In the Western Hemisphere, the tropical rain forest reaches its fullest development in the jungles of Central and South America. The trees are very tall and of a great variety of species. One rarely finds two trees of the same species growing close to one another. The vegetation is so dense that little light reaches the forest floor. Most of the plants are evergreen, not deciduous.
Epiphytes are plants that live perched on sturdier plants.
They do not take nourishment from their host as parasitic plants do. Because their roots do not reach the ground, they depend on the air to bring them moisture and inorganic nutrients. The lushness of the tropical rain forest suggests a high net productivity , but this is illusory. Many of the frequent attempts to use the tropical rain forest for conventional crops have been disappointing. The high rainfall leaches soil minerals below the reach of plant roots.