Download Plant Adaptations WebQuest-key

Plant Adaptations WebQuest—Answer Key
Go to http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/adapt.html to find the answers!
1. What are adaptations? Adaptations are special features that allow a plant or animal to live in a
particular place or habitat.
2. What is a biome? A biome is a place characterized by its climate and the plants and animals
that live there.
3. Investigate an extreme condition of the biome and determine the plant’s adaptation to survive
in that extreme condition.
Biome
Desert
Grassland
Extreme conditions of
that biome
 Very dry and HOT
 Direct sunlight to
plants
 Soil is rocky and
cannot hold much
water
 Strong winds
 Hot summers, cold
winters
 Drought is common
 Rich soil
 Good for agriculture
Plant adaptations for
survival
 Spines instead of
leaves
 Light-colored hair to
shade
 Waxy coating to
reduce water loss

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Tropical Rain Forrest

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
Temperate Rain Forrest
HOT
Lots of rain—leads to
growth of bacteria
and fungi
Poor soil
Little sunlight at
ground level

Lots of precipitation
Poor soil
Tall evergreens are
dominant





Soft stems to bend in
wind
Wind pollinated
plants
Roots survive fires to
sprout again
Shrubs re-sprout
after fire
Drip tips and waxy
surfaces allow rain to
run off
Plants grow on or
climb on other plants
to be higher
Shallow roots to get
nutrients
Trees go tall due to
precipitation
Slow decomposition
to get nutrients from
fallen logs
Plants grow on top of
each other to reach
Reason for that
adaptation

Temperate Deciduous
Forrest




Taiga
(Boreal Forest)



Tundra



Hot in the summer,
freezing in the winter
Plentiful rain
Tall trees cover small
trees—levels of
plants

Coniferous trees are
dominate
Cold winters, warm
summers
Some are
permanently frozen
Poor soil (acidic)

Cold year round—
permanently frozen
sub-layer
Poor drainage
Slow evaporation
Little diversity








In Water


sunlight
Wildflowers grow
earlier in season
before tree leaves
spread out
Light-weight leaves
to capture sunlight
Thick bark on trees to
protect from winter
Plants can
photosynthesize
quickly due to trees
being coniferous
Needle-like leaves
lose less water and
shed snow
Dark colored needles
to absorb more
sunlight
Low growing plants
to keep them from
freezing
Dark colored plants
to absorb more solar
heat
Clumps of plants to
protect from wind
and cold
Flexible stems and
leaves to move with
currents
Leaves float on top of
water to
photosynthesize
Some plants produce
seeds that float
4. In which biome(s) would you find very small leaves (or needles)? Taiga
5. In which biome(s) would you find broad, or large, leaves? Temperate Deciduous Forrest
6. In which biome do you think it would be easiest for YOU to survive?