Adaptations and Responses of Woody Plants to Environmental Stresses - Assignment Example

Field trip Station 1the magnolia tree; one set magnolias tree are deciduous while the other evergreen, this is all dependant on the adaptation of the trees to their environment. The evergreen trees do well in cool temperatures, but not freezing ones, while the deciduous magnolia trees tend to do well in freezing temperatures, furthermore, if the evergreens are subjected to freezing temperatures, they may change and become deciduous trees; they are more resistant to cold and hardier. One may tell the origin of the magnolia trees by their scientific names and structure, for example the genus liriodendrion are native to North America. Others may be identified by their height and morphology The magnolia trees have fruits which are either brown or red in color and are elongated, about 1 to 3 inches long, the covering of the fruit is dry and hard. Some of the Magnolia leaves are pointed; this relates to their environment, the sharp pointed leaved trees thrive well in acid soil that is well drained and also do well in a sunny environment. The difference between the southern and northern magnolia trees are mainly based on their morphology. The difference may be used to tell the native of the specific species and the kind of the environment from which the tree came from. Magnolia flower may be described as white or cream in color, the flower has a nice smell that is lemony in fragrant. Pollination of these flowers is mainly done by beetle, although other insects may be involved. The structure of the flower is simple and one can hardly distinguish the sepals from the petals, the flower is leathery and the seeds are well protected. Station 2 Water plants; Water plants have a common shape; they tend to pose wide, flat leaves. Some plants lack true stems and roots, unlike plants that grow on land. A leaf that would survive I water needs to be wide and flat for it to float on water, it needs to have many stomata on either side to get rid of the excess water, and the stomata need to be open throughout so as to allow water to escape Station 3 Bald cypress; The bald cypresses are known for their distinctive feature, the knees. These are special roots that protrude upwards from the ground water; their function is thought to be that of air exchange since the bald cypress grow in swampy areas. The scientific name of the “knees” is “pneumatophore,” which means “air bearing.” Bald cypress trees differ from other conifer trees because they are deciduous conifers that shed their leaves in the fall. Hence the name the “bald” cypress. The leaves of the bald cypress grow individually from the twig, they are light green and whitish beneath, and they are soft and feathery in appearance, Station 4: The Redwoods and Sequoias; the difference between the coastal redwood and the giant Sequoia is as listed below:- The giant redwood has a lifespan of up to 2000 years while the giant Sequoia has a life span of 3000 years. The branches of the giant redwood, go up to 5 feet in diameter while those of the Sequoia go up to 8 feet in diameter, the bark of the redwood grows up to 12 inches thick while that of the giant Sequoia grows up to 3 feet thick, lastly the redwood reproduce either by seed or sprout whereas the Sequoias reproduce mainly by seed. Station 4b: Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides); Some of the advantages of deciduous plants are that the plant leave are prevented from damage during harsh conditions, the nutrients and energy are stored in the stems and later used to make other leaves when the conditions are favorable. These plants also reduce ice buildup as they do not have leaves that provide a perfect surface for ice buildup. Thus, there is less damage to the plant. The plants are not a target for leaf eating plants, unlike the evergreen plants. Station 6: the Species Maples; there are twelve species of the maple tree and these are listed as follows:- 1. Amur Maple. Latin Name: Acer ginnala. Some classify this as Acer tataricum subsp. Finale.Native to: Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and Siberia 2. Big Leaf Maple.Latin Name: Acer macrophyllum. Native to: Alaska down to southern California, as well as Idaho. 3. Hedge Maple. Latin Name: Acer campestre. Native to: Europe and southwestern Asia 4. Japanese Maple . Latin Name: Acer palmatum. Native to: China, Korea, Japan 5. Norway Maple . Latin Name: Acer platanoides. Native to: Europe and western Asia 6. Paper bark Maple .Latin Name: Acer griseum. Native to: Central China 7. Red Maple. Latin Name: Acer rubrum. Native to: Eastern United States and Canada 8. Silver Maple. Latin Name: Acer saccharinum. Native to: Eastern United States and Canada 9. Sugar Maple . Latin Name: Acer saccharum. Native to: Northern and southern United States, and northeastern Canada 10. Sycamore Maple. Latin Name: Acer pseudoplatanus. Native to: Europe and western Asia 11. Tatarian Maple. Latin Name: Acer tataricum. Native to: Central/southeastern Europe and Asia 12. Vine Leaf Maple . Latin Name: Acer cissifolium. Native to: Japan All the trees are similar in some way but th. Would differ in their morphology according to the environment. Station 7: The Lindens; The German town associated with linden trees is Berlin. The linden tree The scientific name of the family of these trees is tilia Station 11: The Sugar maples; The sugar maples grow well in an elevated environment of up to 25000 feet that is why they are more likely to be found on raised hill. The leaves of sugar maple are simple and like the buds are in an opposite arrangement on the twigs. They are usually five lobed although certain trees may possess leaves with three, four, or five lobes. Leaves are dark green on the top surface and paler underneath. They are generally smooth on both sides, although the veins underneath may be slightly hairy. The leaves typically measure from 3 to 5 inches long. The margins between lobes are shallow and smooth, which distinguishes them from the leaves of the similar looking red maple, which has serrated lobe margins.   Another difference in the leaves is the "U-shaped" connections between lobes of sugar maple leaves versus the "V-shaped" connections of red maple. Station 12: The Paper Maple & Peeling Bark; the paper Maple tree belongs to family Aceraceae. A picture of the bark of the paper Maple tree Station 13: Rhododendron leaf shape; Guard cells are specialized cells in the epidermis of leaves, stems and other organs that are used to control gas exchange and offer protection. Reference Arora, Rajeev. Adaptations and Responses of Woody Plants to Environmental Stresses. Binghamton, NY: Food Products, 2004. Print. Read More

 

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