ANIMAL AND PLANT ADAPTATIONS Flashcards
Liana
These are woody vines that have roots in the ground but climb up the trees to reach the sunlight. Their leaves and flowers grow in the canopy.
Tree Trunks
These are tall and thin to allow trees to reach the sunlight. The bark on these trees is smooth to allow water to flow down to the roots easily.
Drip Tips
Plants have leaves with pointy tips. This allows water to run off the leaves quickly without damaging or breaking them.
Buttress Roots
Large roots have ridges which create a large surface area that help to support large trees.
Epiphytes
These are plants which live on the branches of trees high up in the canopy. They get their nutrients from the air and water, not from the soil.
Sloths
The sloth uses camouflage and moves very slowly to make it difficult for predators to spot.
Spider Monkey
The spider monkey has long, strong limbs to help it to climb through the rainforest trees.
Flying Frog
The flying frog has fully webbed hands and feet, and a flap of loose skin that stretches between its limbs, which allows it to glide from plant to plant.
Toucan
The toucan has a long, large bill to allow it to reach and cut fruit from branches that are too weak to support its weight.
Cushion Plant
These are compact, low growing plants. These characteristics help them to survive in cold and windy conditions. They trap airborne dust and use it as a source of nutrients.
Arctic Poppy
This has a hairy stem to retain heat. The flower can track the sun in the sky to maximise the amount of sunlight it receives so that it can increase photosynthesis.
Cotton Grass
This grass has small seeds that can easily be dispersed by the wind to ensure its survival. It is low lying to protect it from cold winds and has thin leaves to reduce water loss by transpiration. Cotton grass grows and produces seeds quickly as soon as the temperature increases.
Lichen
This organism does not need soil to grow. It grows very slowly, can withstand very cold temperatures and survives beneath snow.
