Adaptations to a habitat

The abundance and distribution of organisms in an ecosystem is determined by biotic and abiotic factors. Animals
and plants have adaptations to allow them to compete for resources.

Adaptations to the environment in plants

Plant adaptations can be structural, behavioural or physiological. Regardless of the type, all adaptations make
organisms better suited to their ecosystem and provide them with a better chance of survival and reproduction,
which are their ultimate aims. The adaptations that arise from competition are essential for the process of
evolution. Survival of the fittest means survival of those best adapted.

Structural adaptations in plants

Structural adaptations of plants are the physical features, which allow them to compete. An example of this is the
formation of spines, which are found on many species, such as cacti and roses, and can stop a plant being eaten by
grazing animals. Other examples of structural adaptions include plants with wide-ranging, shallow roots to absorb
lots of water after rain, large leaves to maximise photosynthesis and flowers, which attract insects to pollinate
them.

Behavioural adaptations in plants

Behavioural adaptations of plants are behaviours which give them an advantage. All plant shoots grow quickly
towards the light to maximise photosynthesis. Growth towards the light and other tropisms ensure that plants can
respond to changes in their environment. Plant roots which grow downwards may be because of gravity or
growing directly towards water to maximise photosynthesis. Other plants like the Venus flytrap have evolved
structural and behavioural adaptations to catch insects. The flytrap itself is a structural adaptation and the closing
of the trap to catch an insect is a behavioural adaptation.

Physiological adaptations in plants

Physiological adaptations of plants are processes which allow them to compete. An example of this is the
formation of poisons for defence. The nettle plant stings us when we brush the tiny needles on its leaves, which
contain poison. Other plants, like deadly nightshade, are so poisonous they can kill if consumed by humans.

Plant Adaptations

Plants have adaptations to help them survive (live and grow) in different areas. Adaptations are special features
that allow a plant or animal to live in a particular place or habitat. These adaptations might make it very difficult for
the plant to survive in a different place. This explains why certain plants are found in one area, but not in another.
For example, you wouldn't see a cactus living in the Arctic. Nor would you see lots of really tall trees living in
grasslands or desert.
The desert is very dry and often hot. Annual rainfall averages less than 10 inches per year, and that rain often
comes all at the same time. The rest of the year is very dry. There is a lot of direct sunlight shining on the plants.
The soil is often sandy or rocky and unable to hold much water. Winds are often strong, and dry out plants. Plants
are exposed to extreme temperatures and drought conditions. Plants must cope with extensive water loss.
Desert Plant Adaptations

• Some plants, called succulents, store water in their stems or leaves;

• Some plants have no leaves or small seasonal leaves that only grow after it rains. The lack of leaves helps
reduce water loss during photosynthesis. Leafless plants conduct photosynthesis in their green stems.
• Long root systems spread out wide or go deep into the ground to absorb water;
• Some plants have a short life cycle, germinating in response to rain, growing, flowering, and dying within
one year. These plants can evade drought.
• Leaves with hair help shade the plant, reducing water loss. Other plants have leaves that turn throughout
the day to expose a minimum surface area to the heat.
• Spines to discourage animals from eating plants for water;  Waxy coating on stems and leaves help
reduce water loss.
• Flowers that open at night lure pollinators who are more likely to be active during the cooler night.
• Slower growing requires less energy. The plants don't have to make as much food and therefore do not
lose as much
water.

This cactus displays several desert This cactus displays light- This plant has a waxy coating
adaptations: it has spines rather than coloured hair that helps shade on its leaves.
leaves and it stores water in its stem. the plant.

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The Tropical Rainforest

The tropical rainforest is hot and it rains a lot, about 80 to 180 inches per year. This abundance of water can cause
problems such as promoting the growth of bacteria and fungi which could be harmful to plants. Heavy rainfall also
increases the risk of flooding, soil erosion, and rapid leaching of nutrients from the soil (leaching occurs when the
minerals and organic nutrients of the soil are "washed" out of the soil by rainfall as the water soaks into the
ground). Plants grow rapidly and quickly use up any organic material left from decomposing plants and animals.
This result is a soil that is poor. The tropical rainforest is very thick, and not much sunlight is able to penetrate to
the forest floor. However, the plants at the top of the rainforest in the canopy, must be able to survive 12 hours of
intense sunlight every day of the year. There is a great amount of diversity in plant species in the tropical
rainforest. R

Tropical Rainforest Plant Adaptations Plant Adaptations

• drip tips and waxy surfaces allow water to run off, to discourage growth of bacteria and fungi
• buttresses and prop and stilt roots help hold up plants in the shallow soil
• some plants climb on others to reach the sunlight
• some plants grow on other plants to reach the sunlight
• flowers on the forest floor are designed to lure animal pollinators since there is relatively no wind on the
forest floor to aid in pollination
• 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.
• many bromeliads are epiphytes (plants that live on other plants); instead of collecting water with roots
they collect rainwater into a central reservoir from which they absorb the water through hairs on their
leaves
• epiphytic orchids have aerial roots that cling to the host plant, absorb minerals, and absorb water from
the atmosphere

Drip-tips on leaves help shed excess Prop roots help support plants in Some plants collect rainwater into
water. the shallow soil. a central reservoir.

The Temperate Rain Forest

The temperate rain forest features minimal seasonal fluctuation of temperature: the winters are mild and the
summers cool. The temperate rain forest receives a lot of precipitation, about 80 to 152 inches per year.
Condensation from coastal fogs also add to the dampness. The soil is poor in nutrients. Large evergreen trees,
some reaching 300 feet in height, are the dominant plant species.
Temperate Rain Forest Plant Adaptations

• epiphytes such as mosses and ferns grow atop other plants to reach light.
• cool temperatures lead to slow decomposition but seedlings grow on "nurse logs" to take advantage of
the nutrients from the decomposing fallen logs.  trees can grow very tall due to amount of
precipitation.

Epiphytes live on other plants to reach the sunlight. Trees can grow very tall in this very moist environment.

The Temperate Deciduous Forest

There are four distinct seasons in the temperate deciduous forest: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The
temperature varies from hot in the summer to below freezing in the winter. Rain is plentiful, about 30 to 50 inches
per year. The temperate deciduous forest is made up of layers of plants; the number of layers depends upon
factors such as climate, soil, and the age of the forest. The tallest trees make up the forest canopy which can be
100 feet or more above the ground. Beneath the canopy, the understory contains smaller trees and young trees.
These understory trees are more shade tolerant than canopy trees. Below the understory is a shrub layer.
Carpeting the forest floor is the herb layer made up of wildflowers, mosses and ferns. Fallen leaves, twigs, and
dried plants cover the ground, decompose, and help add nutrients to the topsoil.

Temperate Deciduous Forest Plant Adaptations

• wildflowers grow on forest floor early in the spring before trees leaf-out and shade the forest floor
• many trees are deciduous (they drop their leaves in the autumn, and grow new ones in spring). Most
deciduous trees have thin, broad, light-weight leaves that can capture a lot of sunlight to make a lot of
food for the tree in warm weather; when the weather gets cooler, the broad leaves cause too much water
loss and can be weighed down by too much snow, so the tree drops its leaves. New ones will grow in the
spring. trees have thick bark to protect against cold winters
Broad leaves can capture a lot Many trees have thick bark to protect In the autumn, deciduous trees
of sunlight for a tree. against the cold winters in the temperate drop their leaves to minimize
deciduous forest. water loss.

Plant Adaptations in Water

• underwater leaves and stems are flexible to move with water currents
• some plants have air spaces in their stems to help hold the plant up in the water
• submerged plants lack strong water transport system (in stems); instead water, nutrients, and dissolved
gases are absorbed through the leaves directly from the water.
• roots and root hairs reduced or absent; roots only needed for anchorage, not for absorption of nutrients
and water
• some plants have leaves that float atop the water, exposing themselves to the sunlight
• in floating plants chlorophyll is restricted to upper surface of leaves (part that the sunlight will hit) and the
upper surface is waxy to repel water
• Some plants produce seeds that can float

In floating plants, chlorophyll Aquatic plants must be flexible to

is restricted to the upper withstand the pressures of moving water.
surface. Note the green
colour on the top of the leaves
 and the reddish underside of
the overturned leaf.

Adaptations to the environment in animals

Not only are plants able to adapt to an ecosystem, so too can animals. Again, the adaptations can be structural,
behavioural or physical to meet the aim of survival and reproduction. The competition that arises from adaptations
is essential for the process of evolution.

Structural adaptations in animals

Structural adaptations of animals are the physical features which allow them to compete. Animals have a wide
range of structural adaptations including sharp claws to catch prey, dig burrows or scratch trees to signal
territories. The scratching of trees is a behavioural adaptation.

Predators and prey often have similar adaptations. Both are likely to have good vision and hearing. Prey often has
eyes on the sides of their heads to easily spot predators. Predators often have their eyes on the front of their
heads to judge distance to their prey.

Behavioural adaptations in animals

Behavioural adaptations of animals are behaviours which give them an advantage. Behavioural adaptations include
mating rituals, like a male peacock bird showing his tail feathers to attract a female mate. They can also include
working together in packs like wolves to hunt prey. Other animals have evolved the behavioural adaptation of
using tools. For example, crocodiles use twigs to lure birds, who would pick them up to build nests.

Physiological adaptations in animals

Physiological adaptations of animals are processes which allow them to compete. The production of venom is an
example of this. Many predators such as snakes and spiders produce venom both to defend themselves and kill
their prey. When the cane toad was introduced into Australia, predators, such as native crocodiles and turtles, had
not evolved to be resistant to its venom. Many ate cane toads and were killed.

Extreme Habitat (Extremophiles)

An extremophile is an organism that lives in an extreme environment. An extreme environment is one in which
most organisms would find it difficult or impossible to survive. The organisms that live in these places have highly
specialised adaptations. Examples of extreme environments include the Polar Regions, deserts, the deep ocean
bed, hot geothermal springs and the tops of our highest mountains.

The Polar Regions

The North Pole is called the Arctic and contains polar bears. The South Pole is the Antarctic. It has no polar bears,
but many penguins. Both the Arctic and Antarctic are extremely cold, often averaging -40°C. In the Northern
hemisphere summer, the North Pole has 24 hours of daylight and the South Pole experiences 24 hours of night.
This is then reversed during the Northern hemisphere winter.
Animals, like polar bears, at the North Pole are adapted to suit these conditions. They have thick white fur for
insulation and camouflage. They have acute senses of smell and sight to hunt prey. They have small surface area:
volume ratio to minimize heat loss and a thick layer of fat to keep warm.

Penguins at the South Pole have many of the same adaptations. In addition, the male Emperor penguins have
evolved to insulate their egg on their feet throughout winter. This is a behavioural adaptation.

Deep sea volcanic vents

Deep sea volcanic vents are places on the ocean floor where the volcanic gases of underground magma chambers
bubble through. These form plumes of gases which are very hot. These are extreme environments because of this
heat and the high pressure that comes at the bottom of the ocean. They are utterly dark.

Here, bacteria feed on the chemicals released from the volcanic vents. Worms feed on the bacteria, and then other
species feed on the worms. Until the recent discovery of these ecosystems we thought all food chains and webs
started with photosynthesising plants or algae. The producers here are bacteria that feed on chemicals. These
ecosystems are therefore unique on Earth.

Because of the extreme environment at the bottom of the oceans organisms find it difficult or impossible to move
from one vent to another. This has resulted in many hydrothermal vents having separately evolved species that are
only found in this one location. The adaptations of these animals allow them to survive in these conditions.