Gap effects are nothing to do with a certain fashion clothing company. But understanding the role
of gaps in the rainforest canopy is crucial to the broader picture—how is biodiversity
maintained? One effect of gaps is to provide a different type of habitat—gaps are better-lit and
drier than the canopy understorey. Gaps occur when a disturbance causes a tree-fall or in areas
around lake edges or along river banks, as above. Gaps add to the overall diversity of the
rainforest because they provide a different kind of habitat to which certain species are specially
adapted. (See Plant biodiversity.)
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