Transcript Document
1 Let’s talk water….. Every living thing on the planet needs water. In this presentation, you will learn that all plants need water. In fact, most plants are 80 – 90% water! Q: How do plants survive without rain? Q: What can we learn from plants’ tricks? 2 All living things NEED water. What happens when water is scarce? Let’s check it out! 3 Most plants are about 80-90% water…so drying out too much isn’t a good thing. Water goes in through the roots, and out through the leaves. If the soil dries out, so does the plant. 4 But not all plants have roots. And some don’t care if they dry out! “Air plants” – Spanish moss, ball moss, bromeliads… Did you know? • Actually related to pineapple! • Can absorb rainwater & dew through all parts of the plant! • Can go dormant during dry times. • Don’t hurt the tree they grow on! 5 More plant tricks: To reduce water loss, some plants can fold or drop their leaves when the weather gets dry… 6 While some have tricks to STORE water for dry times! POP! Photo credits: Cacti - F.Galdo; Split succultent - John Balcom- http://www.succulentguide.com/cactipests/ Hey, get your own water! – Because cacti capture and store large amounts of water, most also have spines and/or bitter tastes to deter thirsty desert animals from having a bite/drink. 7 People have tricks to STORE water for dry times too! We don’t drink it all at once though. People capture and store water in the wet season using reservoirs, cisterns, and rain barrels. C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir Rain Barrel http://pasco.ifas.ufl.edu/garden ing/harvesting_rainwater.shtml http://www.tampabaywater.org/watersupply/watersources/surfacewater/reservoir.aspx 8 Don’t let that water get away!! Feel it for yourself! Next time you see a sea grape tree, check out the leaves. (Or check out a cucumber from the grocery store…) 9 Photo credits: F.Galdo Did you know? Some plants NEVER need fresh water!!! Most trees would die if watered with seawater. However, red mangrove trees are the original ‘desalinization plant’. Their roots block out salt, allowing the trees to extract fresh water from the sea. “Desalination plants”, meet the Tampa Bay Desalination Plant! Taking a note from red mangroves’ playbook, humans have developed similar systems to desalinate water. In fact, the largest desalination plant in the USA is located right alongside the red mangroves here in Tampa Bay! 10 So you see, We ALL need water : 11 12 …We all need to do our part. Here’s one way you can help! SHARE what you’ve learned! Draw a poster showing your favorite water fact or tip…or continue on to the next section to learn more! For more information, learning activities, and contest information, please visit: http://watercontest.org 13