Ecological niche of hydrophytes
Hydrophytes are plants that live in environments that are aquatic or involve living in areas with an abundance of water. Areas where Hydrophytes live can be in ponds, rivers and streams, lakes, bays, and various other aquatic environments. Hydrophytes can either be fully submerged in water, or partly submerged. In order to survive in these aquatic conditions, Hydrophytes have many adaptations to ensure that they survive in their habitat. All these adaptations are to deal with the one constant factor that the hydrophytic plants have to live in, which is water. Hydrophytes will be in competition with other organisms living in the same area for nutrients and resources.
General adaptations of a hydrophyte to maintain water balance
Comparing this to a larger hydrophyte (refer to image below first on the left), the Nymphaea alba water lily, the roots are present and embedded in the mud but are still thin and poorly developed and would not be relied on for the obtainment of nutrients and water, only for anchorage. |
Partly submerged leaves that are floating are generally wide, broad and lie flat on the the water. This increases surface area to take advantage of the sunlight to absorb the light for photosynthesis, and encourages evaporation. Stomata are generally high in presence on the upper epidermis of floating leaves because transpiration is constant in these plants. The upper epidermis often has a waxy cuticle for protection of the stomata, and helps roll water off the leaf to prevent algae formation. Floating leaves provide flotation for the hydrophytic plant by sitting on top of the water. The image to the left shows the large and broad leaves of a water lily species from the Nymphaeaceae family. The leaves are thick looking, very green, broad and lying on the water. The waxy cuticle is also visible, as there is a slight shine of the upper epidermis of the leaf. Aerial leaves from partly submerged plants are very similar to leaves from terrestrial plant groups and come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but are generally thin and wide to absorb sunlight for photosynthesis. These leaves are green in colour, due to well developed mesophyll cells because of the way they take advantage of their exposure to the sun. A waxy cuticle is often present on both epidermis’ of aerial hydrophytic leaves. |
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- Structure/support
- Presence of Stomata
- Stems
- Absence of vascular system (xylem and phloem)