Plant Adaptations
The temperature in grassland or the prairies are windy, have hot summers and cold winters. Rainfall is uncertain and in the range of about 25-27 cm per year, and drought is common. The soil is very rich in organic material as grasses die of every year, enriching the soil. Soft stems enable prairie grasses to bend in the wind Wind pollinated Narrow leaves minimize water loss
Temperate Grassland (Prairie) Plant Adaptations During a fire, while above-ground portions of grasses may perish, the root portions survive to sprout again Some prairie trees have thick bark to resist fire Prairie shrubs readily resprout after fire Roots of prairie grasses extend deep into the ground to absorb as much moisture as they can
Temperate Grassland (Prairie) Plant Adaptations Extensive root systems prevent grazing animals from pulling roots out of the ground Prairie grasses have narrow leaves which lose less water than broad leaves
Temperate Grassland (Prairie) Plant Adaptations Grasses grow from near their base, not from tip, thus are not permanently damaged from grazing animals or fire Many grasses take advantage of exposed, windy conditions and are wind pollinated Soft stems enable prairie grasses to bend in the wind
Soft stems enable prairie grasses to bend in the wind. Narrow leaves minimize water loss.
Many grasses are wind pollinated and are well-suited to the exposed, windy conditions of the grasslands.
Temperate Deciduous Forest Plant Adaptations
In the autumn, deciduous trees drop their leaves to minimize water loss.
Broad leaves can capture a lot of sunlight for a tree.
Many trees have thick bark to protect against the cold winters in the temperate deciduous forest.
Epiphytes live on other plants to reach the sunlight.
Taiga Plant Adaptations
The shape of many conifer trees helps shed heavy snow to save branches from breaking.
Needles lose less water and shed snow more easily than broad leaves.
Desert Plant Adaptations
The 3 important characteristics of the desert are; 1. High temperature drought condition 2.Rainfall is low - Lack of water 3. The soil is often sandy and rocky and unable to hold much water.
Desert Plant Adaptations Some plants, called succulents, store water in their stems or leaves;
Succulent leaves can store water inside them. The Desert Spoon leaves are usually thick and tough to reduce water loss.
Succulent plants 1. Have fleshy stems to store food 2. Spines discourage animals from eating plants for water
3. Waxy coating on stems and leaves help reduce water loss.
This plant has a waxy coating on its leaves to help reduce water loss.
Aloe The waxy surface of the aloe plant acts like a plastic wrapper, keeping precious water inside.
The stem of the Saguaro Cactus stores all of its water. This plant has a large net of roots -- that extend far away from its trunk. The roots collect water after rain.
Fish Hook Cactus The fish hook shaped spines of the Fish Hook Cactus help divert heat and shade the growing tip of the plant.
Old Man Cactus The white hairy surface of the Old Man Cactus helps the plant reflect the hot desert sun.
The lack of leaves helps reduce water loss.
Cactus have very few stomata and may only open than at night to prevent water loss
This cactus displays several desert adaptations: it has spines rather than leaves and it stores water in its stem.
Prickly Pear Cactus Since many desert plants store water in their spongy tissue, animals will eat them for the moisture. The thorns keep them safe from many animal predators.
4. Have long roots penetrate into the soil in search of water.
The characteristics of the tropical rainforest are; 1. Hot and humid 2. Abundance of water 3. The forest is very thick of plants 4. Not much sunlight is able to penetrate to the forest floor 5. The plants at the top of the rainforest in the canopy must be able to survive 12 hours of intense sunlight everyday of the year.
Drip-tips on leaves help shed excess water to discourage growth of bacteria and fungi.
Leaves with a "drip tip" gently channels the water off the leaf and onto its roots.
Banana Leaf can tear in the wind and still survive
Flowers on the forest floor lure animal pollinators. Since there is no wind on the forest floor to aid in pollination Rafflesia is the biggest flower in the world. It can be found in Indonesian forests.
Prop roots help support plants in the shallow soil.
Plants have shallow roots to help capture nutrients from the top level of soil Prop roots Prop or stilt roots help to support plants in the shallow soil.
Epiphytes- grow on trees They have aerial roots to reach sunlight that cling to the host and absorb minerals and water from the atmosphere.
some plants grow on other plants to reach the sunlight
Liana is a climbing vine that grows on the trees. Climbs on other plants to reach the sunlight.
Some plants collect rainwater into a central reservoir.
The characteristics of the Tundra are; 1. Cold and treeless area it is the coldest habitat. 2. Very low temperatures, very little precipitation (rain or snow), few nutrients and low biological diversity. 3. It has short cool summers and long, severe winters. 4. The ground is covered with ice and snow
Tundra plants are short and low growing due to lack of nutrients. Close to the ground helps keep the plants from freezing The permafrost does not allow the trees to send their roots into the ground
These tundra plants are lowgrowing which helps keep the plants from freezing
Plants are dark in color. Some are even red The dark colors help them absorb solar heat.
Tundra Many plants, such as this one, have leaves that are dark red. Dark leaves allow the plant to absorb more heat from the sun in the cold tundra climate.
Plants grow in clumps to resist the wind and cold temperature
Tundra: This plant grows in a clump to help conserve heat.
Some plants have dish-like flower that follow the sun, Focusing more solar heat on the center of the flower, Helping the plant stay warm.
Hydrophytes Plants that float on water or live under water
Water plants adaptations are; 1.They have a light bodies with air sacs for floatation. 3. Some plants have leaves that float on top of water exposing them to the sunlight 2. They have a flat floating leaves with a waxy coating on their upper surface to make them waterproof.
Plant Adaptations in Water in floating plants chlorophyll is restricted to upper surface of leaves (part that the sunlight will hit) and the upper surface is waxy to repel water Some plants produce seeds that can float
In floating plants, chlorophyll is restricted to the upper surface. Note the green color on the top of the leaves and the reddish underside of the overturned leaf.
Aquatic plants must be flexible to withstand the pressures of moving water.
They have thin narrow leaves can withstand the force of water current