Plants Adaptations

Plants adaptions
Adaptation
Adaptation are characteristics that help living

things to survive.
Adaptation
The process by which a species becomes

fitted to its environment.
1. A physical adaptation is an adaptation to a
body part.
2. A behavioral adaptation is something an

organism does to help it survive.
• Organisms are adapted to live in their
habitats.
• A habitat is a place where an organism lives.

Question
1. Can you remember how a cactus is adapted
to live in the desert? Describe two
adaptations that help it to do this.
• A thick, waxy cuticle covers the plant’s surface
and reduces transpiration.
• They have shinny surfaces which reflect heat

and light.
• Cacti are xerophytes that survive in hot, dry
(arid) desert regions.
• Cacti reduce water loss and conserve water in

the following ways:
• spines, which deter thirsty animals from
eating it.
• reduced leaves, so that less water is lost by

evaporation from the leaves.
• swollen stem, which stores water.
• deep or spreading roots, which can draw

water from a wide area.
• Here are some ways in which plants are
adapted to live in three very different
environments
Spruce trees in the Arctic
• Siberian spruce tree live in the huge forests

that grow north of the Arctic circle.
• In summer, the days are long and warm.
• In winter, the days are very short, it is always

very cold and there is a lot of snow.
• Spruce trees are conifers. Their leaves are thin,
strong needles (small surface area - Less surface
area means that they have fewer stomata from
which to lose water).
• The needles have a thick, waxy covering layer.
• This prevents them from losing too much water

in winter, when the roots cannot take up water
from the ground because it is all frozen solid.
• Siberian spruce trees have a tall, narrow
shape, with downward sloping branches.
• The heavy snow can lie on the needles and

branches without breaking them.
• If even more snow falls, it will slide off (shape

of tree – conical shape).
coniferous trees
Deciduous trees
Strangler figs in a rainforest
• Rainforests are good places for a plant to live.
• It is warm, there is a lot of sunlight, and there

is always plenty of water.
• However, there are so many plants living in

these ideal conditions that the taller ones
block the light from plants growing close to
the ground.
• Strangler figs are adapted to live in these
conditions.
• Instead of germinating on the dark forest

floor, their seeds germinate in a crack high up
in a mature tree, where the tiny seedling can
get light.
• The seedling’s roots grow downwards and coil

around the tree trunk.
• As the fig gets older, its roots and stems get
thicker and more woody.
• Sometimes, the fig gets so big that it kills the

tree that it has grown around.
• But this doesn’t matter to the fig tree,

because its stems and roots are now strong
enough to hold it up on their own.
Weeds in a crop
• A weed is a plant that grows where people do

not want it to grow, for example in amongst a
farmer’s crops, or in a pavement.
• They may have to complete with crop plants

for light, water and mineral salts.
• Many weeds are annual plants.
• This means that they germinate, grow,

produce seeds and die in less than one year.
• Some weeds can do this in just a few weeks,

before people can kill them.
• Their seeds can survive for long periods of
time in difficult conditions – for example
during a very dry summer, or a very cold
winter.
• Other plants without these features would not

survive.
Questions
• Siberian spruce trees do all of their growing

during the summer, not during the winter.
Suggest at least two explanations for this.
• Photosynthesis, and therefore growth, is slow
in winter. This is because days are very short
(so there is not much light) and because it is
very cold.
Questions
• Strangler figs produce sweet, juicy fruits.

Suggest how this helps their seeds to be
dispersed to a suitable place for germination.
• The fruits are attractive to animals, which eat
them.
• The animals may drop partly eaten fruits, or

they may move away from the tree, and the
seeds are deposited in their faeces.
Questions
• Suggest how being an annual plant helps a

weed to live in its habitat.
• Weeds are plants that are growing where
people do not want them.
• People destroy weeds – for example, by
hoeing or ploughing fields, or by spraying
weedkillers.
• If a plant can germinate, grow and produce
new seeds before this happens, then the
seeds can survive even if the adult plant
cannot.
• The seed can later germinate to produce a
new plant.
Activity 2.1
Adaptations for living in water
• Organisms that live in water are said to be

aquatic.
• Choose an aquatic plant that grows in your
country. Possibilities include:
1. Duckweed
2. Water hyacinth
3. Lotus
• Find out how your plant is adapted to live in
water. You can use the internet and books, but
if possible you should also study specimens of
the plant itself.
• Make a large diagram of your plant. Label it to

explain how it is adapted to live in its habitat.
Summary
• Plants are adapted to live in their habitats.
• Plants adaptations often help them to get light

for photosynthesis.
• Annual plants grow, produce seeds and die in

less than one year.

Plants Adaptations

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Plants adaptions

Adaptation are characteristics that help living

The process by which a species becomes

2. A behavioral adaptation is something an

• A habitat is a place where an organism lives.

• They have shinny surfaces which reflect heat

• Cacti reduce water loss and conserve water in

• reduced leaves, so that less water is lost by

• swollen stem, which stores water.

• deep or spreading roots, which can draw

• Siberian spruce tree live in the huge forests

• In summer, the days are long and warm.

• In winter, the days are very short, it is always

• The needles have a thick, waxy covering layer.

• This prevents them from losing too much water

• The heavy snow can lie on the needles and

• If even more snow falls, it will slide off (shape

• Rainforests are good places for a plant to live.

• It is warm, there is a lot of sunlight, and there

• However, there are so many plants living in

• Instead of germinating on the dark forest

• The seedling’s roots grow downwards and coil

• Sometimes, the fig gets so big that it kills the

• But this doesn’t matter to the fig tree,

• A weed is a plant that grows where people do

• They may have to complete with crop plants

• This means that they germinate, grow,

• Some weeds can do this in just a few weeks,

• Other plants without these features would not

• Siberian spruce trees do all of their growing

• Strangler figs produce sweet, juicy fruits.

• The animals may drop partly eaten fruits, or

• Suggest how being an annual plant helps a

• Organisms that live in water are said to be

• Make a large diagram of your plant. Label it to

• Plants are adapted to live in their habitats.

• Plants adaptations often help them to get light

• Annual plants grow, produce seeds and die in

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