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Plants and Environment

Do temperature and rainfall affect plant


growth?
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment?
Do temperature and rainfall affect
plant growth?
 The growth of plants is affected by temperature and
rainfall:
Tropical rainforest – Hot all year round, a lot of rainfall
– Dense vegetation, forests
Temperate grassland – Cold winters, hot summers, little
rainfall – Thick grasses and bushes
Desert – Extreme day and night temperatures, scarce
rainfall – Scarce vegetation
Polar region – Extremely cold, rare rainfall – Scarce
vegatation
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Tropical Rainforest
http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/rforest/plants/adapt.htm
 Smooth and exfoliating bark make it difficult for other
plants to grow on their surface
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Tropical Rainforest
 Lianas (climbing woody vines) - having
their roots in the ground and climbing
high into the tree canopy to reach
available sunlight
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Tropical Rainforest
 leaves have a drip tip, these drip tips
enable rain drops to run off quickly to
avoid growth of fungus and bacteria
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Tropical Rainforest
 Buttress roots - large trees have massive
ridges near the base that can rise 30 feet
high before blending into the trunk these
buttress roots provide extra stability
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Tropical Rainforest
 Prop and stilt roots help give support and are
characteristic of tropical palms growing in
shallow, wet soils, these above-ground roots
can grow 28 inches a month
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Tropical Rainforest
 Plants (epiphytes) that live on the surface of
other plants, especially the trunk and branches
to take advantage of the sunlight in the canopy
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Tropical Rainforest
 Bromeliads - The bromeliad is a kind of tropical plant
with leaves like a pineapple. It collects water in its' center.
This water forms a small pool for frogs, lizards, and insects to
live in.
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Temperate Grassland

 to conserve water by having thin, needle-like shaped


leaves that expose little of the plant to the sun
 seventy percent of the plant is also underground,
avoiding sun and wind
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Temperate Grassland
 grasses are almost impossible to kill they have
extensive root webs that prevent grazing animals
from pulling their roots out of the ground
 during dry winter months, the grass's roots find water
deep underground
 one single grass plant in the steppe or prairie may
have a network of roots and root hair that equal two
to three miles (3.2 to 4.8 kilometers) long
 http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/biomes/biomes.grassland.temperate.plants.html
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Desert
 slow down growth for half of the year to
conserve moisture
 lose their leaves when temperatures become
too intense
 many large cacti, like the barrel and organ-
pipe cacti, store large amounts of water in their
thick stems and pulpy interior
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Desert

 the saguaro extracts water from its environment


every chance it gets. Its roots are only a few inches
(2.5 centimeters) deep in the soil, so it can soak up
as much rain and dew before it evaporates
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Desert
 the Joshua tree, have needle-like leaves with a
waxy resin that prevents much water from
evaporating
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Desert
 another type of plant, called living stones,
exposes only a few of its leaves to the sun. The
rest of the plant remains underground
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Desert
 other plants remain hydrated with their deep
roots. The mesquite tree has roots that can
extend 100 feet (30.5 meters) into the ground,
tapping water from underground aquifers
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Desert
 Many plants in the desert are located many
feet (meters) away from one another because
moisture is limited so plants must space out
 Another reason is that some plants are
poisonous to others, roots of the creosote bush
have chemicals on them just for the purpose of
keeping other plants out of their way.
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Desert
 grasses and shrubs living in dune areas have
developed long, tough roots to hold onto sand
dunes
 http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/biomes/biomes.desert.plantadapt.html
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Polar Regions
 http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/biomes/biomes.tundra.plants.adaptation
s.html

 Cool growing temperature tundra plants can


grow at temperatures 15ºC to 20ºC which is
cooler than any other plant in the world
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Polar Regions
 Small and low growing plants are also a
characteristic of tundra plants because of the
lack of nutrients found in the soil
 Being close to the dark, warmth, absorbent soil
helps to keep plants from freezing
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Polar Regions
 Plants are also dark and hairy, the darkness of
their flesh absorbs solar heat and the hair helps
to trap the heat and keep it close to the surface
of the plant
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Polar Regions
 Some plants also grow in clumps in order to
break harsh winds and protect each other from
the cold
 Plants in clumps remain 20 degrees warmer
than the surrounding air
In what ways do plants adapt to the
environment? Polar Regions
 For more information about plants in tundra
click the link below:
http://www.schmoker.org/TundraLife/index.html

Tundra Webcam:
http://instaar.colorado.edu/tundracam/

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