Plant Adaptations

Plant Reproduction - Pollination

• Pollination is the process where male genetic information (called pollen) from one flower is transferred to the female part of another flower. This is one common way that plants reproduce.

• Pollen is usually a dry, powdery material. It can be sticky.

• Plants must be adapted in ways that allow for the pollen to be carried from one flower to another. Only flowers of the same species can exchange pollen.

• Once a plant has been pollinated, a baby plant is produced, in the form of a seed. These yellow grains are pollen

Plant adaptations for pollination

1. Pollination by ANIMALS (insects, birds, etc.)• Plants that are pollinated by animals are usually

large and colorful, so the animals can see them easily

• They can have a sweet smell to attract animals

• They have nectar for the animal to eat.

• When the animal eats the nectar, pollen gets stuck to the animal. When it flies to another flower to eat, it carries the pollen with it, and then leaves the pollen behind on the new flower.

• This pollen is often sticky, to help it stay on theanimal. Then, it rubs off the animal onto the new plant while the animal is feeding.

You can see the pollen stuck to the bee.

Plant adaptations for pollination

• 2. Pollination by WIND• Flowers pollinated by wind are usually small and plain, with no

smell or nectar. This is because they do not need to be attractive to animals.

• This pollen is usually dry, powdery, and light weight. This allows it to be easily carried on the wind for long distances.

• 3. Pollination by WATER• Water plants can pollinate in water. The pollen is usually very

small and light enough to float.

• The pollen floats through the water until it comes in contact with another plant.

Seed Dispersal

• When a seed is created, it can be protected insidefruits, cones, nuts, or other types of coverings.

• Now, the seed must be moved away from the parent plant. This is to make sure that the newplant will not be competing with the parent forthings like sunlight, space, water, and nutrients.

• Plants are adapted in different ways to spreadtheir seeds. This is called seed dispersal.

Seed Dispersal by Wind

• Seeds dispersed by wind are usually:• Small, dry, and lightweight (to help them float in the air)

• Some have “wing” or “helicopter” shapes to maximize the distance traveled

• Some have lots of tiny hairs to act like “parachutes”

Seed Dispersal by Animals

• Some seeds are designed to be eaten by animals. The animals either eat the fruit and spit out the seeds, or they eat the fruit and then poop out the seeds.• These seeds will be inside fruit, nuts, or cones. They can be brightly colored,

sweet tasting, or juicy.

Seed Dispersal by Animals

• Some seeds are designed to get caught in an animal’s fur and carried away.• These seeds will be small. They can have tiny hooks to help them stick to the

animal’s fur. Or, they can be sticky.

Seed Dispersal by Water

• Some seeds are carried away by water.• These seeds will be lightweight (buoyant) so they can float.

• They will have some sort of waterproof covering.

Adaptations for Protection from being eaten

1. Covering – thick/hard skin or covering that is hard to get into

2. Thorns or spines – cause pain to the animal

3. Bad odor

4. Bad taste

5. Chemicals that make the animal get sick ordie

6. Camouflage – blend in to surrounding rocks or dirt to make it hard for the animal to find

Behavioral Adaptations• “Solar Tracking” – some plants can bend their bodies so that they turn

and face the Sun as it moves across the sky.

• Vines climb up trees, to better reach the sunlight.

• Roots push through the ground in different directions to find water.

• Desert flowers open up at night, to attract nocturnal pollinators

Behavioral Adaptations• Some plants in cold environments can produce heat to begin growing

(some can even produce enough heat to melt snow!)

• Touch – some plants close up when touched by an animal or raindrops

• Touch – some plants can produce chemicals when touched, to give off strong odors or toxins to repel animals

Desert plant adaptations

• Some can store water in their stems or leaves. (Example: cactus plant)

• Roots can grow very long to reach water that is deep underground

• They have small leaves or no leaves, to reduce water loss. Leafless plants conduct photosynthesis in their green stems.

• Leaves can have a waxy or hairy covering to keep water from escaping

• Spines discourage animals from eating plants for water

• Flowers open at night to attract pollinators who are more likely to be active during the cooler night

Rainforest plant adaptations

• Most need animal pollinators, because there is not much wind or water to carry the seeds. These plants must be adapted to attract animals (colors, odors, etc.)

• Some climb other plants, or grow on other plants, to reach the sunlight.

• Shallow roots to capture nutrients from the top level of soil.

• They have “drip tips” and waxy surfaces so that water slides off (too muchwater can lead to bacterial or fungal infections)

• Some have large leaves to form a “vase” or “tank” to capture and holdrainwater, instead of using roots. Others have “aerial roots” that are above ground and can absorb water from the air.

• Some have the ability to catch insects. They can absorb nutrients from the insects instead of from the soil. (They don’t use the insects for food – they use the Sun!)

Tundra plant adaptations

• Very small (usually less than 12 inches) due to lack of nutrients.

• They grow close to the ground, to help keep them from freezing.

• Plants are dark in color—some are even red—because dark colors absorb more of the Sun’s light.

• Some plants are covered with hair which helps keep them warm.

• Some plants grow in clumps to protect one another from the wind and cold.

• Some plants have dish-like flowers that follow the sun, focusing more solar heat on the center of the flower, helping the plant stay warm.

Ocean Plant Adaptations

• Their underwater leaves and stems are flexible to move with water currents

• Some plants have air spaces in their stems to help hold the plant up in the water.

• Some plants float on the surface, in order to get the most sunlight.

• Some plants use their roots to wrap around rocks. This helps hold them in place so they don’t get swept away by ocean currents. (Roots are not needed for water or nutrients, because the plants absorb these directly from the ocean water.)

• They can be tough and leathery, to keep them from being torn in rough currents

• Some plants produce seeds that can float.