How rainforest plants adapt

Science · Rainforests · ages 7-9

Name ______________________ Date ____________

What are buttress roots?
- Roots that grow deep underground like a carrot
- Roots that spread wide near the surface to support a tall tree
- Roots that float on top of rivers
What is a drip-tip leaf's pointy end for?
- Letting rainwater drip off fast
- Catching insects
- Storing extra sunlight
An epiphyte is a plant that grows on a tree branch instead of in the soil.
Circle one: True False
How does an epiphyte, like an orchid growing high on a branch, get sunlight without growing in soil?
- It grows up in the canopy where sunlight already reaches
- It steals sunlight from the tree below it
- It does not need any sunlight at all
Why do many rainforest trees have wide buttress roots instead of deep ones?
- To collect extra rainwater like a bucket
- Because rainforest trees have no soil around them
- The soil is thin, so wide roots spread out for better support
Sam names these rainforest plant features: pointy drip-tips, wide buttress roots, and orchids growing on branches. How many separate adaptations did Sam name?
Answer: ______________
Zane says: 'Epiphytes have thick roots that dig deep into the soil to find water, just like buttress roots.' What is wrong with what Zane said?
- Epiphytes don't have roots
- Buttress roots dig deep too, so Zane is right
- Epiphytes don't grow in soil at all, they grow on branches
Which sentence correctly uses the word 'adaptation'?
- A drip-tip leaf is an adaptation because it is green
- A drip-tip leaf is an adaptation that helps the plant shed water fast
- A drip-tip leaf is an adaptation that helps animals hide

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

How rainforest plants adapt W1-mt_Wx5m6mwkpj-s1

Roots that spread wide near the surface to support a tall tree · Buttress roots spread out along the ground like walls instead of digging deep.
Letting rainwater drip off fast · The pointy tip lets rain slide off quickly, so the leaf doesn't stay wet and rot.
True · Epiphytes, like orchids and bromeliads, grow right on branches to reach sunlight.
It grows up in the canopy where sunlight already reaches · Epiphytes settle high on branches where light already pours in, so they don't need to reach it from the ground.
The soil is thin, so wide roots spread out for better support · Thin rainforest soil can't hold deep roots well, so trees spread their roots wide instead.
3 · Drip-tip leaves, buttress roots, and epiphytes like orchids are three different adaptations.
Epiphytes don't grow in soil at all, they grow on branches · Epiphytes live on tree branches and catch rain and food from the air, never touching the soil.
A drip-tip leaf is an adaptation that helps the plant shed water fast · An adaptation is a feature that helps a plant survive, and shedding water fast is exactly that.