Chapter 7 Adaptation of Plants in Different Habitats

CHAPTER 7:
Adaptation
s of
Plants in
Different
Habitats
7.1 :
Adaptations
of Plants
Adaptations of Plants
• Adjustment of an organism to the

environment
• Animals and plants have unique
structures and shapes to adapt to
the environment to ensure the
survival of the species.
• For a plant, this
adaptation can be
observed in the
shape of its
leaves, roots, and
stem
Classifications of Plants
based on Habitats
• Plants in different habitats

have different adaptations.
• Therefore, plants can be
classified into mesophytes,
hydrophytes,
halophytes,and xerophytes
1. Halophytes
• Plants that live in
swampy habitats at the
river mouth, the meeting
point of fresh water and
seawater
• Rich in salt .
• Example: Mangrove tree
2. Hydrophytes
• Plants that live in aquatic habitats,

either on the water surface or
submerged in the water.
• Examples: Lotus and Elodea s
3. Mesophytes
• Plants that live in a

habitat that is not too dry
nor too wet with an
adequate supply of water.
• Example: Mango tree,
hibiscus plant and rubber
tree
4. Xerophyte
• Plants that live in a habitat
that is hot and dry with a
minimum presence of water,
that is, a place with very high
temperatures such as the
desert.
• Example: Cactus and date
palm
Adaptive Features of
Hydrophytes
• Plants that can live in a habitat with high

concentration of salt and low oxygen
content.
• Ex : Mangroove trees
• Mangroove area is also exposed to high
intensity of light
• Mangrove trees that live here have
specific adaptive features to adapt to the
environmental conditions.
1. Leaves
• Thick cuticle and sunken stomata can
reduce the rate of transpiration.
• Succulent leaves can store water.
• Leaves with a special structure known as
hydatode eliminate excess salt.
• Old leaves can store salt and fall off when
the concentration of salt stored is too
high.
2. Roots
• The root system that branches widely
and exists in various shapes and sizes:
Provides support for the plants to
continue living in the soft and muddy
soils.
Prevents plants from being uprooted
due to strong wind.
• The root system of mangrove trees
also produces hundreds of breathing
roots that grow vertically upwards
above the surface of the soil, called
pneumatophores.
• There are many pores on this root which
are called lenticels to enable the
exchange of gases with the atmosphere.
• The cell sap of mangrove roots has a
higher salt content than sea water.
• Hence, the cell sap of the roots does not
lose water by osmosis.
• Instead, the mangrove trees receive water
and mineral salts from the seawater
entering their root.
Adaptive Features of Hydrophytes
• Most hydrophytes have fibrous roots that provide a large

surface area and trap air bubbles to enable the hydrophytes to
be more stable and lighter.
• The adaptation of the roots enables them to float or stay Hydrilla sp

upright in the water as well as the buoyant force exerted by
the surrounding water.
Eichhornia sp.
Elodea sp
Adaptive Features of Hydrophytes
- FLOATING ON WATER
• Grow by floating on the water surface with the roots
not anchored to the bottom of the lake.
• The leaves which are broad, thin, and flat help these
plants absorb maximum sunlight for photosynthesis.
• Stomata are distributed on the
upper epidermis of the leaves
• The upper epidermis of the leaves
is also covered by a waxy,
waterproof cuticle to ensure the
stomata are always open.
• The stem of these plants consists
of light tissues with plenty of air
spaces between the cells. These
tissues are known as aerenchyma
tissues
- SUMBERGED PLANTS
• These plants have leaves that are thin and small to:
1. increase the total surface area per volume and
2. increase the diffusion rate of water, mineral salts and
dissolved gases directly into the plants through the
epidermis.
• Do not have stomata and waxy
cuticle on the leaves.
• Stems which are small and
hollow help these plants float
upright in the water and help to
reduce water flow resistance.
Adaptive Features of Xerophytes
• Xerophytes live in the desert, an area that

receives very little rainfall.
• However, xerophytes can overcome this
problem of extreme dryness.
1. ROOTS
• The roots of xerophytes
grow widely and can
penetrate deep into the soil
to absorb water and mineral
salts.
• The absorbed water is
stored in the roots, stems
and leaves.
2. LEAVES
• The cactus has small leaves
and thick waxy cuticles on
its stem and leaves.
• There are also leaves
modified into thorns
• This feature reduces the
total surface area exposed
to the sun thus reducing
water loss.
• The presence of thorns can also help the cactus
to get water supply by collecting dew.
• The dew will drop on the ground and is
absorbed by the roots.
• Besides, the thorns can also prevent the plant
from being eaten by animals.
• The stomata in the cactus are embedded to
reduce water evaporation from the leaves
THE END

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CHAPTER 7:

• Adjustment of an organism to the

• Plants in different habitats

• Plants that live in aquatic habitats,

• Plants that live in a

• Plants that can live in a habitat with high

• Most hydrophytes have fibrous roots that provide a large

• The adaptation of the roots enables them to float or stay Hydrilla sp

• Xerophytes live in the desert, an area that

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