How Is Strangler Fig Tree A Parasitism Relationship
The hollow center of an ancient strangler fig where its host tree once grew and has long since rotted away. They found that large trees hosting strangler figs survived the storm whereas those without were more likely to be uprooted. It appears that hosting these parasitic figs just might have some benefits after all. The host tree will eventually die, then rot out leaving an empty space in the core of the victorious parasite. I find this whole progression fascinating and instructive.
Although a strangler fig often smothers and outcompetes its host, there is some evidence that trees encased in strangler figs are more likely to survive tropical cyclones, suggesting that the relationship can be somewhat mutualistic. Strangler figs, commonly seen enveloping other trees in tropical rainforests, are often misunderstood as parasitic organisms. While their growth profoundly impacts host trees, these fascinating plants do not fit the biological definition of a parasite. One of the most extraordinary trees found in the forests of south america is the strangler fig. Known in peru as matapalos. However, whereas the mistletoe is content to remain relatively small as it sits on the host tree, the strangling fig continues to grow. In a british wood you can often see ivy plants snaking upwards along the trunks of trees, like oak. Ivy is not technically a parasite, it doesnt draw food from trees. A parasitic nightmare that lives on other tropical trees, stealing their soil nutrients, water, and even sunlight through a canopy of dense leaves and tendrillike roots that twist around the host plant (above). Eventually, the fig's roots can completely encase the host, strangling its trunk and cutting off nutrient flow until it dies and rots awayleaving just the.
Strangler Fig Tree Fruit
