt water twice a day, and in "soil" which is unstable and poor in oxygen (anaerobic). They also have to deal with swollen rivers carrying silt during the wet season, as well as violent storms that hit the coasts.

They exclude some salt at root level while some can tolerate the more salt in their tissues.

Mangrove trees by the coastline!

It is amazing that these trees can survive in such harsh conditions. (:

Pencil roots!
Mangrove trees develop pencil like roots to absorb oxygen from the air as the oxygen level in the mud of a mangrove is extremely low. They are like "straws" for the mangrove vegetation as an adaptation to low oxygen level. These "breathing tubes" typically reach heights of up to thirty centimeters, and in some species, over three meters.

Do you know that these roots are covered with lenticles that help in the taking in of oxygen?

Prop roots!

It grows from the lower part of the trunk or the stem of the trees.The prop roots also improve the stability of the tree by providing a broader base and support in the soft and unstable mud.
They also help in aeration as they are exposed for at least most of the day between tides.

Prop roots!

Pencil roots and prop roots!


And that's the end of the photos taken in keppel club mangrove vegetation.
Sorry for the many photos that we have uploaded in this post!
But, we just hope that you will be able to get a better picture of the mangrove vegetation found in S'pore. (:

Next up, below are videos that we have taken at keppel club too.




photo and video credits: All uploaded from Huiting's camera
credits: Keppel club, Singapore ,
Everybody in the group! (: