Ecological niche of mesophytes
Mesophytes are the largest group of terrestrial plants that live in a climate of a moderate to hot temperatures and soil that is not dry and is not too wet. Mesophytes are found in many places such as shaded forest areas or sunny meadows or fields. Most plants found in household gardens, parks, streets and general public areas are mesophytes.
Mesophytes can deal with an array of weather conditions, such as humidity, dryness, moisture, and wind. This is because they are adapted to survive throughout all seasons, and have no specific adaptations to deal with extreme cold or heat.
Mesophytes are active during the day, and during the night as well. They are constantly respiring during day and night, but only photosynthesising during the day when light can be turned into solar energy.
Mesophytes are constantly in competition with other plants for water, minerals, and sunlight. Mesophytes would also have to protect themselves from predators and other organisms living in their habitat.
Mesophytes can deal with an array of weather conditions, such as humidity, dryness, moisture, and wind. This is because they are adapted to survive throughout all seasons, and have no specific adaptations to deal with extreme cold or heat.
Mesophytes are active during the day, and during the night as well. They are constantly respiring during day and night, but only photosynthesising during the day when light can be turned into solar energy.
Mesophytes are constantly in competition with other plants for water, minerals, and sunlight. Mesophytes would also have to protect themselves from predators and other organisms living in their habitat.
- General Adaptations to maintain water balance
- Roots of Mesophytes
Roots can also be formed in a taproot system. In a taproot system here is one thick primary root, with several smaller roots branching off the primary root. Taproots penetrate deeply into the soil, meaning that they can absorb moisture from the deep soil. The image below shows the difference between the two roots systems. Fibrous roots have an advantage of absorbing water straight away, but won’t be able to reach water in the deep soil, whereas taproots can reach both areas because of their deep roots.
(image: http://www.icoachmath.com/biology/biology-dictinory/rootsys.jpg)
All roots are able to absorb water from soil by osmosis. This is how water enters plants and leaves, through the roots. The water from the high water concentrated soil enters the roots by osmosis, which has a lower concentration of water. Water that has diffused through the roots will then enter the xylem vessels, to be used for other purposes.
The roots supply a large amount of water used for transpiration, and without roots, a large portion of water would not be able to enter the plant and the plant would die due to lack of water.
Leaves also sometimes have hairs present on the epidermis’. Hairs on the leaves help create a microclimate. Hairs on leaves trap and condense the water on the surface of the leaf, reducing the concentration gradient between the inside of the leaf and the outside, therefore making it less possible for water to diffuse out of the leaf by osmosis, reducing water loss. An example of leaf hairs on leaves are on mesophytic plant of the Rudbeckia hirta (image to the left). Mesophytes without root hairs may have a higher rate of transpiration. |
- Stomata
Stomata control the exit and entrance of water. Without the stomata being able to open, water would not be able to evaporate, causing overhydration, which can result in death of the organism. Stomata can also remain closed during certain periods of weather, especially heat or dryness, as this weather encourages evaporation. The stomata will remain closed until the right amount of water is present in the plant again. This is important for mesophytes, as they live in an environment where many weather conditions are possible, and at times of intense heat, dryness or humidity, the stomata will need to stay closed to prevent water loss through transpiration and to preserve the water it already has. At times of extreme wetness, the stomata will to open to allow water to flow through and exit the plant without causing overhydration. Having the stomata on the bottom of the leaf may limit the gas supply, as leaves may not be in direct contact with a supply of gas, and may find it hard to retrieve these gases into the plant by the stomata on the bottom of the leaf, compared to if they were on the top of the leaf.
|
- Structure
- Vascular System