Plants

Like animals, plants need food and water. But what sets them apart is their struggle for light. Plants must have light in order to grow and will do anything to get as much as they need. The forest might appear to be the perfect place for plants to thrive yet down here on the forest floor is one of the hardest places imaginable for a young plant to begin its life. The canopy above is so thick that only a little sunlight can filter through. For this sampling, too little sunlight means death. But plants on the forest floor need not be passive. If the light won’t come to them, they can go to the light. But they still have a problem, the light is 50 meters above them so they must climb. It’s much easier to use another plant as scaffolding. But they wont get very high unless they can hold on tight. Like fingertips searching for a hold this Ivy’s adhesive pads grip the bog. instead of sticking to the trees, some climbers use sharp claws. The cat’s claw creeper hooks it’s tendrils into the tiniest crevasses and hauls itself to the top. With every meter it climbs the light gets a little stronger, fueling more growth.