Question

How does the vegetal stratification of an ecosystem influence its biological diversity?

Answer 1

The vegetal stratification of an ecosystem, such as the strata of the Amazon Rainforest, creates vertical layers with particular abiotic and biotic factors, dividing the ecosystem into several different environments.

Therefore, in the upper layer near the canopies of large trees, the exposure to light, rain, and wind is greater, whereas moisture is lower compared to the lower layers. As you go down the strata, the penetration of light diminishes and moisture increases.

Regarding biotic factors, communities of each stratum present different compositions and features, food habits, reproduction strategies, etc. Such variations in abiotic and biotic factors put selective pressure on living organisms, causing them to be diversified; as result, there are more ecological niches to be explored and more varied organisms emerge during the evolutionary process.