Name: Adaptation in Response to Abiotic Factors
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 18 min 40 s
Description: Do you know the special skill that helps an animal survive and do everything it needs to do in adverse conditions? Its adaptation. Let's discover that skill.

Question

Write in brief the adaptations of plants and animals in xeric conditions.

Accepted Answer

Due to the changes in environmental conditions plants and animals makes changes in their bodies to adapt to that particular conditions and xeric conditions means dry conditions. Two examples of xeric plants are Cacti, Pineapple and to grow in such conditions xeric plants must have some features, and they are listed below. Morphological Features required by xeric plants:

Succulence: These plants possess special cells with water-retaining capacity in low mist situations.

Reduced Leaves: The leaves are reduced to spines that assist in decreasing excess loss of water during transpiration.

Stomata: In these plants, the stomata are few in sunken pits under the surface of the leaves.

Waxy, spiny and hairy outer surfaces: The hair and spines distribute light to decrease the sun’s effect. The waxy covering keeps in water.

Roots near the surface: These have the capability of retaining water quickly and can renew easily after rain.

Examples of animals live in xeric conditions are Camel, Sandfish

Morphological Features required by xeric animals:

The desert animals are Poikilotherms, and they can match their internal temperature to the external.

They undergo the hibernation process.

They secrete nitrogenous waste in the form of uric acid.

The animals stay in burrows to avoid water loss from the body and secrete highly concentrated urine.

Thus, these adaptations support them to preserve water as much as possible and make them live without water if needed.

Write in brief the adaptations of plants and animals in xeric conditions.

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