Download Animal and Plant Adaptations

Adaptations in Living
Things
Dr. Jim Whitfeld
What is an Adaptation?
What is an Adaptation?
 An adaptation is any favorable feature present in a
living thing (animals, plants, bacteria,..) that helps
them to survive in a particular type of environment
What is an Adaptation?
 An adaptation is any favorable feature present in a
living thing (animals, plants, bacteria,..) that helps
them to survive in a particular type of environment
 Adaptations may be such things as changes in
shape, body organ functions, color and size
What is an Adaptation?
 An adaptation is any favorable feature present in a
living thing (animals, plants, bacteria,..) that helps
them to survive in a particular type of environment
 Adaptations may be such things as changes in
shape, body organ functions, color and size
 FOR EXAMPLE
What is an Adaptation?
 A water plant such as a lotus cannot live in the
desert because it does not have adaptations that
allow it to live in those conditions. Likewise a camel
cannot live in the water because it is not adapted to
to so
Come in
the waters
great!
Kinds of Habitats
Kinds of Habitats
 All habitats can be broken down into one of two
major groups
 Terrestrial
 Marine
Terrestrial
 Terra is Latin for land or ground. Organisms that
live on land are called terrestrial organisms and
they live in terrestrial habitats
Terrestrial
 Terra is Latin for land or ground. Organisms that
live on land are called terrestrial organisms and
they live in terrestrial habitats
 A large habitat is called a “Biome”
Lets Look at Some Habitats
 Deserts
Lets Look at Some Habitats
 Deserts
 Deserts are usually very hot during the day and
very cold at night
Lets Look at Some Habitats
 Deserts
 Deserts are usually very hot during the day and
very cold at night
 WHY?
 Deserts get very little rain fall, so there is very little
water available to plants and animals
Lets Look at Some Habitats
 Deserts
 Deserts are usually very hot during the day and
very cold at night
 WHY?
 Deserts get very little rain fall, so there is very little
water available to plants and animals
 How have organisms adapted to this harsh
environment?
Adaptations of Desert
Plants
 Desert plants have
 Long roots to reach deep for water
 The leaves are reduced to spines - WHY?
Adaptations of Desert
Plants
 Desert plants have
 Long roots to reach deep for water
 The leaves are reduced to spines - WHY? By
reducing the leaves to spines it is possible to reduce
water loss
 The stem is thick and fleshy to store water. They are
green to maximize photosynthesis
Adaptations of Desert
Plants
 The stem is waxy to prevent water loss
 What else do the spikes do?
 REMEMBER – Desert plants do not lose a lot of
water through transpiration – they store most of it
Adaptations of Desert
Animals
 Small desert animals often make burrows below
ground to stay out of the desert heat and come out
at night when the desert is cool – this is called being
nocturnal
What adaptations has the camel made to live in the desert?
Mountain Habitats
 Mountain habitats are generally cold and windy
Mountain Habitats
 Mountain habitats are generally cold and windy
 The higher the altitude the colder and snowier
Mountain Habitats
 Mountain habitats are generally cold and windy
 The higher the altitude the colder and snowier
 A much larger selection of plants and animals live
in the mountains than in the desert
Plant Adaptations
 Pine trees and spruce trees are very common in
mountain habitats – these trees are very common
where I live
What adaptations
do we see here?
Adaptations in Animals
What adaptations
have these animals
made?
Forest and Grassland
Habitats
 Forest and grassland habitats are characterized by
large numbers of carnivores (predators) and
herbivores (prey)
Forest and Grassland
Habitats
 Forest and grassland habitats are characterized by
large numbers of carnivores (predators) and
herbivores (prey)
 How has each adapted to its role (Niche)
Forest and Grassland
Habitats
 Forest and grassland habitats are characterized by
large numbers of carnivores (predators) and
herbivores (prey)
 How has each adapted to its role (Niche)
 Niche – is the role an organism plays in its
environment
Predator Prey
Lions
Zebras
 Lions have eyes in the front
of their heads to keep track
of the prey
 Zebras have eyes on the
side of their head to give
them a wide range of vision
 They have sharp teeth and
claws foe slashing and
cutting chunks of meat
 They have long ears with a
wide range of movement to
detect predators
 There skin color is adapted
for camouflage
 They have broad, flat teeth
designed to grind grass
 They have long legs for
increased speed
Aquatic Habitats
 Aqua mean water. Aquatic organisms are organisms
that live in the water. This includes fish, mammals
like whales and dolphins, and many types of plants
 Aquatic habitats include both oceans and freshwater
Aquatic Habitats
 Oceans are large bodies of salt water
 Animals that live in the oceans are generally stream
lined in shape – think sharks and whales
 The skin may or may not have scales – sharks have
scales, whales do not
 Some organisms have gills (fish) some do not
(whales) these mammals have nostrils for which to
breathe air
 Swimming is aided by fins
Aquatic Habitats
 Ponds and Lakes – Ponds and lakes are small bodies
of fresh water
 Large amounts of aquatic plants are present
 Some plants are anchored to the bottom with roots.
Other plants that lack roots float on the surface
Free Floating Plants
 These include water lily and hyacinth plants. The
leaves are large and flat with a waxy covering to aid
in waterproofing and protect them from damage.
Many of these plants are found in Kerala’s
backwaters
Submerged Plants
 Submerged plants remain completely covered by
water. There leaves are often thin and ribbon-like to
protect them against damaged in high currents
 The main function of the roots is to anchor them to
the ground
 The leaves will wilt when removed from the water
Elodea – A common water plant
in the United States
What characteristics have frogs made
to life in a pond?