PHOTOGRAPHY SCIENCEPROJECT

Diversity Of LifeProduced by Jade Murray

Why do plants flower?Plants flower for one simple reason: pollination.The bright coloured flowers and the scent attracts insects towards them. While the insect is sucking the nectar, the pollen grains get attached to its hairy skin. Then this insect visits another flower and the pollen grains might get deposited on the stigma of the plant. There you go, the flower has been fertilized and very soon, it will become a fruit. It becomes fruit to distribute seeds and the seeds fed on the nutrition of the fruit.

Why do some flowers produce a sweet smell or perfume?The reason plants produce a nice smell from there flowers is to attract insects like butterflies and bees which will pollinate the plant. Many flowers have a sweet smell and are brightly coloured to attract the pollinators to them so that eventually they can produce more plants. The fact that flowers smell good is just natures way of keeping the cycle of plants going without interruption. When insects visit the flower they get pollen from it and transfer it from flower to flower taking little seeds with them, this is pollination and this is how plants reproduce naturally.

CACTI ANDSUCCULENTS…..

Cacti and succulents are drought tolerant plants that hold there water in there leaves or stump so that when there is low rainfall in the dessert where they naturally grow they have there own storage of water to slowly use for moisture. Some species of cacti and succulents produce bright flowers and they are also very unique in the way that you can take a cutting of the plant and put the cut end in the soil and it will become a new plant. They reproduce naturally by the leaves or a small part breaking of and landing on soil where it will grow itself.

Succulents often have bushy green foliage and have a soft texture to there leaves. Cacti plants are very recognisable as they come in all shapes and sizes but always have small spicks covering the plant. When you break a cacti or succulent leaf a sticky liquid will come out which is a build up of water, this liquid is drinkable. Succulents have many types including money tree, lavender scallops, swarzkoft (Shown in the picture behind) aloe vera, red fireworks, black prince and many more interesting plants.

FLOWERS

Flowers are a part of the plant that normally have bright and attractive colours or a perfume. This is too attract pollinators like bees and butterflies to the plant so the plant can be pollinated, this is how plants reproduce. The flowers on each different type of plant all vary in shape and colour. Plants are classified into groups which helps scientists so that a certain group of plants may all look similar or have similar flowers. Like succulents are all classified a succulents because of there similarities. Some different types of flowers are....(Just to mention a few)-Camellias-Roses-Gardenias-Tulips-Daffodils-Frangipani

HERBS

Herbs are a certain type of plant which is edible and can be used as a flavour enhancer when cooking dishes. There are many types herbs, some of which can also be used as healing remedies. They can be used as oils which you burn and when you inhale it helps your body. They are very healthy for you, and each has there own taste depending on the type. Some types of herbs are........-Thyme-Rosemary-Mint-Lemon mint-Parsley-Basil-OreganoSome of these herbs can also be used in medicines to help heal your body and can also be used in animal products like medications for them.

SHRUBS AND BUSHES

Shrubs and bushes are a smaller forum of a tree. They are normally quite short and usually under 5 metres tall in growing height. They tend to branch out and there trunks are finer and normally covered in smaller branches make bushes appear rounded and small. There are also many types of bushes including......

Wattle bushLavender bushesButterfly bushCamellia bushBottlebrushHoneysuckleBox bushSpice bushTwinflower

TREES

Tress are basically like bushes and shrubs except there trunks are much taller before the branches grow. Some types of trees can grow quite tall, some even reaching beyond 10metres in height. Trees (Because of there height) provide a good shade source and have a very formal look in gardens when planted in pairs. Trees produce seeds therefore they multiply that way and trees are important to the environment because like all plants take out the toxins of the air. They also create hollows when they grow older which provide homes for small animals and birds. Some trees are deciduous meaning they lose there leaves in Autumn, a small amount of trees keep evergreen all year round.

VEGTABLES AND FRUITS

Vegetables are types of plants that can be grown for food. There are many types of vegetables that we can eat. There are also many types of fruits we can eat. The way you can tell the difference between fruits and vegetables is that all fruits have seeds in them. Vegetables don’t have seeds in them at all. A tomato and a pumpkin is actually fruits because they have seeds in them, because of there savoury taste many people think they are vegetables. Some types of fruits and vegetables are..........-Banana-Apple-Pear-WatermelonAnd some vegies........-Celery-Carrot-Lettuce-Coli flourThat's just to mention a few of the commonly known fruits and vegetables. Fruits are actually produced by the plant for the seeds to feed on, and when the fruit gets old and drops of or leaves the plant the seeds are spread to create new fruit plants.

LEAVES!

Written and produced by Jade Murray

Copyright 2011 on all photos