Get The Great Kapok Tree Ppt

The kapok tree does a great job at spreading its seeds, producing anywhere between 500 and 4,000 fruits at one time, with each fruit containing 200 seeds. When these fruit burst open, silky fibers spread the many seeds all over the forest.

The Kapok tree, Ceiba pentandra, can actually grow up to 200 feet tall, and its trunk alone can be nine or 10 feet across. But because the soil in the lowland rainforest is so thin and washes away with frequent rains, the tree must support itself by growing huge, tripod-like buttresses, rising outward from its base.

Kapok trees, with their imposing height and girth (some species can grow to over 73 m (240 ft) in height and up to 5.8 m (19 ft) in diameter), feature largely in Native American mythologies (particularly that of the Maya) as embodiments of the Axis mundi, sustaining the entire cosmos by linking heaven, earth and the ...

Significance. The majestic kapok tree has many uses for humans. Its wood is lightweight and porous; good for making carvings, coffins and dugout canoes. The silky fibers that disperse the seeds are too small for weaving but make great stuffing for bedding and life preservers.

Emergent trees like the kapok rise above the canopy of the rainforest and provide a home for plants dependent on sunlight. Their branches provide a habitat for countless epiphytes, which provide food and shelter for many types or animals.

The theme is about how all trees serve an equally important role, no matter where they are located, and that everyone should think more carefully about cutting them down or abusing them.

Environmental benefits Kapok tree grows in the rain forest in the tropical zone. By using the kapok fiber we also benefit to survival of the rain forest – so called “the lungs of the world”. The growing of kapok is sustainable – minimum pollution, no use of chemicals, no use of water and a minimum of CO2 release.