Rainforest Live '97 Queensland Q&A

  From the week ending March 14, 1997

Are there plants or animals in the rainforest that are dangerous to humans?
...Mr. Jones' Class, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA

by David Wallstrom, Christina Gettelfinger, Jonah Ibson, and
Melissa Arvay, 3/5/97... from Queensland

There are several types of animals and plants here in the Wet Tropics that are dangerous to humans. The Brown Tree Snake and the Tai-pan are two very poisonous snakes found in the area that can make you very sick or kill you if you don’t receive medical attention. Leeches are also a problem, but they don’t really do any permanent damage.The plants in the area can be just as dangerous. Many vines and shrubs are covered with sharp barbed thorns that can tear at your skin and clothing. Many of the colorful fruits are also poisonous. The most dangerous tree, however, is the stinging tree. It is covered with millions of small hollow silica hairs that are filled with poison. When you rub the tree with bare skin, the hairs can get stuck in your flesh. It is very painful and the effects can last for a long time. The only way to remove the hairs is with hot leg wax, which does not always work as well as we would like it to.

We learned about the canopy and strata of rainforest trees in class. Can you describe the canopy and the different strata so we can picture it?
...Ms. Murphy's Fourth Grade Class, Portland, OR, USA

by Michelle Machalka, Jen Kliris, Mike Billings and John Roe, 3/5/97... from Queensland

The upper canopy includes large trees such as the strangler fig, the candle nut, and the black bean. These trees crown out (reach their tallest) at about thirty meters. The sub-canopy ranges from ten to fifteen meters depending on light availability and is made of smaller, shrubbier trees such as acacia and sarsaparilla. The larger trees also support smaller trees and ferns, called epiphytes, that grow in the joints where the branches meet the trunk. Vines such as the Lawyer Vine and the Bellbird Vine also use the larger trees as support and a way to reach the sunlight. The ground layer is fairly bare in the thickly forested areas, but in gaps where light shines through young trees, shrubs, and ferns thrive. Many birds and mammals spend their whole lives within the upper canopy. Food and water are plentiful and the trees offer some protection from predators, such as feral pigs and dogs.

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