How do Plants Protect Themselves from Frost?

            There are over 350,000 kinds of plants in the world. All these continue to struggle to survive against storm, rain, sun and snow. These are some which die due to severe cold in winters, although before dying their seeds are dispersed on the ground, so that in autumn, they can produce new plants. However, there are some plants, which are able to protect themselves against winter.

            A coating of ice crystals is called frost. The plats are able to protect themselves against winter frost by a special method. They spared their leaves and flatten themselves against the ground. The warmth in the soil enters their leaves and the plant is protected. Some plants like myrtle and heather allow their upper parts to die but heir stem remains alive. Stems act as storage organs, both above and below the ground. They produce buds and thus preserve their species. Many plants hide themselves under the soil to escape the cold; these include tubers, bulbs and roots, which store their food according to their need. In summers, they push out green leaves and new buds.

            Some times, artificial methods are used to protect plants form frost, e.g., oil heater called smudge pots is use din the region where citrus fruits are grown. In some places, large fans are used to circulate the air, so that frost is not able to get deposited on the trees.

How do Animals and Plants Survive in Deserts?

            Due to the scarcity of water and extreme climatic conditions hot, dry, windy prevailing in the desert, it is very difficult for animals and plats to survive. They have to adapt themselves to the desert conditions so that they can live. Let us see what types of vegetation and animals are found there and how they survive.

Animals of Desert

            The vegetation of a desert mainly consists of thorny shrubs, cacti and palm especially dates trees. Cacti, prickly pear, saguaro, century plant etc., have adapted themselves to live in desert conditions. These plants have ways to store water in their fleshy stems. The leaves have squeezed themselves into tiny thorns to reduce the loss of water. The roots go deep into the ground and are widespread to collect every drop of water available in the soil. The stem stores the water and slowly gets thinner as the water gets used up. In some cacti, the thorns point towards the earth. The dewdrops deposited on the tips of these thorns fall to the earth and get absorbed by it. In this manner, a cactus plant manages to create moisture on the ground around it.

Plants of Desert

            Most desert animals sleep during the day to escape the high temperatures and come out at night in search of food. Some animals sleep during the hottest part of the year. There are very few animals found in deserts such as snails, pack rat, jerboa, etc. these have adapted themselves to the desert conditions. Animals such as the kangaroo rat and gerbil can survive with little or no water. Reptiles adjust their body temperatures to cope with heat ad cold. The Australia desert toad stores water in its body. Some species of lizards, ants, owls and snakes also live in desert sad adjust to desert conditions.

How do Plants Make and Take Their Food?

            It is a well-known fact that trees and plants are also living beings like humans. They need food, water and air for survival. It is interesting to know how they make their food.

Process of Photosynthesis taking place in the leaves of  plants

            Plants derive their food both from the earth and the air. If you minutely observe their roots, you will find that the ends of these roots are like fibers, also called root hairs. They absorb water and minerals and transport them upward to the leaves through the trunk and the branches. It is the leaves which make the food for the plant.

            Leaves have pores that are filled with air. They also have a green coloring matter called chlorophyll. This chlorophyll acts as a catalyst; it uses carbon dioxide from the air and the hydrogen from the water present in the leaves, to make carbohydrates sugars using sunlight as energy. This process is called photosynthesis. In this process, oxygen and water are by-products, which are releases by the leaves of plants.

            Sugar is further converted into starch. From these carbohydrates, the plants can build up complex substances as foods, which it needs for life and growth. These substances include proteins, juices, oils fats, etc. the water fro which the plants take hydrogen for photosynthesis contains dissolved minerals required for building various parts of the plant body. These are compounds of nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, etc.

            Food not immediately needed for growth is stored in the plant including its seeds, fruits, tubers or bulbs. On germinating, the new shoot uses the food that is accumulated in the seed.