Question

Artificial systems have equal weightage to vegetative and sexual characteristics; this is not acceptable because often ________ characters are more easily affected by the environment.
A. Vegetative
B. Sexual
C. Anatomical
D. Physiological

Answer 1

Hint: The artificial system was talking about the sexual and vegetative characteristics. The different characters of the plant can also be seen by the varied climate present throughout the world and how it has affected them.

Complete Answer:
- There are many factors which affect the plant such as temperature, light duration, etc.
- Temperature influences a lot of processes like photosynthesis, transpiration, germination, flowering etc. When combined with day-length, temperature can affect the change from vegetative (leafy) to reproductive growth (flowering). Depending on the situation and the plant, this can either speed up or slow down this process.
- Difference in the timing of resource capturing by the plants can also delay the production.
Traits of the dominant species can affect the other species. For example, some long plants may interfere with the light falling on the smaller plants and their growth will be different from that of the other plants getting proper sunlight.
- Too much rainfall in a region determines the type of vegetation. For example, in equatorial forests, the leaves of plants have drip-trip furrows to prevent the excess loss of water.
- Dry climate shortens the vegetative period and aridity increases the resting period.
- Larger plants in windy places have smaller leaves, irregular branching, etc.
- Plants growing on the road side have dust particles on their leaf surface which interferes with photosynthesis and respiration, due to which the growth is stopped.
- These environmental changes greatly affect the vegetative characters of the plant like root, stem and leaves.

Thus, the correct option is A, ‘vegetative’.

Note: Environmental factors highly affect the plant growth and characters. For example, plants growing in arid and tropical conditions have different characteristics because they have adapted to the environment by modifying their parts according to the needs. Bad environmental conditions can weaken or damage the plant.