In recently read an article about a type of vine that curls around a tree's trunks. In Barro Colorado Island, Panama, there is a type of vine (Liana) that curls around trees and grows up to take their sunlight and water. Scientists have come to the startling conclusion that these vines are slowly taking over tropical rain forests. These vines are parasites that use the trees as their host. The Liana are a great source of food to animals during the dry season, because they flower and fruit at that time when most trees don't. They also provide a sort of "highway" in the canopy to the animals because they snake through the trees when they grow. This weed takes most of the sunlight, water and nutrients that a tree needs. They can also stop a tree's growth and over time kill it. I think that we should get rid of this vine, because our rainforest's are already small, and we don't want them to get any smaller because of a problem that we can fix.
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