Biome Adaptations
Kevin Rodriguez
Tropical Rain Forest
In the Tropical Rain Forest, It rains a lot and its hot. It rains 80 to 180 inches per year. This Rain Forest is very thick and not much sunlight is able to penatrate to the forest floor. flowers on the forest floor are designed to lure animals pollinators since there is relatively no wind on the forest floor to aid in pollutions
Bromeliads
Bromeliads are related to the pineapple family. Their thick, waxy leaves form a bowl shape in the centre for catching rainwater. Some bromeliads can hold several gallons of water and are miniature ecosystems in themselves.
Carniverous Plants
Some plants are adapted to obtain nutrients from animal matter. The best known of these is probably the Venus fly trap, but more impressive is the pitcher plant Nepenthes rafflesiana, found in southeast Asia. This plant grows to 30 feet tall and may have pitchers 12 inches in length.
Stilt or Prop Roots
Mangrove rainforest trees require a different kind of support system. Mangroves grow in wet, muddy soil at the water's edge which can be subject to tides and flooding.
Deserts
The desert is very dry and often hot. Annual rainfall averages less than 10 inches per year,and the rain often comes all at the same time. The rest of the year is very dry. There is a lot of direct sunlight shinning on the plants the soil is often sandy or rocky and unable to hold much water. Winds are often strong, and dry out plants.
Succulent
Succulent plants are water hoarders. They store water in stems, roots, or fleshy leaves in special structures that are good at retaining moisture. All cacti are succulents, but many non-cacti desert plants use the same adaptation.
Deserts Marigold
These plants die during dry periods, and rely on seeds germinating during future rains to preserve the species. In terms of species count, drought-evasive plants are the most successful adapters to desert climates.
CAM
CAM plants are able to “hybernate” during dry times, recycling oxygen and carbon dioxide to conduct very low-level photosynthesis. Since they have not gone completely dormant, CAM plants can resume growth within 24 to 48 hours after a rain.