Associations of roots with micro-organisms absorb water and process nutrients. Most nutrients from the soil are built into such nitrogen-rich substances as vitamins, proteins and their building blocks, aminoacids. Simply said, nitrogen products travel upwards inside the wood, from the soil towards the leaves. Leaves and flowers belong to trees, but also to other plants. Lianes attach supple, thin stems to or around tree trunks and branches, carrying leaves up high to the sun.
Epiphytes grow upon tree branches and trunks.
They are no parasites because they do not harm their hosts. Bromeliads, Orchids and Philodendrons are examples of epiphytes from tropical America. The staghorn fern is from Africa and some epiphytic ant plants are Asian. Figure 1 shows epiphyte communities in Trinidad, Harry Belafonte's Island in the Sun. Together, all these plants build the roof or canopy of the rain forest.