Question

Determine the amount of solar energy absorbed by the trees of the rain forest in a single day. Remember that not all of the light is absorbed by the plant. Much is reflected as evidenced by the plants visibility. Responses must be a typed discussion of the problem at hand and the solution to the problem and should be no longer than 10 sentences.You will need to find information from outside sources.

Answer 1

1.About 75-80% of the sunlight falling on a leaf is absorbed.

2.Rainforests have three landscape types: the uplands, coastal hills and the low land coastal plains. The number of trees vary in these landscapes. For example - there are about 200 - 412 billion trees in the Amazon rainforest.

3.The canopy consists of tree tops and is very efficient in capturing sunlight. Only 3-15% of light penetrates the canopy to reach the lower undergrowth.

4. The understorey below the canopy receives only 2-5% of the sunlight which penetrates through the canopy.

5. Red and blue wavelengths of visible light are absorbed more easily by chlorophyll in leaves. Most of these wavelengths are reflected and enter our eye producing effect of green colour.