Plant adaptations and features
In order for plants to survive in cold environments they have had to adapt to the extreme conditions found there. These unique adaptations include:
- Cushion plants - these are compact, low growing plants. These characteristics help them to survive in cold and windy conditions. They trap airborne dust and use it as a source of nutrients.
- Arctic poppy - this has a hairy stem to retain heat. The flower can track the sun in the sky to maximise the amount of sunlight it receives so that it can increase A chemical process used by plants to make glucose and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water, using light energy. Oxygen is produced as a by-product of photosynthesis. Algae subsumed within plants and some bacteria are also photosynthetic.
- Cotton grass - this grass has small seeds that can easily be dispersed by the wind to ensure its survival. It is low lying to protect it from cold winds and has thin leaves to reduce water loss by The loss of water from leaves by evaporation through the stomata. Cotton grass grows and produces seeds quickly as soon as the temperature increases.
- Lichen - this organism does not need soil to grow. It grows very slowly, can withstand very cold temperatures and survives beneath snow.
Image caption, Cushion plants
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