Competition and adaptation For Plants Flashcards
What do plants compete for
Light for photosynthesis
Water for photosynthesis and cell maintenance
Nutrients from the soil to make their chemicals
Space to grow allowing roots to take in water and nutrients
Why do they compete
Plants adapt to their surroundings
Tall plants take lots of light water and nutrients
They reduce light reaching plants beneath
Seedlings compete with parent plant and parent deprives seeds of everything they need - some even have chemical to stop seeds germinating
How do plants cope with competition
Plants have to have adaptations
1 - Eg woodland flowers grow and flower early in year before trees grow new leaves and take the light and water from soil. Woodland flowers can take nutrients last years dead leaves while tress still dormant eg snowdrops anemones and bluebells - they die back before trees leaf
2- different root types eg shallow roots to take from near surface . Other have deep roots
3 - May grow taller to reach light or grow bigger leaves to take advantage of all light it gets - maybe have tendrils or suckers to climb to reach light
How do plants reproduce successfully
Must avoid competition with own seedlings for light, water, space and mineral ions.
Often use wind to spread seeds
Seeds adapted to fly further in winds or float in water eg dandelions in air and coconuts can float
How does changing surface area help plants adapt
Surface area to volume ratio very important
Some Desert plants have large leaves with big surface area collect dew in cold evenings and funnel water towards shallow roots
Curled leaves reduces surface area and traps moist air around leaf
Most dry condition plants have small leaves with small surface area to reduce area of water loss
Some desert plants have small fleshy leaves with think waxy cuticle to reduce water loss
Eg Mariam grass on sand dunes tightly curled leaves
Eg butcher broom in shady dry conditions- flattened eaves are just stems and berries grow from these with little water loss
Eg cactus leaves are just spines so lose v little water and protect against animals
How are plants adapted for collecting water
Adapted root stem systems - widespread and/or deep to take water from soil
Eg mesquite trees roots go down 50 m
How do plants adapt to store water
Adapt to store water in their tissues
After occasional rain plant stores it
Some use fleshy leaves, others use roots and stems
Eg cactus stem full of water storing tissue
Large saguaro store 1 tonne of water and only evaporated one glass a day even in desert heat- apple tree would lose a bashful a day
