PLANT HABITATS,
ADAPTATIONS AND
PROCESSES
SCIENCE 4 | CHRISTINE S. ALFARO
What is Plant Adaptation?
Plant adaptation is a unique feature a plant has that allows it to live and
survive in its own particular habitat (or the one where it lives).
What is a habitat?
A habitat is a place
where a particular type of
animal or plant lives.
It is a natural environment
where a plant or animal finds Plant Habitat
a home or shelter, food, A physical space or area
water, and space in order in nature (“nature”: part
to survive and reproduce. of the earth’s surface, air,
soil or water) where a
specific population or
species of plant
normally lives in.
Types of Plants
According to Habitats
Terrestrial Plants Aquatic Plants Aerial Plants
Terrestrial Plants Plant Adaptations
in Deserts • They can store and
conserve water
• Spines or thorns reduce
surface area & water
loss by transpiration
• Smaller-sized leaves &
stems mean less water
needed
• Spikes protect them
from animals
Plant Adaptations
• Tree trunks grow tall & thin
so leaves get sunlight.
Barks are smooth so water
can flow down to the roots.
• Large trees develop
buttress roots with ridges
to support their heavy
trunks.
• Leaves have pointy drip
tips so rainwater run off
easily without breaking the
Terrestrial Plants plant.
• Plants grow woody vines
in Rainforests to climb up the trees &
reach the sunlight. Their
leaves and flowers grow in
the canopy.
Plant Adaptations
• Grassland plants have
deep, spreading root
systems that provide
moisture during times of
drought.
• The deep roots allow plants
to survive fires and
grazing, and to grow back
very quickly.
• Most plants have long
narrow leaves which don’t
Terrestrial Plants need as much water.
• Grasses grow close to the
in Grasslands ground.
• Soft stems help them bend
in the wind without breaking.
Terrestrial Plants Plant Adaptations
in Tundras • Small and low-lying to
protect from the wind
• Compact or dense to
reduce heat loss
• With darker leaves to
reduce heat loss
• With narrower leaves to
reduce transpiration
• With shorter life cycles to
adjust to a short summer
or growing season in the
polar regions
Aquatic Plants
Floating Aquatic
Plants
Plants that float on water
freely because of the air-
filled cavities in their
leaves and stems.
They are not bound or
attached to the surface. Examples:
Water Lettuce, Water Hyacinth, Duckweed
Aquatic Plants
Fixed/Emergent Aquatic
Plants
Their roots are attached to the
bottom of the pond or lake.
Their hollow stems and broad,
flat leaves let them float easily
on the water surface and get
enough sunlight and air for Examples:
Lotus, Water Lily
photosynthesis.
Aquatic Plants
Underwater/Submerged
Aquatic Plants
Plants that grow completely
underwater and have roots in the
bottom sediments.
They need water to support their
structure because their stems are
very flexible.
They increase the water’s level of Examples:
oxygen, and provide food and hiding Pondweed, Muskgrass, Hydrilla
place for fish and other aquatic
Aerial Plants
Plants called epiphytes grow on
other plants. They obtain
moisture from the air and make
food by photosynthesis.
Most epiphytes are ferns or
orchids that live in tropical or
temperate
rainforests.
Plant Processes
How do plants make food?
What happens during photosynthesis?
Products of Photosynthesis
Respiration in Plants
Photosynthesis vs. Respiration
Photosynthesis Respiration
