Lecture 10 DA Flashcards
What are the four kinds of australian habitats?
Tropical
Temperate
Alps
Desert
What vegetation dominates tropics? Include one for canopy, and understory.
Canopy - gymnosperms (araucaria)
Understory - shrubs, ferns, palms and mosses
What vegetation dominates temperate? Include one for canopy, and understory.
Canopy - eucalypt, acacia, casuarina, callitris, melaleuca
Understory - shrubs, grasses, annuals
What vegetation dominates alps? Include one for canopy, and understory.
Canopy - treeless
Understory - heathland, herbfield, fen, bog
What vegetation dominates deserts? Include one for canopy, and understory.
Canopy - (same as temperate)
Understory - grasses and wildflowers
What are some biotic stress factors?
Weeds - endemic vs invasive
Pests and diseases
List and describe 4 ways of weed control.
Biological - using natural predator to control wild numbers.
Cultural - using farming systems to grow more competitive plants.
Physical - mulching or manual removal/mowing/grazing etc.
Chemical - use of pesticides or herbicides, can affect nearby plants.
List 5 abiotic stress factors.
Drought Floods Salinity Low nutrient soils Fire
Why is flooding a stress factor?
Soil becomes waterlogged, too much water means pathogens can rot roots, and cant absorb anything either. Also erosion and landslides.
Why is salinity a stress factor?
Water cant be taken up due to sodium.
What is considered low nutrient soil?
Low phosphorous and nitrogen, as well as low minerals.
How can low nutrient soil be solved? Does Australia have low nutrient soils?
Crop rotation. Australia has low mineral nutrients.
What time are fires most prevalent and why? What part of Australia is most prone?
Summer - due to heat.
Autumn - due to thunderstorms.
Southeastern Australia more prone, probably because of all those spreading conifers they use as FUCKING FARM SHADE.
Describe mycorrhizal association, as well as the symbiotic relationship.
Increases nutrient uptake by increasing surface area.
Fungus brings in usable nutrients to the plant, while the plant breaks the fungus down to absorb them.
Why are some plants carnivorous?
To increase nutrient uptake.
What are 2 ways of adapting to fires?
Resprouters and reseeders.
What are resprouters?
Regenerate after the fire, via the above region of the trunk, sprouting off the main stem.
What are reseeders?
Reproductive, releasing seeds after a fire.
Seeds stay closed, reductions in poisture or fires open them.
What are some examples of resprouters (4)?
Buds, bark, underground organs, and mycorrhizal associations.
What are some examples of reseeders (2)?
Seeds, and fruits - serotiny
What is scleromorphology?
Adaptations of leaves.
Where are terminal buds located? What do they do?
Shoot tips. They grow when conditions are suitable.
Do terminal buds have a resting stage?
No.
What do terminal buds contribute to?
Rapid crown development.
Where do epicormic buds develop? Why is this an advantage?
They shoot from underneath bark. Protects them from fire.
What do epicormic buds develop from?
Accessory bud strands.
Are epicormic buds active or dormant?
Normally dormant, suppressed by hormones from active shoots higher up.
What do naked buds develop with? What does this result in?
With terminal buds. Means rapid crown development.
Why is rapid crown development so important?
Re-establishes canopy cover.
What are accessory buds?
Secondary buds found near primary buds.
What are naked buds? Where are they found, and in what numbers?
Stalked buds in leaf axils.
1-3 per axil.
What do accessory buds form?
Reserve bud system. Repeated shoot development from multiple buds.
What are acceessory buds used in response to?
Fire or insect damage.
What is bark, and what can it protect against?
Outer layer of stems and roots of woody plants.
How does bark protect against fire?
- Increased thickness - charred bark shed.
- Deep furrowed bark.
- Other properties such as oils, tannins, and sap.
Aside from bark, what are 3 other mechanisms against fire?
Underground organs
Mycorrhizal associations, with fungi/bacteria
Tubers and lignotubers
What are lignotubers?
Bulbous mass of buds.
Are a basal stem tuber bearing many buds.
What are lignotubers embedded in?
Bark.
Are lignotubers above or below ground?
Can be either.
Are lignotubers persistent or do they die?
Persist through a plant’s life.
What are lignotubers used for?
Fire or environmental stress response.
Are lignotubers fire resistant?
Yes.
What are tubers?
Underground storage organs.
Where are tubers found? Why?
Deep in the soil, protected from fire.
What kind of reproduction do tubers contribute to? For what purpose? What does this depend on?
Asexual, regeneration for the following year. Depends on the time of the fire in the plant’s lifecycle.
What is serotiny?
Seeds released in response to stress.
What can induce serotiny (5)?
Fire, water drought, sun, drying, and parental death.
In serotiny, do the cones withstand the fire, or do they burn?
They withstand the fire, the heat induces them to open.
What are some leaf adaptations to dry conditions (5)?
Contains sclerophyll Small, hard, rigid leaves Short internodes Small plant size Sclerenchyma tissue abundant in leaves
What are some water conserving leaf adaptations (6)?
Small air spaces Fewer stomata Sunken stomata in epidermis Small vascular bundles Fewer vascular bundles Usually only mesophyll present
What is neccessary for germination?
Ruptured seed testa and water uptake
What treatments can be used to increase germination (5)?
Temperature - heat
Physical abrasion
Nutrition, smoke water, mycorrhizal associations.
What is the largest angiosperm family in Australia?
Fabaceae
Are casuarinaceae dicots or monocots?
Dicots
What are casuarinaceae habits?
Trees or shrubs
What do casuarinaceae resemble?
Very pinelike
What is a way of differentiating casuarinaceae?
They have reduced or fused teeth on stems, the number of teeth are diagnostic.
What are male and female casuarinaceae flowers called?
Male - catkins
Female - globular heads
How do casuarinaceae pollinate?
Wind
What is the fruit of casuarinaceae like?
Woody cones, fire resistant
Releases seeds when dessicated.