1. Plant Adaptations Composed by Mrs. Terri Reed 5 th Grade, Brookhollow Elementary Lufkin, Texas July 2004

2. Plants are perfectly suited to survive in their habitat. A cactus does not need much water. It lives in the desert, where there’s little rain.

3. A fern needs water every few days. It lives in a forest where it often rains.

4. Adaptations Like animals, plants have behaviors (responses) and body parts (structures) that help them survive by meeting basic needs. These are called adaptations. They vary from plant to plant, according to the plant’s type of habitat.

5. How can plants respond? Plants respond to light. They use energy from sunlight to make their own food. Turning towards light helps collect as much light as possible. The Fish Hook cactus grows toward the sun.

6. Plants respond to touch Vines can sense contact with a wall, tree, fence or trellis. The vine grabs on and grows upward. Snailseed vine is native to Texas.

7. Responding to gravity A plant senses the pull of gravity. Its roots grow downward, toward the pull of gravity. This helps the plant get water and nutrients from the soil. Stems grow upward and raise the leaves to sunlight.

8. Responding to water Plants need water in order to survive, and roots will grow towards a water source.

9. Deep roots During dry winter months, prairie grasses have to grow deep in order to find water underground. One single grass plant may have a root network two to three miles (3.2 to 4.8 km) long. These extensive root webs also prevent grazing animals from pulling their roots out of the ground.

10. Roots can grow on rocks Some plants have learned to survive with tiny amounts of soil. These plants have tiny roots that grow in dirt stuck in the cracks of this rock.

11. Leaves Some plants have special leaves to help them survive. The magnolia tree leaves have thick, waxy surfaces to prevent water loss.

12. Thin leaves Pine tree needles have a small surface area, so very little water is lost through them.

13. Seeds Seeds must be scattered in order for plants to reproduce. The seeds must travel far enough from their parent plant to meet their needs and avoid competition.

14. Seed-shooters Witch hazel plants produce powerful seedpods that can shoot its seed up to 40 feet away.

15. Spinning seeds Maple trees have seeds with propellers that slow their fall so the wind can carry them. They are about an inch long and have two wings. They drop from the tree spinning like the blades of a helicopter.

16. Dandelion seeds Dandelion seeds are adapted to travel by wind. They have fluffy hairs that act as parachutes which transport them on wind currents.

17. Cocklebur seeds Cocklebur seeds travel by latching on to animal fur or people’s clothing. They have sharp hooks that can be difficult to remove. They are sometimes called "hitchhikers.“

18. Black walnut trees Black walnut trees give off a substance that prevents the growth of young plants. New plants don't grow around the tree to compete for space.

19. Bright, sweet smelling flowers To aid in pollination, many flowering plants produce a sweet- smelling nectar in bright colored blooms that attracts insects and hummingbirds. The nectar rubs off on these organisms and is carried to the next flower.

20. Rotten-smelling plants Some plants smell really bad! The rafflesia plant smells like rotting meat. This odor attracts flies which pollinate the flower.

21. Plant defenses Plants must be able to defend themselves against predators in order to survive. Some plants, like the Locoweed, are poisonous to animals.

22. Thorns Animals quickly learn to avoid plants with thorns. A rose is one plant with this defense.

23. Prickly Pear Cactus Since many desert plants store water in their spongy tissue, animals will eat them for the moisture. Thorns keep the Prickly Pear Cactus safe from many animal predators.

24. Stinging plants This stinging nettle plant causes a painful sting to animals and people.

25. Mimicry One way some plants defend themselves is through mimicry. The lithops of Africa have stubby patterned leaves and disguise themselves as pebbles.

26. Meat-eating plants Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants that trap and consume insects and spiders in their leaves to satisfy their nitrogen needs.

27. Adaptations for cold habitats Life in an environment that stays cold almost all year requires special adaptations. The Alpine snowbell flowers in early spring when snow is still on the ground. It generates enough heat to melt a hole in the snow.

28. Cushion plants In the tundra it’s cold all year except for a few weeks in the summer. Cushion plants grow in a low, tight clump and look like a little cushion. This helps protect them from the cold.

29. Trees that keep leaves in winter Evergreen trees keep their leaves, but their cone shape helps prevent damage. Branches droop downward, which helps shed excess snow. The needle-like leaves help keep the trees warm during the winter.

30. Trees that lose their leaves Some trees that live in habitats with hot summers and cold winters become dormant in the fall. They lose their leaves to prevent them from freezing and keeps their branches from breaking during snow storms. Birch, Aspen and Fir all lose their leaves.

31. Hot and dry habitats Plants that live in hot and dry environments need the ability to store water in order to survive. The African baobab tree has a huge trunk that can store as much as 100kL of water.

32. Stems that store water The Saguaro Cactus stores all of its water in its green stem. Extending far away from its trunk is a large net of roots that collect water after rain.

33. Expanding shape The pleated shape of the Barrel Cactus allows it to expand when it rains and store water in its spongy tissue. It shrinks in size during dry times as it uses the stored water.

34. Reflecting surfaces The white hairy surface of the Old Man Cactus helps the plant reflect the hot desert sun.

35. Dark and steamy habitats Rain forests are hot, wet and dark. Plants grow so close together that very little sunlight reaches the bottom of the forest. Some rain forests plants have adapted to survive by climbing up to the light. Rattan palms connect rain forest trees. They grow up into the tree tops and loop back down.

36. Plants that grow on others Orchids do not need soil in order to survive. They grow on tree trunks or on tree branches and get their nutrients from their hosts.

37. Plants that strangle others The strangler fig germinates high up in a host tree, then sends down roots. When the roots hit the ground, the plant competes with the host tree for water and nutrients. The roots grow around the tree and cuts off the flow of nutrients. Leaves grow thickly at the tree top, which steals the host tree’s light. Eventually the host dies, and the strangler fig stands on its own.

38. Splitting, peeling bark The durian trees have rough, dark brown bark which splits and peels off irregularly. This prevents vines from growing on it and helps the tree survive.

39. Supporting trunks Because rain forest soil is usually poor, trees often have shallow root systems and need structures to help support them. Some trees, like the Kapok tree, have thick buttresses that can stretch out 10 m (33 ft) or more.

40. Broad leaves for low light Plants that live under the canopy do not get much light. Like other trees, banana trees have large leaves that capture as much light as possible.

41. Drip tips Rain forests receive between 1.8m (6 ft) and 9m (30ft) of rainfall a year. Because they are constantly wet, most tree leaves have a narrow, down-sloping tips that help water run off.

42. Grassland prairies Most prairie grasses are adapted to fire. During a prairie fire, the above-ground part of the plant is destroyed, but the rest of the plant is underground and protected by the soil.

43. Floating plants Plants that live in wetlands have special adaptations as well. Water lily leaves float on the water’s surface.

44. Marsh plants Water starwort lives in marshes. Their roots are used mainly as anchors. Water, nutrients and gases are absorbed throughout their bodies. Its pollen is carried by the water.

45. Could a fern survive in a desert? Could a cactus survive in a forest? Consider what you’ve learned… What do you think?

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