Trees in the tropical rain forest have ________ root systems because ________.
A) deep; a large percentage of soil nutrients lies at great depths as a result of having been flushed there by heavy rains
B) deep; water near the soil surface is often too acidic for the trees to tolerate
C) shallow; most of the nutrients occur in the shallow surface layer that contains rapidly decaying organic matter
D) shallow; there is intense competition for moisture, which occurs only near the surface because rapid evaporation prevents water from penetrating the soil to a significant degree

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Trees in the tropical rain forest have shallow root systems because most of the nutrients occur in the shallow surface layer that contains rapidly decaying organic matter. The rapid growth and decomposition of vegetation contributes to a nutrient-rich top layer of soil, which encourages shallow root growth.

Trees in the Tropical Rain Forest Have ________ Root Systems