How many different types of rainforest does PNG have?
There are actually five types of rainforest: lowland alluvial and lowland hill; and then lower, middle or upper montane or highland rainforest. In the rainforest plants and animals are adapted to three strata: the forest floor, the understory and the canopy. The entire system depends on a lot of rainfall, and the humidity within it may reach the saturation point. Inside the canopy this moisture may be absorbed directly by tree bark or plant roots, or it may evaporate; the excess rains off and down into mountain gullies and creeks which eventually cascade over waterfalls and flow into lowland rivers to the sea. Just a look at the mighty Sepik River gives you an idea of how much water drains off the mountain rainforests in PNG.
