Leaves are dark green, smooth, and often have drip tipsto shed excess water.
Many leaves have flexible bases so they can turn to face the sun.
Tree trunks have thin bark as there is no need for protection from frost. This lets water flow down them easily.
Many of the trees have shallow roots to absorb the nutrients found at the ground surface where dead leaves quickly decompose in the humid conditions.
Because the shallow roots give limited support, tallest trees have buttress roots, which emerge from the ground to give support and prevent them from falling over. They can grow up to 9m tall! They also help transport water and may help the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange by increasing surface area.
Epiphytes
They can live on branches high in the canopy to seek sunlight - they obtain nutrients from the water and air rather than the infertile soil. (see section)
Lianas
Lianas support themselves on tree trunks. They are vine-like plants, climbing up the trunk and along the branches before plunging down to the forest floor.
They do this so that they can get as much light as possible
Lianas can grow up to 200m in length. .
Strangler Figs
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 host and start to strangle. The fig's 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.
They are adapted in this way due to the intense competition for light. They also take nutrients from the host as the soil is infertile due to leaching.
Soil
The soil is called latosol.
The heavy rainfall quickly dissolves nutrients in the soil and transports them downwards in the soil profile.
This is called leaching and the soil is left lacking in fertility and has a red-coloured appearance which is rich in iron and very acidic.
It means that most nutrients are found in the upper soil layer.
This is surprising considering the lush growth of vegetation.
Many of the trees have shallow roots to absorb the nutrients found at the ground surface where dead leaves quickly decompose in the humid conditions.
The rainforest is a fragile environment whose existence depends on the rapid recycling of nutrients.