Trees in Tropical Forests Have Extensive, Shallow Roots That Allow for Efficient Nutrient Absorption

Function

Soil in the tropical forests is only about 20cm deep; therefore, trees have shallow primary roots and grow extensive lateral roots around the trunk in order to anchor the trees into the soil. The shallow lateral roots maximize efficient nutrient extraction nutrients to the utmost extent from the soil. In hot and humid tropical forests, organic matter is decomposed more easily, which leads to nutrient deficiency in the soil. In response, trees grow their roots as shallow as possible, enabling them to take the greatest advantage of sunlight and water absorption during heavy rainfall, which enables tree life support.

Functional Classification

Efficiency(Energy Saving, Resource Saving, Light):
Efficient arrangementHigh intensity
Defense/Stability:
Stability

Environmental Solution Classification

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Technical Application

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Proposals of Applied Technology

Features from trees shallow-soil root system can be utilized for architectural design in shallow soil. The tropical trees mechanism for utilizing sunlight and rain for their growth can also be used in the development of solar and rain power.

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