The Tropical Rain Forest Canopy: A Method Providing Total Access

Donald R. Perry and John Williams, Biotropica Vol. 13

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The canopy of the tropical forest possesses one of the most diverse communities on the earth, yet there have been only few successful methods meant for studying this aerial zone, and none of these methods provide thorough access to an extensive volume of forest. To observe the canopy, which varies in height ranging from 15 meters to 60 meters, basic investigators built towers and platforms within tall trees (Hingston 1932, Bates 1944, McClure 1966). Immobile structures such as these proved to be biased observation posts due to the eminent spatial heterogeneity in nearby species and associated animal activities of tropical forests (Elton 1973). The usefulness of treetop platforms was extended by Muul and Liat (1970), who built transects of catwalks extending hundreds of meters by the side of various heights within the sphere of the canopy. This method facilitated observations, but access to surrounding vegetation was sternly imperfect. Advance, catwalks were not ecologically kind since they would open contemporary routes meant for canopy animals and in turn influence colonization patterns on nearby limbs by epiphytes (Perry 1978). Using advances made by Denison et al. (1972), Perry (1978a) created highly efficient tree-climbing methods that made the peripheral regions of each tree and the volume of forest under its crown easy to investigate. All the same, imperative regions of the forest remained inaccessible: I.E., the superior get out of the canopy with its eminent bustle of insect and bird species, and a small percentage of the forest which is full of weak trees unsafe meant for climbing, whose heights commonly range 30 meters. To get complete access to the latter regions meant for studies of pollination biology, we created an aerial net of lifelines, which provided access to nearly an acre of forest from ground level to beyond the historically inaccessible tree line.

One more support rope, the interior segment, was strung from the platform to the opposite segment of the perimeter rope. The perimeter rope is supported by pulleys by the side of the trees opposite the platform allowing it to come about rotated in the sphere of a clockwise or else counterclockwise direction. When this is ready, the interior rope sweeps in excess of nearly everyone of the area inside the rope triangle. These adjustments are made by removing or else adding slack to the interior and perimeter lifelines while on the platform.

Since it is nearly impossible to estimate the strength of tree limbs, it is every time preferable that a tangled web configuration be tested sooner than it is put to use. This is done from the ground by hanging three individuals from an escape descent rope attached to the web's pivot. The people should be able to hop off of the rope in the event that a limb breaks.

The canopy's upper surface can be studied from the lifeline web. Access to any point underneath the treetops is by way of a descent rope using standard methods (Perry I978a). The rope is connected to the lifeline web with a carabiner which takes the stress of climbing more readily than the ascending device which only keeps the rope from sliding along the support rope. The descent rope can be left indefinitely in any position and be exited or else entered from the ground. This procedure saves significant time whilst extended observations are to be made. A descent device can be left to provide quick access to diverse points in the plot.

The most imperative considerations which limit the amount of area serviced by the web are 1) the height of the supporting trees beyond the forest's upper surface, 2) the distance between the support trees, 3) the strength of the web rope, and 4) the topographic relief. A web, which covers many acres of forest, may well be constructed by using support trees at the tops of adjacent ridges.

by: joe thorton

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