Plants that grow in the understory of the tropical rainforest under a heavy canopy of tall trees have
developed adaptations to the dark, hot, and moist environment. Knowing that darker green leaves are
richer in chlorophyll than lighter green leaves, which of the following characteristics would you expect to
find in their leaves?
(1 point)
O small dark green leaves with few stomata
O small pale green leaves with few stomata
O large dark green leaves with many stomata
O large pale green leaves with many stomata
The correct answer is: O small dark green leaves with few stomata.
This is because in the understory of the tropical rainforest, there is limited sunlight reaching the lower levels due to the heavy canopy of tall trees. As a result, plants in this environment have adapted to capture as much light as possible by having smaller leaves. The dark green color indicates a high concentration of chlorophyll, which enables the plants to absorb the limited available sunlight efficiently. Additionally, having few stomata helps to reduce water loss in the moist environment.