Rubber fig tree

Description:

Riwai Living Root Bridge, living rubber tree shaped such as to be used as bridge in this area. This practice is nown in North east India and parts of South east Asia.

Habitat:

Handmade by twining the aerial roots of living rubber fig trees by local khasi tribes.

Notes:

Most of the bridges grow on steep slopes of subtropical moist broadleaf forest between 50m and 1150m above sea level. As long as the tree from which it is formed remains healthy, the roots in the bridge can naturally grow thick and strengthen. New roots can grow throughout the tree's life and must be pruned or manipulated to strengthen the bridge.