exam run through 2 Flashcards
which components of a plant connect it?
xylem, phloem and inter-cell pathways
which components of a plant coordinate?
plant hormones
which components of a plant are responsive?
e.g. root:shoot ratio
flowering …
what is ethnobotany?
the science investigating traditional uses of plants (but also mushrooms and algae)
what is the concept of a limitng factor?
Plant production can be no greater than that level allowed by the growth factor present in the lowest amount relative to the optimum amount for that factor
what are important things to mention when defining limiting factors?
- knowing factors are not only nutrients
- explaining how the concept works
- explaining how this impacts plant nutrition
What form must a nutrient take to be accessible to the plant?
Small mobile ion
why is it difficult to define the term ‘plant species’?
- many definitions
- hybridisation
- morphologically variable
- distribution not always a good guide
what is Darwin’s ‘abominable mystery’ of the rapid rise of angiosperms?
the proliferation of species seems ‘too fast’ to be accounted for by the theory of evolution by natural selection
what caused the rapid rise of the angiosperms?
high rates of speciation (esp. in the wet tropics) after climate stabilised/became more favourable during the Cretaceous; separation of continents/upheaval events, colonisation (>allopatric speciation), increased genetic diversity within populations (>sympatric speciation); production of flowers; co-evolution of pollinating insects; production of seeds (protection), fruit (dispersal); more efficient water transport/conservation; high growth/reproductive rate; polyploidy
why does high productivity correlation with high biodiversity?
increased biodiversity caused by; increased stability, more 3D structure, complexity
increased biodiversity -> increased chances of species with high growth rates/yield
why is predicting the future of plants with climate change important?
To be able to respond appropriately/in time to changing conditions that might affect food security (crops, especially growing in marginal places) and threatened/endangered plant species or their habitats
What does the term ‘invasive’ mean in relation to plants?
Non-native species that originated elsewhere but which colonises/becomes established in a new community
some of the characteristics of invasive plant species
High reproductive/dispersal rate (small, numerous seeds; vegetative growth), persistent, tolerant (generalist?), adaptable, resistant, opportunistic; high growth rates; competitive?
what is in a temporal scale?
different rates of change, from very short (cellular, molecular) to long (ecological, evolutionary, biogeographic), with many intermediate processes (e.g. climate change, domestication)
