Name: Gabriel Cruzata Section: CD-2L

Lecture Activity #4: Mineral Nutrition

1. Do research work using books and open educational resources for nutrient
adaptations of plants in extreme environments. Limit your answer in not more than
50 sentences.

Plants have different ways to adapt to their environment in order to survive. This
research work will discuss some of the situations that manifest how plants adapt in extreme
environments. These environmental changes are due to climatic changes all throughout
time. As we all know, the impacts of global warming have had a negative impact on plant
distribution. That's why there is also a study of plant response to abiotic stresses and to their
adaptive strategies (Bartoli et al., 2014).

High soil temperature and soil acidity, in particular, are important environmental
constraints limiting the growth and productivity of plants (Rachmilevitch et al., 2006). For
example, in an article published by botanic.co.uk, they categorized the different situations
that a plant can adapt to--desert, Mediterranean climate, and rainforest (Ventnor Botanic
Garden, n.d.).

In the desert, plants adapt to their environment from necessity. Plants may also adapt
by growing lower and closer to the ground to shield themselves from wind and cold. Desert
environments may have some of the following adaptations, these help the plant to conserve
food, energy, and water and still be able to reproduce effectively.
1. Thick fleshy leaves to store water.
2. Thick waxy cuticle (a protective layer on the surface of stem and leaves) to
prevent dehydration e.g. Cacti
3. Shallow root system to collect small amounts of moisture.
4. Extremely deep root systems tap into underground water.
5. Light-colored leaves or small reflective hairs to reflect excessive light, normally
grey or silver.
 6. Reduce leaf size or complete transformation of the leaves e.g. thorns or spikes
reduce transpiration(loss of water through the plant, mainly the
stomata[pore]) and offer protection.
7. Production of thorns /spikes to ward off predators e.g. cacti
8. Plants like euphorbia have toxic sap to deter insects.
9. Flowers infrequently and produce large amounts of seed e.g. cacti.
10. Flowers are light-colored and have no pigment, plants produce nectar as most
pollination is at night.

In the Mediterranean, plants cope with long hot, dry summers and short cool wet
winters. Similar to desert plants, there are ways in which plants help themselves to conserve
food, energy, and water without compromising their ability to reproduce effectively. In
general, Mediterranean plants are characterized by short dense scrubby vegetation that is
drought resistant. Some adaptations include:
1. Waxy thick leaves to avoid dehydration e.g euphorbias.
2. Fragrant with oils e.g. olive, rosemary, lavender.
3. Small, silvery, or light-colored to reflect excessive light e.g. olive, rosemary, lavender,
broom, teucrium, cistus.
4. Hairy leaves deflect the sun.
5. Change the position of leaves to avoid exposing whole surfaces to the sun.

Meanwhile, plants in the rainforest have an extra struggle to survive as they seek the
sun through layers of vegetation with extreme heat and humidity. Some examples of plant
adaptations in the rainforest are characterized by:
1. Epiphytes are plants that live on the surface of other plants, especially the
trunk and branches. They grow on trees to take advantage of the sunlight in
the canopy. Most are orchids, bromeliads, ferns, and Philodendron relatives.
2. Mangroves. On tropical deltas and along ocean edges and river estuaries, trees
have adapted to living in wet, marshy conditions. These trees, called
mangroves, have wide-spreading stilt roots that support the trees in the tidal
mud and trap nutritious organic matter.
 3. Lianas are climbing woody vines that drape rainforest trees. They have adapted
to life in the rainforest by having their roots in the ground and climbing high
into the tree canopy to reach available sunlight.

According to an article written by Judkins (2016), there are other factors affected by
extreme conditions. These factors include morphological adaptations, photosynthesis,
reproduction. She was able to give clear explanations using extreme cold and extreme heat
as climate conditions. A specific example for the former was the Antarctic Hair Grass
(Deschampsia antarctica).

Antarctic Hair Grass is one of only two species of flowering plants native to Antarctica.
It is a perennial grass that colonizes near moss and lichen. The plant reproduces sexually
through self-pollination. The seeds remain closed until the summer, at which time they are
released, and can germinate before winter arrives (Arkive closure, 2013). The said species
allows itself to tolerate freezing temperature using its antifreeze proteins. In addition, the
dehydrin proteins inside it prevent dehydration and help protect the plant against injuries
(Olave et al., 2005).

On the other hand, a species example for the extremely hot conditions was the Utah
Juniper (Junipers osteosperma). This tree has the capability to modify its environment for it to
adapt easily. The soil under the canopy of the tree contains hydrophobic organic acids which
creates a water repellent layer of soil which makes the tree at an advantage when it is raining
since the repellent layer pushes the water down deeper into the ground where the roots can
access it (Robinson et al., 2010).

2. Identify plant features that enable them to acquire nutrients from their environment.
How do plants in nutrient-poor habitats and extreme environments obtain nutrients?
Tabulate your results.

Plant Plant feature Process

basal rosette basal rosette reduces the incidence of desiccation by

growth form locating its leaves close to the ground surface
out of the drying influence of the wind (U.S.
Forest Service, n.d.)
 a plant and a mycorrhizal facilitate the scavenging and uptake of
fungus relationships nutrients by extending the absorptive surface
underground of the fine roots through the development of
threads called hyphae (U.S. Forest Service, n.d.)

dodder suckers has a weak, cylindrical stem that coils around

the host and forms suckers. From these
suckers, cells invade the host stem and grow to
connect with the vascular bundles of the host.
The parasitic plant obtains water and nutrients
through these connections (Georgia Tech
Biological Sciences, n.d.)

saprophytes gets its food from they parasitize fungi that digest dead matter or
dead matter are mycorrhizal, ultimately obtaining
photosynthate from a fungus that derived
photosynthate from its host

symbionts mycorrhizae or algal partner (phycobiont) makes food

nodule formation autotrophically, some of which it shares with
the fungus; the fungal partner (mycobiont)
absorbs water and minerals from the
environment, which are made available to the
green alga (Georgia Tech Biological Sciences,
n.d.)

epiphytes clinging aerial clinging aerial roots, which absorb nutrients

roots and aerial from humus that accumulates in the crevices
roots of trees; and aerial roots, which absorb
moisture from the atmosphere (Georgia Tech
Biological Sciences, n.d.)

insectivorous specialized leaves Nectar secreted by the plant attracts flies to the
plants (e.g. Venus to attract and leaf. When a fly touches the sensory hairs, the
flytrap) digest insects leaf immediately closes. Next, fluids and
enzymes break down the prey, and minerals are
absorbed by the leaf (Georgia Tech Biological
Sciences, n.d.).

rhizobia specialized entails the reduction of atmospheric nitrogen to

structures called ammonia, by means of the enzyme nitrogenase
nodules
 REFERENCES

Arkive closure. (2013). Wildscreen. Retrieved from https://www.wildscreen.org/arkive-closure/

Bartoli, G., Bottega, S., Forino, L. M. C., Ciccarelli, D., & Spanò, C. (2014). Plant adaptation to
extreme environments: The example of Cistus salviifolius of an active geothermal
alteration field. Comptes Rendus Biologies, 337(2), 101–110.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crvi.2013.12.005

Georgia Tech Biological Sciences. (n.d.). Nutrition: What Plants and Animals Need to Survive |
Organismal Biology. Gatech.edu. Retrieved May 12, 2021, from
https://organismalbio.biosci.gatech.edu/nutrition-transport-and-homeostasis/nutriti
on-needs-and-adaptations/

Judkins, A. (2016, December 14). Plant Adaptations to Extreme Environments. Wordpress.com;

WordPress.com.
https://alyssajudkins.wordpress.com/2016/12/14/plant-adaptations-to-extreme-envir
onments/

Olave, N. C., Leon Aloys Bravo, Simón Ruiz-Lara, & Corcuera, L. J. (2005, June). Differential
accumulation of dehydrin-like proteins by abiotic stresses in Deschampsia antarctica
Desv. ResearchGate; Springer Verlag.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225208543_Differential_accumulation_o
f_dehydrin-like_proteins_by_abiotic_stresses_in_Deschampsia_antarctica_Desv

Rachmilevitch, S., Huang, B., & Lambers, H. (2006). Assimilation and allocation of carbon and
nitrogen of thermal and nonthermal Agrostis species in response to high soil
temperature. New Phytologist, 170(3), 479–490.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2006.01684.x

Robinson, D. A., Lebron, I., Ryel, R. J., & Jones, S. B. (2010). Soil Water Repellency: A Method of
Soil Moisture Sequestration in Pinyon-Juniper Woodland. Soil Science Society of
America Journal, 74(2), 624–634. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2009.0208

US Forest Service. (n.d.). Soils and Plant Adaptations. Fs.fed.us. Retrieved May 12, 2021, from
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/serpentines/adaptations.shtml

Ventnor Botanic Garden. (n.d.). Awesome Adaptations. How do plants adapt to their
environment? Retrieved from
https://www.botanic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/8_1__tttTeachers_Notes_A
wesome_Adaptations.pdf