Today, there are only a few areas of rain forests left in Singapore. These areas include Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Central Catchment Area.
Characteristics
When you enter Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, you will notice that the environment in the reserve is cool. This occurs due to the presence of the interlocking canopy layer that prevents sunlight from reaching the floor. We will start investigating the plants from the bottom layers aka the undergrowth, shrub layers and the understorey layer.
Take a look at Fig.4. This photo was taken along one of the walking trails. The sunlight rays do not reach the forest floor and the forest floor is left darkened and littered with leaves. As explained above, the leaf litter forms a layer of humus which supplies nutrients to the toil for shallow-rooted plants.
The reserve is home to more than 840 flowering plants and over 500 species of animals! All the major plant groups known in a tropical rainforest can be found in the reserve. Palms, rattans, fig trees, lianas, vines and epiphytes are just some of the plant species to be found. You can also find hardwood trees like the Seraya and the Keruing. Over 80 species of fern can be found in the reserve too.
In Fig.5, we see lianas growing in abundance in the reserve. They are seen wrapping around tree trunks to reach for sunlight and are not parasitic. Climbing from tree to tree, they link up the various trees like highways for animals that live in the canopy. However, if one tree falls, the liana will drag the other trees along, thus creating a gap in the forest.
In Fig.6, bird nest ferns are seen in abundance too. They use the trees as support and make use of rainwater and decaying leaves at the joints of branches to provide themselves with nutrients.
The bottom layer is the forest floor, where little sunlight can reach, thus resulting in little undergrowth. The floor is usually covered with a thin layer of fallen leaves, branches, fruits and seeds, many of which quickly decompose. As a result, decomposers such as mushrooms can be commonly seen sprouting out of fallen branches or dead trees.(Fig. 7)
Bat Lily (Tacca integrifolia), a herb which usually grows in moist shady spots, is also quite common in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. This herb produces spectacular purplish black flowers with long whiskers.(Fig.8)
|
