Slide 1

PLANTS & THEIR ADAPTATIONSCopyright 2011 What is an adaptation?

Plants have many adaptations

A feature or behavior that allows a plant to survive in its environment

Copyright 2011 2Before displaying the definition, ask the students for their definitions of adaptations.

WATER

WIND

ANIMALSFOR POLLINATIONCopyright 2011 3If necessary, review the meaning of pollination by asking them for their definitions. Ask the students to think of some of the ways pollen can be spread from one plant to another, and have them write these on the worksheet.AFTER YOU HAVE ASKED THEM FOR THEIR IDEAS, SHOW THEM THESE PHOTOSPollination can occur via animals (bees, butterflies & moths, ants, wasps, beetles, flies, bats, hummingbirds)Also via wind (have you ever parked your car under pine trees and had it looking like this the next morning?). Wind-borne pollen can travel very long distances.Also via water.

Photo credits:Bee: Ragesoss, Wikimedia Commons Gnu-Free Documentation, version 1.2Pollen on car: dolescum, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic, http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolescum/2472426980/in/photostream/Pollen on water: Frank Vincentz, Wikimedia Commons Gnu Free Documentation version 1.2, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meinerzhagen_-_F%C3%BCrwiggetalsperre_16_ies.jpg

PROTECTION FROM HERBIVORES & COMPETITIONUSES UP ALL THE WATERPOISONS THE SOILTOXIC TO HERBIVORESOUCH!OUCH AGAIN!

Copyright 2011 4Before showing photos, ask students to think of some protective adaptations and write them on their worksheetsAdaptations to combat predators or competition: 1. Creosote bushs roots suck up all the water and keep competing plants from growing. 2. (lower right) Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus), a very aggressive invasive weed tree produces a toxic substance from its roots, which poisons the soil & keeps other plants from growing nearby. 3. (lower left) All parts of the greasewood plant are toxic to animals that might eat it. 4. (upper left) Hawthorn has long thorns that discourage large predators from eating it in a desert environment, the spines on cactus can do the same thing. 5. Center heres a local example of this type of adaptation. Would you like to chew on these holly leaves?

Photo credits: Creosote bush, Sue in AZ, Wikimedia Commons, public domain, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Creosote_Larrea_tridentata.JPG; Ailanthus, Karduelis, Wikimedia Commons, public domain, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ailanthus_altissima-1.jpg; Greasewood, Cory Maylett, Wikimedia Commons, Gnu Free Documentation License, ver. 1.2, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greasewood_03.jpg; Hawthorn, Rasbak, Wikimedia Commons Gnu Free Documentation License ver. 1.2, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eenstijlige_meidoorn_(Crataegus_monogyna_branch).jpg; Holly, courtesy of Patricia Miller

Photo Credit: Ingrid Taylar

WINDINGESTIONATTACHMENTSPROING!!

SEED DISPERSALCopyright 2011 5Before showing any photos, ask students to think of some adaptations for seed dispersal and write them on their worksheet. Then after they have made their suggestions, show the examples in the photos.When the geranium seed pod (lower right) dries out, it splits and coils upward like a spring, flinging the seeds outward.PHOTO CREDITS:Dandelion head: Fastily, Wikimedia, Gnu Free Documentation License version 1.2, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dandelion1700ppx.jpgCedar Waxwing photo: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lunch_for_the_Waxwing.jpgGeranium seed: Pethan, Wikimedia Commons, Gnu Free Documentation License 1.2, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Geranium_sanguineum02.jpgDog hair with seeds: Patricia MillerACCORDION PLEATS

DESERT

NO LEAVESTHIN LEAVESLEATHERY OR WAXY COATINGFLESHYLONG TAPROOTCopyright 2011 6Desert environments are very harsh hot, dry, scalding sun, soils generally rocky or sandy with minimal nutrients.Before clicking to point out the adaptations, ask the students if they can identify any desert plant adaptations and have them record some of the adaptations on their worksheets.(PHOTO 1) Plant adaptations include cactus lack of leaves/reduced leaves (to avoid evapotranspiration water loss); leathery or waxy coating serves the same purpose. Fleshy stems store water; accordion pleats allow the plant to actually expand in size to store more water during rainy season. Many cacti have long taproots that reach far underground to deep, permanent groundwater.. Photo credit cacti: Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, Gnu Free Documentation License ver. 1.2, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cacti,_Desert_Botanical_Garden.jpgTUNDRA

GROW CLOSE TO THE GROUNDSMALL OR THIN LEAVESMOUND OR CUSHION SHAPEWAXY LEAVESDARK RED PIGMENTINCREASED ABSORPTION OF SUNS HEATCopyright 2011 7Tundra environments (close to the poles) and alpine environments above tree line on very high mountains - are also very harsh. They are very cold, dry (little precipitation), extremely windy, have thin soils or bare rocks with low nutrient levels, very few days of sunlight, and an extremely short growing season. The soils are thin and in many cases may be permafrost permanently frozen and there is very little water available to plants. AGAIN, ask the students first if they can think of plant adaptations for the tundra conditions.Plant adaptations include: PHOTOS 1 & 2: low growing & close to the ground (to reduce transpiration water loss and wind damage), small leaves, cushion plant or mound shaped growth to protect from harsh wind. PHOTO 3: many tundra plants have dark red pigment that increases absorption of suns energy to offset the reduced availability of sunlight & short growing season.Photo Credits: Saxifrage, Kim Hansen, Wikimedia Commons, Gnu Free Documentation License ver. 1.2, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saxifraga_rivularis_plant_upernavik_2007-07-09_cropped_filtered.jpg; Helianthemum, Ghislain, Wikimedia Commons, Gnu Free Documentation License ver. 1.2;

TEMPERATE (RICHMOND) OR SUB-TROPICAL DECIDUOUS FORESTSCopyright 2011 8In Mid-Atlantic temperate (such as here in central Virginia) or subtropical deciduous forests,, we can see an interesting adaptation, illustrated in these photos from Bryan Park in Richmond. Because these forests have a lot of trees growing close together, many of the trees have very large leaves, for increased surface area to catch as much sunlight as possible for photosynthesis. But because summer conditions in these forests can be very hot, the large surface area can also cause the plants to heat up too much. So many of the trees have an adaptation in which the leaves droop during very hot daytime conditions, thus reducing the surface area exposed to the hot sun. Then in the evening or on cooler days, the leaves spring back to their normal appearance.Photo credit: Patricia Miller