(Top right) Lateral buttresses and a heavy load of epiphytes and lianas are characteristic features of tropical forests. Photo by James Halfpenny
Bromeliads such as these cover exposed surfaces of tree branches and influence the chemical corn position of through fall. Many bromeliads were stripped from the trees by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and, after three years, the number has not reached pre-hurricane levels. Photo by Ariel E. Lugo