Question

Learning Task 15-03 Plant Adaptations

How do plants adapt to survive in very different environments under different conditions?

Your task is to:

• Research the environmental conditions of four different regions in Canada.
• Identify four or more types of adaptations plants will have that help them survive in that region.
• Explain how the adaptations are helpful.

Identify an example of a plant from each region and use a picture of that plant to point out the adaptations.

Use this organizer, or one of your own design, to record your findings.

Make sure you cite your work.

Answer 1

1 ARCTIC TUNDRA

LOW SUMMER TEMPERATURE 11 DEGREE CELSIUS ,COLD SOIL ,LOW LEVEL OF SOIL NUTRIENTS

PLANT GROWTH IS LIMITED DUE TO ENVIORNMENTAL FACTORS LIKE DISTIBUTION OF COLD SOIL .IN LOW ARTIC AREA COVERED WITH DWARF WOODY SHRUB .MAJOR PLANT COMMUNITIES ARE SCRUB BIRCH ,ALDER AND WILLOWS ALONG RIVERS

IN HIGH ARTIC AREA ,THE LAND COVER CONSIST OF DWARF PROSTRATE SHRUBS , CUSHION PLANTS AND MOUNTAIN AVENS

2 BOREAL FOREST OR TAIGA

STRONG SEASONAL VARIATIONS WITH SHORT MODERATELY WARM AND MOIST SUMMERS AND LONG EXTREMELY COLD AND DRY WINTERS SEASONAL FLUCTUATIONS UP TO 100 DEGREE

THE LARGEST VEGETATION IN CANADA ,DOMINATED BY PLANTS CAPABLE OF SURVIVING COOL SHORT SUMMERS AND LONG COLD WINTERS

3 SOUTHERN SUBZONES DOMINATED BY TALL ,SEMICLOSED CANOPIED FOREST COMPOSED OF DECIDUOUS AND CONIFEROUS TREES LIKE BALSAM FIR ,PAPER BIRCH ,BLACK SPRUCE , PINE AND REDMAPLE

4 WETLANDS

IN ARID AND SEMIARID AREAS ,HOTTER AND DRIER SUMMER WET LAND PROTECT FROM FLOOD BY HOLDING WATER ,ALSO HELP TO INCREASE GREEN HOUSE GASES IT STORE VAST AMOUNT OF CARBON .WETLANDS ARE TRANSITIONAL ZONE NEIGHTHER TOTALLY DRY NOR UNDER WATER

MOSSES ,REDCEDAR ,LABRADOR TEA ARE MAIN PLANTS HERE

IN ADAPTATION SOME OF CHARACTERS ARE GENOTYPIC OR IRREVERSIBLE AS A PART OF EVOLUTION ,SOME ARE IN RESPONSE TO THE ENVIORNMENT MODIFICATION IN PLANTS WHICH IS ALSO IRREVERSIBLE .SOME ARE REVERSIBLE KNOWN AS THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT OR ACCLIMATION

. PLANTS FROM COLD CLIMATE CAN ESCAPE THE ACTION OF FREE AIR CIRCULATION BY REDUCING PLANT SIZE .WATER EXTRACTION FROM THE CELL THROUGH EXTRACELULAR ICE FORMATION REQUIRES A FLUID OUTERCELL MEMBRANE WITH PROTECTIVE COMPOUNDS LIKE SUGAR AND PROTEINS .SOME ALPINE PERFORM LEAF SUPER COOLING ,OR RETAINING WATER IN A GEL LIKE METASTABLE STATE BELOW FREEZING POINT THE XYLEM WATER ALSO SUPER COOLS . FINE TUNING OF PLANT PHENOLOGY IS ANOTHER ADAPTATION TERMINATION OF GROWTH IN AUTUMN BEFORE DAMAGING TEMPERATURE COME IN TO ACTION .DUE TO SHORT STATURE TRANSPIRATIONAL HEATLOSE IS LOW

THE SLENDER TREES OF BOREAL FOREST HELP THEM TO SHED SNOW , HAVING SHALLOW ROOT SYSTEM ,TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIN LAYER OF UNFROZEN SOIL ,SHEDDING SNOW ALLOWS THE NEEDLE LEAVES TO ABSORB MORE SUNLIGHT ALSO PREVENT WATER LOSE BY TRANSPIRATION ,HAVE A WAXY COAT TO PROTECT FROM DRYWINDS , DARKER GREEN LEAVES HELP TO ABSORB MORE SUNLIGHT

CONIFERS HAVE THICK BARK TO PROTECT FROM COLD , CONE SHAPED SO ICE SLIDES DOWN ,WATER PROOF LEAVES WITH CUTICLE .THEY ARE GYMNOSPERMS LEAVES ARE NEEDLE SHAPED WHICH PREVENTS WATER LOSE DUE TO REDUCED SURFACE AREA

PLANTS IN WET LAND LIKE REDCEDAR SECREATS AN OIL ,THE WOOD SMELL PREVENTS INSECTS ,SEED DISPERSAL IS BY BIRDES .THE BERRIES HAVE A HIGH FAT AND FIBRE CONTENT WHICH ATTRACTS BIRDS