Plants and the

Environment

Osamah Hindi 8A

Introduction The structure of a plant is a complicated

thing, a well-oiled machine with the goal of surviving.

Each part of the plant has a purpose, and everything carries its fair share of weight.

Plants undergo some serious stages, such as Photosynthesis, a stage that nourishes the plant.

Background Knowledge Primary Consumer – An organism that consumes the plant

directly Food Web: This is many food chains intermingled. Top Predator: Something not eaten alive and is highest on the

food web. Secondary Predator: Eats and is eaten as well Predator: an animal/organism that targets its prey and eats it Food Chain shows: Who eats what? Flow of energy in the

ecosystem Decomposer: Bacteria and Fungi that “eat away” dead material,

cleans the earth of dead material and recycles materials. Scavenger: An animal that feeds on dead carcasses Primary Consumer: Direct consumer of the producer (plant) Producers Primary Consumer (herbivore) Secondary

Consumer (carnivore or omnivore)

Structure of a plant

How are plants producers?Plants use sunlight and water,

in a process called photosynthesis, to create food

(glucose), which is then converted into starch.

Food Web? Rather than being called a food chain, it

is called a food web, since there is not a precise order of power, and some animals have different preferences. For example, look at the game rock paper scissors. Rock beats scissors, but not paper, and scissors beats paper but not rock, this being a web, not a chain.

Food Web Example

Human Activities that affect the food web

Hunting:   Hunting of animals could reduce a particular species, which would then upset food

chain. For example, the hunting of deer or birds reduces the food of predators and therefore their numbers.

Pollution:

Water pollution – example of oil spills and garbage thrown in the water bodies can kill small animals/plants/algae thus affecting the food chain.

Air Pollution/Acid rain – could harm/kill organism Soil Pollution: in relation to acid rain/water pollution could affect plant growth

Deforestation:   Trees/Plants start of a food chain Habitat destruction More Co2 less 02 Global Warming Trees cut, carbon dioxide increases, temperature of earth increases, flooding, etc.

Plant Adaptations Different plants have adapted different forms

to suit their surroundings, just like animals. For example:

Desert Plants: Thick stems to store water No leaves or small leaves so less transpiration Long roots to go deeper in the soil to suck

more water Desert Plant is adapted to it’s environment,

temperature is high, less available water.

Plant AdaptationsTropical Rain forest: Some plants grow on other plants to

reach the sunlight Some plants climb on others to reach the

sunlight Smooth bark and smooth or waxy flowers

speed the run off of water Plants have shallow roots to help capture

nutrients from the top level of soil.

Plant AdaptationsTundra:  Plants are dark in color; some are even red this helps

absorb sun light/ solar heat. Some plants are covered with hair, which helps them

keep warm. Tundra plants are small (usually less than 12 inches

tall) and low-growing due to lack of nutrients, because being close to the ground helps keep the plants from freezing, and because the roots cannot penetrate the permafrost.

Some plants grow in clomps and groups to protect one another from the wind and cold.

Plant AdaptationsAquatic (In Water): Underwater leaves and stems are flexible

to move with water currents Some Plants produce seeds that can float Some plants have air spaces in their stems

to help hold the plant up in the water Some Plants have leaves that float on top

of the water exposing themselves to the sunlight.

Global Warming Global warming is the process of the heating of the

earth, and slowly changing the worlds temperature, even by a mere degree or two, have a large impact. The more Co2 (carbon dioxide), in the air, the more the Ozone layer is damaged. The Ozone layer protects us from the hot rays of the sun, and we are burning holes in it, melting ice, causing floods, killing animals, and so on. We can stop global warming by reducing the amount of Carbon Dioxide we emit, meaning looking for different alternatives for energy such as solar energy.

Types of SoilSandySiltClayLoamPeat

Description of Soils Sandy soil has large particles, and

cannot carry water through it, plants in sandy soil do not receive as much nutrients as plants in other soils.

Silty Soil is much smoother than sandy soil because of its small particles, when it is wet, it is very slippery. It is considered ideal for gardens, and so on.

Description of Soils Clay is like sand, and is used to make

pottery most of the time, and so is not used for planting.

Loam clay is all gardeners favorite. It’s a mixture of silt, sand and clay, and is especially known to help plants absorb the nutrients from it.

Description of Soils Peat is a unique soil, that can be used

as a fuel when burned. It is in some parts of the world, including Ireland and Finland. Peat soil is not used for planting considering that it bad for planting.

pH levels

pH levels of soilMeasuring the pH level of soil is very easy, as you must pour the universal indicator on it, then look at the color and

compare to the color check for the level on the pH scale.

Conditions necessary for plant growthSunlight/LightWaterMineralsAir (carbon dioxide for

photosynthesis, oxygen for energy)

Soil – Type, pH of soil

How does the water go up? Inside of the stem of the plant, there are

two tubes that lie by each other, however do not touch. The Xylem tube and the Phloem tube. The Phloem tube carries up food, sugars, and so on to grow. The Xylem tube takes water and minerals up to the leaves in the transpiration stream. These two tubes extend all the way into the roots.

Bibliography http://www.biologycorner.com/resources/

foodweb1.gif

http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/biocoach/images/plants/plant.gif

http://www.typesofsoil.org/http://www.quality-drinking-water.com/images/pHscale.jpg