The Adaptations of Plants to the Availibility of Water

Question 1

What are hydrophytes?

Answer 1

A plant adapted to living in water or where the ground is very wet.

Question 2

What is a xerophyte?

Answer 2

A plant adapted to living in dry conditions.

Question 3

What must plants living on land be adapted to?

Answer 3

Reduce the loss of water

Replace the water that is lost.

Question 4

Most terrestrial plants can reduce their water loss through structural and behavioural adaptations. List some.

Answer 4

A waxy cuticle will reduce the loss of water via evaporation at the epidermis.
The stomata are on the underside of the leaf to reduce the effect of sunlight on the rate of evaporation.
Stomata are close at night, when there is no light for photosynthesis.

Question 5

How do deciduous plants reduce their water loss?

Answer 5

In winter they lose their leaves when the ground may be frozen or when the temperatures may be too low for photosynthesis.

Question 6

Marram grass specialises in living sand dunes. How is it adapted to do so?

Answer 6

The leaf is rolled longitudinally so that the air is able to condense inside retaining some of the water lost.
There is a thick waxy cuticle on the outside of the leaf to reduce evaporation.