Transcript Plant and Animal Adaptations

Warm-Up
What is an adaptation?
Plant and Animal Adaptations
Plants and animals possess adaptations to
survive in a wide variety of
environmental conditions
Adaptation – an INHERITED characteristic
that helps an organism survive in its
environment.
Bright Sunlight/Hot Weather
• What is a stomata?
Bright Sunlight/Hot Weather
Is it best for the plant to open its
stomata during the day or at
night?
Bright Sunlight/Hot Weather
• AT NIGHT!
This way, plants lose less water through
transpiration if they open the stomata at
night!
Bright Sunlight/Hot Weather
• What is a waxy cuticle?
Bright Sunlight/Hot Weather
Would it be good or bad for a plant to
have a waxy cuticle on its leaves?
Bright Sunlight/Hot Weather
• GOOD!
The waxy cuticle helps keep water in the
leaves.
Bright Sunlight/Hot Weather
• Would it be better for a plant to have
small leaves or large leaves?
Bright Sunlight/Hot Weather
• SMALL LEAVES
This reduces the water lost through
transpiration.
Bright Weather/Hot Sunlight
• Is it best for an animal to be
nocturnal (asleep during the day
and awake at night) OR diurnal
(awake during the day and asleep
at night?
Bright Weather/Hot Sunlight
• Nocturnal behavior
Animals are more active when it is
cooler.
Bright Weather/Hot Sunlight
• Is it good for animals to have large ears
or small ears?
Bright Sunlight/Hot Weather
• Large ears with many blood vessels
Animals can lose heat through their ears.
Drought (limited water)
• Is it good to for a plant to have
small, narrow spreading roots or
wide spreading roots?
Drought (limited water)
• Wide spreading roots
They can collect water from a
wider area.
Drought (limited water)
• Is it better for a plant to have
deep roots or shallow roots?
Drought (limited water)
• Deep roots
They can collect water stored deep
in the soil
Drought (limited water)
• Would it be good for plants to have
the ability to store water?
Drought (limited water)
• YES!- Ability to store
water
They can take on
water during rains
and use it when
there is a drought.
Drought (limited water)
• Would it be good for animals to have
the ability to store water?
Drought (limited water)
• YES!- Ability to store
water
They can collect
water when it is
available and use it
during a drought.
Drought (limited water)
• Would it be best for an animal to
migrate or stay in one place?
Drought (limited water)
• MIGRATION!
The animals move around from place
to place to find water.
Cold Weather
• Is it better for plants to have narrow,
needle-like leaves or broad, large
leaves?
Cold Weather
• Narrow, needle-like leaves
These reduce water loss and help shed snow
quickly.
Cold Weather
• Would it be good for trees to have thin
bark?
Cold Weather
• NO!
THICK bark protects the cells from freezing in
cold temperatures.
Cold Weather
• Why is it good for plants to have the
ability to lose leaves?
Cold Weather
• This keeps the trees from losing water in
the winter.
Cold Weather
• What size do the plants tend to be and do
they live alone or in clumps?
Cold Weather
• Plants tend to be SMALL and live in
clumps.
Staying close to the ground and to
each other provides warmth.
Cold Weather
• Do the leaves of plant tend to be light or
dark?
Cold Weather
• Dark Leaves
This helps the plant absorb more solar heat.
Cold Weather
• Do animals hibernate in cold weather?
Cold Weather
• Yes! - HIBERNATION
Animals sleep during colder months.
Cold Weather
• Do animals migrate or stay in the cold
environment?
Cold Weather
• Migration
Animals move to warmer climates
during cold weather.
Cold Weather
• Why do animals have thick, furry feet?
Cold Weather
• Provides insulation to keep animals warm.
Predation
• Are spines a good thing for a plant to
have to avoid predators?
Predation
• Of course!
Spines make the plant
harder (and less
desirable) to eat.
Predation
• Would poisonous leaves or edible
leaves be good for a plant to avoid
predation?
Predation
• Poisonous leaves
This reduces the chance of predation.
Predation
• Would it be best to live in herds or live
alone?
Predation
• Living in herds
Predators have a
harder time
isolating a
“victim”
Predation
• Is it good for animals to have poisonous
skin?
Predation
• YES! – Poisonous Skin
Reduces the chance of predation
Limited Light
• Is it good for a plant to have broad
leaves or narrow leaves?
Limited Light
• Broad leaves
Allow for collection of as much light as
possible (high surface area)
Limited Light
• Is it good for a plant to be a climbing
vine?
Limited Light
• YES- Climbing
Vines
Allows plants to
reach higher to
get light.
Nutrient Poor/ Shallow Soil
• Is it good for a plant to have deep or
shallow roots?
Nutrient Poor
• Shallow Roots
They can capture nutrients available at
top level of soil (from decaying matter)
Nutrient Poor
• What is a prop
root?
Nutrient Poor
• Is it good for a plant in a nutrient poor
environment to have a prop root?
Nutrient Poor
• Yes- Prop Roots
It provides extra support.
Wind
• Is it good to have soft, flexible stems or
tough, rigid stems?
Wind
• Soft, flexible stems
Allows the plant to bend without
breaking.
Wind
• Is it good to have narrow leaves or
broad leaves?
Wind
• Narrow Leaves
Reduces water lost through
transpiration.