Ecological functions of tree stranglers

As bird food

Despite its nickname of "strangler", it is the main food source for many animals in the forest, with birds being the ones that benefit the most. The main food source for birds is this tree, and the seeds of tree strangler are scattered throughout the rainforest through their feces, so these birds can carry their seeds to various places. Unlike ordinary fruit trees, tree stranglers can bear fruit all year round, so their fruits become food for many animals when edible things are scarce.

Receiving wasp eggs

The pollination of tree stranglers has an unusual relationship with a species of wasp. The impregnated female wasps burrow into the base of the unripe fruit of the tree strangler, shedding their wings to reduce resistance as they penetrate. These bees stay in the ovary of the flower and lay their eggs inside. By the time the fruit is fully grown, the bee larvae are almost fully developed. Although the wasps damage the ovary of the flower when they emerge from the ovary after maturity, it is precisely because of these wasps carrying pollen on their bodies that the flowers of this tree can successfully spread pollen. When wasps happen to pollinate them without laying eggs in the ovary, the seeds of these trees are able to mature and create conditions for reproduction.

The tree strangler draws nutrients from its host trees and relies on wasps for pollination and fertilization. At the same time, the fruits it produces can feed numerous animals in the forest, so its role in the ecological environment cannot be ignored.