Bio 108 Lecture 2: Different kinds of plants

Diversity of Plants
1. Examine a plant found in the desert, lake, tropical rainforest for differences and similarities
 Exercise:
                    Examine a cactus, Epipremnum (Pothos), and Elodea (waterweed) and note differences.

2. Describe each environment
 

Environment	Rainfall	Temperature	Light
Desert	Low	High	High
Rainforest
Freshwater lake

3. What limits plant growth in each environment?

Limiting factors: Plants in nature rarely reach their full potential for growth.  One (or more) factors are often limiting.  That is why cultivated plants are often larger than their wild relatives (e.g. have you ever picked wild blueberries or strawberries?). Examples of limiting factors are light, water, nutrients, carbon dioxide.
 

Environment	Limiting factor for plant growth
Desert
Rainforest
Freshwater lake

4. Exercise:  List 3 adaptations for each plant.  An adaptation is a trait that helps an organism to survive in a particular environment.  I have done one for you.
        

Plant	Adaptation	Function(s) of adaptation
Cactus	1)Spines instead of leaves	Protection. Reduce light capture.
	2)
	3)
Pothos	1) Large leaf	Captures lots of light.
	2)
	3)
Elodea	1) Thin leaves	Allow gas exchange
	2)
	3)

5. Biomes are life zones (e.g. desert, grassland, rainforest).  Plant life in each terrestrial (land) biome can be predicted based on 2 factors, ______________ and ____________.  Plant life starts the food chain that all animal life depends upon.  Aquatic biomes exist as well.  What starts the food chain in aquatic biomes? __________________.  Arizona is such a wonderful state to live because of the many biomes in the state of Arizona. 

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