Leaf Adaptations for Plant Survival in Different Environments

Luisa , Loret & Alexis

Desert Plants• Desert Plants can adapt to dry areas. Many of the desert plants have thick or reduced

leaves. The plants are usually small and stumpy not big and have lots of leaves flowing everywhere, because then the plants won’t lose that much water.

They have shallow and wide root systems, allowing them to get large quantities of water. They can adapt to dry areas because, they store water in the core of the stems and roots.

Cactus: The cactus never loses their leaves, they just reduce their size. The cactus depend onChlorophyll in the outer tissue of their skin and stems to conduct photosynthesis for themaking of food. The spines protect the plant from animals, shade it from the sun and alsocollect moisture.

Rainforest PlantsHave large leaves so they can

absorb maximum sunlight.

Stomata that are located all over the leaf because it doesn’t need to be careful about the amount of water they may loose.

Stomata= (also located on the bottom of the leaf)

A rainforest is a very wet environment. Plants are limited in the amount of sunlight they receive because rainforest are very shaded.

Buttress Roots: grow out the base of the ground. Purpose: to extend the area where nutrients can be found because soil has poor amount of nutrients.

Rainforest Plants have very shallow roots to absorb nutrients.

Water plant- Water Lily

Is a species of water lily whose leaves float on the water surface.

Large air cavities within the leaf, allow it to float.

Leaves are large and circular with a waxy water repellent on it upper side, this is so it’s stomata don't get blocked.

Leaves are large because they collect sunlight to photosynthesis.

Roots are in the mud, below the water line. Mud keeps the roots moist and keeps them nourished with nutrients.

Its roots and long stems collect the oxygen in the water.

Roots embedded into mud below water’s line

Large round leaves

Stems of the water Lily

Cross Leaf SectionDesert Plants:

Water Plants:

Rainforest Plants:

The cuticle is thick so that there isn’t much space on the surface area to lose water and it is grey so that it can reflect from the sun.

Stomata is located on the bottom because that’s where it is most shaded and cool.

The stomata is located all over the leaf. It doesn’t matter how much water they lose because water is easy to get.

Have thin cuticles because they have regular down fall of water and they don’t need protection from the sun.

Stomata on water plants positioned on upper epidermis, if they were to be positioned on lower epidermis they would drown.

Stomata is on the upper epidermis so that it is easier to discard any excess water and absorb oxygen

Absorbs gases straight from water through the cuticle.

Have thicker cuticles for sun protection and to prevent water from entering stomata.

Stomata on a water plant

Photosynthesis and Respiration within a Plant

Respiration happens in every single living cell.

C6H12O6 + O2 CO2 +H2O + energy

Photosynthesis occurs in a plant, where the plant is green (chloroplast) CO2 + H2O C6H12O6 + O2

Chloroplast contains chlorophyll which is what helps make photosynthesis.

Bibliography

• http://cactus.biology.dal.ca/biology.html• http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/

plants/buttress.html• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rainforest.htm • http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-water-lilies.htm• http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071101040630AACpg3S• http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/mauseth/weblab/webchap10epi/10.3-14.htm