GEOG 1265 Lecture 8: Lecture 8
7 Feb 2017
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Document Summary
What are the environmental challenges to which desert plants must adapt: water shortage, extreme temperatures, lots of sunlight, high wind conditions (rapid drying, lack of nutrients in soil. Slow nutrient cycling: competition from other organisms, predation, short growing season water dependent. Or, what features have evolved to allow plants to survive under these conditions: lack of water, high insolation. Deep tap roots phreatophytes: depend on ground water far below surface. Ability to store water when available: succulence, pleated stems. Rapid response when water is present: rain green . Waxy coatings on leaves: help minimize amount of water lost to evapotranspiration, light colored leaves (hairy, water storage, minimize water use. Less than 10in of rainfall a year is a desert. High insolation/high evapotranspiration, in addition to small leaves, etc: depressed stomata. Specialized cells that allow gases to pass through leaf. Located at the bottom of the leaf in a pit on the leaf"s surface.
