Wild Peruvian Orchids a short hike in San Martin

[Rick]

I think you might be thinking all the white stuff is bird poop, it is not. All the white splashes are lichens. Almost every leaf has lichen growing on it.
Insect poop is probably a huge nutrient source, but consider they are feeding on the moss and lichens and pass on nutrients from them.

This forest has a tremendous amount of bird species but not near enough birds to fertilize all the plants.

Yes a nutrient pyramid. The birds are eating the insects that don't get a chance to poop, and the plants/fruits that the insects miss.

So all non carbon nutrition is from the ground up (except for some of the nitrogen sucked out of the air from the nitrogen fixers in the lichens and moss assemblages).

As Stone noted, there is no shortage of water, and I would wager no shortage of CO2. So that covers 99% of what the plants need anyway.

How much of the green is dangerous to touch Lance? Things that cut, prick, cause rashes, and burns? It's green almost beyond belief:drool:

 

[gonewild]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that lichen can fix atmospheric nitrogen?

Yes Lichens fix nitrogen. But not all species of lichens fix nitrogen.
I'm not an expert on lichens but doing a lot of reading and it seems they obtain most of their nutrients from the atmosphere.

 

[gonewild]

Yes a nutrient pyramid. The birds are eating the insects that don't get a chance to poop, and the plants/fruits that the insects miss.

So all non carbon nutrition is from the ground up (except for some of the nitrogen sucked out of the air from the nitrogen fixers in the lichens and moss assemblages).

It looks like lichens fix a lot more than just nitrogen.

As Stone noted, there is no shortage of water, and I would wager no shortage of CO2. So that covers 99% of what the plants need anyway.

It looks like lichens provide most of the other 1%. But what form do the provide the nutrients in? I think the ratios of the nutrients will wind up conforming with the leaf litter but maybe not the quantity available.

How much of the green is dangerous to touch Lance? Things that cut, prick, cause rashes, and burns? It's green almost beyond belief:drool:

Only a small percentage of plants are dangerous by way of chemicals. But a lot will cut or stab you. When trekking through the jungle always cut a path with machete. Trying to squeeze through can hurt. I manage to almost always wear a T shirt and rarely get scratched or bit. If you get scratched there are plenty of friendly green plants to fix the injury.
The green is intense, especially in the cloud forests where everything is dripping with moss!