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Adaptive Features

Adaptive features allow organisms to survive and reproduce in their environment. Xerophytes and hydrophytes demonstrate adaptive features to cope with their environments. Xerophytes, which live in dry areas, have traits like thick waxy cuticles, small leaves, and sunken stomata that reduce water loss. Hydrophytes, which live in aquatic environments, have traits like air spaces and buoyant stems and leaves that allow them to float and obtain light for photosynthesis with reduced water loss.

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Afifa Alam
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95 views

Adaptive Features

Adaptive features allow organisms to survive and reproduce in their environment. Xerophytes and hydrophytes demonstrate adaptive features to cope with their environments. Xerophytes, which live in dry areas, have traits like thick waxy cuticles, small leaves, and sunken stomata that reduce water loss. Hydrophytes, which live in aquatic environments, have traits like air spaces and buoyant stems and leaves that allow them to float and obtain light for photosynthesis with reduced water loss.

Uploaded by

Afifa Alam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Adaptive Features

Adaptive features: It is the inherited feature of an organism to survive and


reproduce in its environment.
Fitness: The probability of an organism to survive in the environment in
which it is found.

Describe the adaptive feature of xerophytes and hydrophytes to their


environment.
Xerophytes: Plants that are adapted to live in places where water is short in
supply like dessert are called xerophytes.

Adaptive features of xerophytes


I. Some plants have hair on their leaves. These hair traps a layer of moist
air next to the leaf, reduce air movements. So, humidity builds up and
transpiration is reduced.
II. Thick waxy cuticle which reduces evaporation from the surface area of
the plants.
III. Small leaves and in some plants, leaves are modified into spines and
thorns. This reduces the surface area, hence, less transpiration rate.
IV. Sunken stomata, so it is less exposed to the environmental factors and
to create high humidity.
V. It has fleshy green stem to store water and to do photosynthesis.
VI. It has thick water storing trunk to help the plant to store water for
survival.

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VII. Some grass plants have their leaves rolled up to increase humidity,
reducing transpiration rate.
VIII. The plants which live in dry conditions have both shallow and deep
root. Long roots to search for water deep in the soil. Shallow roots to
absorb water vapour from air and to take water immediately after
rain.
Hydrophytes: Plant that lives in very wet places including plants which live in
water are called hydrophytes.
Adaptive features of hydrophytes
I. They have large air spaces which increase their buoyancy. So, they
float on or near the surface. This helps them to get light for
photosynthesis.

fig: Water Lily fig: Water hyacinth

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II. The lower epidermis lacks stomata to prevent water entering the air
spaces, while the stomata are present in upper epidermis for gas
exchange.
III. The roots of hydrophytes, which can be poorly developed also has air
spaces. This is because the mud they grow in is poorly oxygenated and
root cells need oxygen for respiration.

IV. The stems lack much support as the water they are surrounded by
provides buoyancy for the plant.
V. They have thin cuticle because they don’t need to prevent water loss.
VI. Have large, thin, floating leaves, reduced root system and poorly
developed xylem tissue.
What is process of adaptation?
The process resulting from natural selection, by which populations become
more suited in their environment over many generations.

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Image of tarsier shows big eyes, large ear, grasping fingers. Tarsiers feed on
insects, which they feed on night. How is the tarsier adapted for survival in
its environment?

Tarsiers have big eyes to take in large amount of light in, which help them to
see at night when there is little light available.
Tarsiers have large ears to detect sounds made by the prey. Eyes and ears are
forward-facing making it is possible to judge the distance.
Tarsiers have grasping fingers which help them move easily among trees.

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