Daintree National Park Rainforest

Queensland, Australia

Daintree National Park

Trip Day Thirty-seven: Tuesday, October 30, 2007

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Strangler Figs

These trees have been wrapped with the strangler fig vines, members of the ficus family. The the vines have grown together on tree on the left so that it is no longer visible. This process is just beginning with the tree on the right. Although they eventually strangle the host tree to death, the ficus plants are beneficial to the wildlife in the area, because they produce edible fruit several times a year. And with so many different varieties, something is available for the animals to eat all the time.

This is Tony, our natrualist-guide.

There wasn't anything this may didn't know about the rainforest environment
— the plants and the creatures that live here.

Recycled Materials Work Best

In the rainforest environment, woods and metals tend to deteriorate very rapidly. They have found that recycled plastics last and last in things they want to build, such as the walkway on this bridge. I should think that would be a good plan for things outside the rainforest too.

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