LESSON 2

Key Understanding

Aquatic plants have good weeds because they multiply vegetatively from fragments. Aquatic plants lives in different bodies of water, and the waters salt levels intervene with the growth and reproduction of such plants.

1.1 What are the characteristics of aquatic plants? Plants live in common habitats, from land to water, in cold and hot zones, and several regions around the world. Some plants are edible, and some are not. Plants can manufacture their own food by means of photosynthesis. Aquatic plants are types of plants which live on water. They can be seen mostly in seas and rivers. In this lesson, you will learn about aquatic plants, characteristics of aquatic plants that differs from other plant types, their classification based from the bodies of water, and why they are essential to the environment. You will also learn on how to utilize them in different situations.
Key Questions

What are the characteristics of aquatic plants that made it unique to other plants? How do one differentiate aquatic plants according to their habitat? How can we utilize aquatic plants?

Key Words

Aquatic plants Water lily Swamp plants Salt marsh plants Halophyte Water hyacinth

Quick Lab 5 - 2
AQUATIC PLANTS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS

Identify the characteristics of the aquatic plants. Materials Needed:

Images of aquatic plants (Water lily, Hydrocharis, Duck weeds, Lotus, Water Cabbage) and their description

Aquatic Plants

Group

Common Habitat

Water Lily

Hydrocharis

Duck weeds

Lotus

Water Cabbage

Quick Test 5-2

WORD HUNT
Directions: Look for the words that are listed below. Swamp plants Duck weeds Lotus Water lily Cattail Java Moss Halophyte Phragmites Salt Hay Pond weed

J A V A T O D D A L I G

J W A S N A P U W L W R

P A S S A H O C E I A A

H T V Y L H N K I E T D

R E D A P A G W D L E E

A R G H M L F E W I T V

G L A T A O E E A A O A

M I P L W P S D T T C D

I L H A S H A S U T O L

T Y R S S Y T U S A T A

E P Q V A T L I L C O I

S A E D W E W D N O P L

Investigate 5-2

Name: _____________________ Group: _______________ Rating: __________

Activity
Problem How does a plant grow in water?
Materials Plant Tap Water/Pond Water Empty can Scissors

Procedure
1. Form a group consisting of three members. 2. Go to your school, and search for plants that can grow on water (e.g., pond plants). 3. Pour the water onto the empty can. 4. Cut the plant, then place it in the can. 5. Afterwards, place it on a place with direct heat from sunlight. 6. Observe the plant. 7. If the plant grows with the water, then you are done.

Observation and Results

1. List down your observation about the plant. Classify it according to its description and habitat by completing the table below.

Plant Name

Description

Habitat

2. Illustrate the aquatic plant that you observed and label its parts.

3. Answer the following questions:

a. Based from your observations, does the plant grow? If Yes, how? If No, why? b. Set your own criteria for the plants to be considered as aquatic. c. How would you manage aquatic plants?

Conclusion Complete the statement below. An aquatic plant is a __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

Learn

Glimpse of

History

Aquatic Plants

Thousands of plants live in water habitats around the world: on edges and surfaces of water, or below the lakes and ponds, in flooded areas, at springs, in streams and rivers, among others. Plants that grows and lives in water are called Aquatic Plants. Aquatic Plants are also known as hydroplants or aquatic macrophages. Here are some of the characteristics of aquatic plants:
1. They are permanently saturated with water. 2. Have air sacs for flotation. 3. Smaller roots than other plants, so that water can diffuse directly into their leaves. 4. Supported by water pressure. 5. Open stomata, because of the plenty water which holds them.

The history of aquatic plants dates back many thousand years ago from Ancient Egypt, India, and China. Aquatic plants such as water lily and lotus played significant roles in different cultures and traditions of these civilizations. Ancient Egyptians manufacture flour from the sun-dried lotus roots. Lotus petals were uncovered in the tomb of Ramses II during an excavation in 1881, suggesting that it was an integral element of life in Egypt about 5,000 years ago.

Aquatic plants are generally divided into four groups for management purposes. These groups are the following: 1. Floating plants Aquatic plants which floats only on water surfaces. 2. Submerged plants Aquatic plants that have roots underwater. 3. Emergent plants Aquatic plants which are rooted along the shoreline. It stands from above the water surface. 4. Algae - Algae are very primitive plants. Some algae are microscopic (planktonic algae), others are thin and stringy or hair-like (filamentous algae), while still others are large and resemble higher plants but without true roots (chara). Glimpse of History In India, the lotus is the national flower. It symbolizes purity and enlightenment. The Lotus Goddess, Lakshmi, also known as Kamala portrays carrying lotuses in reliefs dating back to 200 B.C. In China, Japan and Korea, the seeds, flowers, leaves and rhizomes of the lotus are considered edible and can be manufactured as foods, beverages and teas.

Examples of Aquatic Plants The following are examples of aquatic plants based from their habitat. 1. Swamp plants They are semiaquatic plants that exist in soft wetland and has a special way to cope with its extreme conditions. Examples: a. Water Lilies Plants that are rooted in the swamp, and can also be seen on ponds, lakes, and rivers. They are considered as emergent.

b. Cattail This aquatic plant is found on a dense stand. Cattails are usually seen in marshes, rivers, and lakes. They are considered as emergent.

c. Duck weeds Aquatic plants that grow and float freely in the water.

Trivia
Hydroponics is the technique in which the plants are grown in water without the soil. Aquatic plants can be deemed as beneficial and harmful. They are beneficial because they are potent source of renewable energy such as biofuels, electricity, as ornamental plants, as source of animal and human food, and as textiles. They can also be harmful to our environment since some of them are considered invasive and destructive.

2. Salt Marsh plants Salt marsh plants are plants which resides on coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides.
a. Halophyte - a plant that grows in waters of high salinity which comes into contact with saline water through its roots or by salt spray.

b. Phragmites - a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world.

c. Salt Hay - a common grass of the high marsh.

3. Pond plants are aquatic plants that can be found in ponds and small streams. Examples: a. Kang Kong (Water Spinach) - a semiaquatic tropical plant grown as a leaf vegetable (very high in iron) that grows in water or on moist soil.

b. Lotus an aquatic perennial the flowers, seeds, young leaves, and "roots" (rhizomes) are all edible.

c. Fairy Moss or Water Fern - a group of tiny, free-floating aquatic ferns. Like duckweeds, they provide cover for many small animals, shade for a pond and food for waterfowl.

Career in Science

4. Sea plants provide habitats for many marine creatures including shrimp, bivalves, fish, plankton, and other small organisms. In large concentrations, these plants stabilize the substrate that might otherwise be affected by erosion. a. Marine Algae - These plants are abundant in coastal areas, usually anchoring themselves to a hard surface using specialized holdfast structures.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), under the Department of Agriculture is the governing body of the Philippines which manages and takes care of fisheries and aquatic resources, such as aquatic plants. The agency monitors current situations regarding different species that belongs to aquatic plants.

b. Marine grasses (seagrass and marsh grass) differ from marine algae in that they have roots and leaves and produce flowers and seeds they are in fact flowering plants, just like the roses and daisies in your garden.

c. Mangroves - ideal plants for wet and salty coastal areas These trees are a type of evergreen that specialize in growing sprawling, sturdy root foundations in muddy areas.

5. Ocean plants serves as food and shelter for many creatures in the ocean. Examples: a. Kelp - an ocean plant that grows in cold coastal waters. It is the biggest marine plant in the world and has been known to reach a height of 250 feet. Kelp is also the fastest growing plant in the world.

b. Seaweeds - It is a form of microscopic algae called phytoplankton. Seaweed has been harvested for years by humans to be consumed as food, used as shelter, and even used for medicinal purposes.

6. Lake plants They are aquatic plants that can be source of food and shelter to freshwater animals. Examples: a. Hydrilla Can be found in all bodies of water, it forms dense mats that interferes with the fish and wildlife habitats.

b. Water Hyacinth It is an invasive plant which grows in all types of freshwater and creates a large, and heavy mats that blocks rivers and lakes.

c. Eurasian Watermilfoil An invasive aquatic plant which lives in a wide range of water conditions (both freshwater and saltwater).

In Focus
Using Mechanical Controls to Reduce Invasive Aquatic Plants The use of mechanical controls for invasive aquatic plants began in response to the growing threat of water hyacinth throughout the world, especially in the United States and Philippines. In the first half of the 20th Century, plant managers explored the use of chemical control methods, but the technology was in its infancy. Subsequently, most were rejected because of their ineffectiveness or toxicity to non-target species. This resulted in almost exclusive use of mechanical methods such as crusher boats, destruction (saw) boats, elevators and harvesters. Crusher boats, or Kennys were used in Florida to control water hyacinth until the late 1940s. The machines hauled plants aboard, crushed them under 40,000 pounds of pressure per square inch, and discharged them back to the water or onto shore. Discharge back to the water was the most likely method since shore disposal was inhibited by shallow water, dense tree growth, or the protests of waterfront landowners. Hi-ballers were a variation of crusher boats. These floating machines collected plants, ground them up, and used a water-cannon to fire the plant slurry to the shore. Hi-ballers were used mainly for canal maintenance in remote areas. Currently, many machines and equipments are used for harvesting, cutting, disposing, and shredding of invasive aquatic plants and weeds. One of those is the mechanical weed cutter, which cuts aquatic plants a few feet below the water surface. When more mobility is needed, barge-mounted track hoes or draglines can be used for transportation to off-shore control sites. In that case, plants are loaded on an attending barge and hauled to the disposal site.

On the left is an example of the mechanical barge, which can harvest floating aquatic plants and trees.

Concepts at a Glance
Aquatic plants grow on water surfaces. There are different characteristics of aquatic plants which differs them from terrestrial plants. One example is their support for water pressure. Aquatic plants vary based on different marine ecosystem such as freshwater (consists of ponds, lakes and rivers), saltwater (sea and ocean), and wetlands (swamps and salt marshes). Aquatic are divided into four groups: 1. Floating plants, which floats only on water surfaces. 2. Submerged plants, which have roots underwater. 3. Emergent plants, which are rooted on the shoreline. 4. Algae, primitive aquatic plants which are microscopic.

Science Connections
Arts Water Hyacinth as Commodity

In the Philippines, Water Hyacinth can be considered as both an aquatic plant and invasive species. However, they are also beneficial. Water hyacinths are created as reusable items such as bags, furniture, mats, and decorative items. The stalks are usually dried up to prevent rotting.

Image of a bag created from water hyacinths.

For more details on how to make bags and other materials from water hyacinth, please visit http://www.bubblews.com/news/301260-processing-awater-hyacinth-crafts

Geography The scientific names of aquatic plants are usually based from their locations. For example, Damasonium californicum, which are perennial flower plants originated from wet environments in the western United States (particularly, in California).

Mathematics A mathematical model of submersed/submerged aquatic plant growth and decomposition was developed for use with the US Army Corps of Engineers' one-dimensional reservoir water quality model, CE-QUAL-Rl, under the Environmental and Water Quality Operational Studies (EWQOS). It has a formula of x = b * g r p a m c, where x is the rate of change of mass (g/ day), b as biomass, g being the gross production rate, r which is the dark respiration rate, p as the photorespiration rate, a pertaining to the grazing rate, m as the nonpredatory mortality rate, and c which is mechanical or chemical harvesting rate.

E-Links

These websites are helpful in finding aquatic plants: http://www.aquarius-systems.com/Default.aspx http://saltmarshlife.com/salt-marsh/plants.html http://ccrm.vims.edu/wetlands/teaching_marsh/wetland_plants/high_sa lt_marsh.html http://www.gale.cengage.com/pdf/samples/sp731400.pdf

Assessment
A. Modified True or False Write True if the statement is true and replace the underlined word if it is False.

_________ 1. Aquatic plants grows and lives in water. _________ 2. One characteristic of an aquatic plant is that it supports water pressure.

_______ 3. Aquatic plants are divided into three groups for management
purposes.

_______ 4. Sea plants are semiaquatic plants that exist in soft wetland. _______ 5. The scientific names of aquatic plants are based from their
geographical location.

B. Guess That Plant! Identify the word that is being described by the following statements. 6. These are freshwater plants which are common in the Philippines that can be used as both a biofuel source and weaved materials.

Answer: ___________________________________________________ 7. This form of microscopic algae has been harvested for many years and consumed by humans as a food. Answer: ___________________________________________________

8. This aquatic plant exists thousand years ago in India, Korea, and China, and has been widely known as a medicinal plant. Answer: ___________________________________________________ 9. These are types of aquatic plants that can grow sprawling root foundations in muddy areas. Answer: ___________________________________________________ 10. This aquatic plant can be used as a broomstick. In the Philippines, it is called as tambo. Answer: ___________________________________________________