Question

Write a short note on
A. Adaptations of desert plants and animals
B. Adaptations of plants to water scarcity
C. Behavioral adaptations in animals
D. Importance of light to plants
E. Effect of the temperature of water scarcity and the adaptations of animals.

Answer 1

Hint:Adaptations refer to the changes that the organisms bring about in themselves to survive in the harsh conditions of the environment. Adaptation is a necessity for survival. Organisms that fail to survive eventually die and become extinct.

Complete answer:
A) Adaptations of desert plants and animals.
The desert plants are succulent and they have fleshy stems, to store water. The leaves are modified into thorns to prevent the loss of water through transpiration. Their roots are highly vascularized and developed and penetrate very deeply within the soil to reach the moisture zones. The stem performs photosynthesis. The cuticle is very thick to prevent transpiration losses. Moreover, they follow the Crassulacean Metabolic Acid (CAM) cycle to perform photosynthesis and conserve water.
The desert animals are usually nocturnal and they come out during the dawn and dusk. Small desert animals live in the burrows to escape from the desert sun and heat. Animals like camels that live in deserts store fat in their hump. This fat helps them to survive without water and food for very long periods of time.
B) Adaptations of plants to water scarcity.
The plants that survive with very lesser amounts of water are known as the xerophytic plants. These plants have a very thick cuticle to prevent transpiration. Xerophytic plants have sunken stomata that reduce the loss of water. Also, the hypodermis shows the presence of certain thick-walled cells that do not allow the passage of water and conserve it. The leaves of xerophytic plants are very reduced in size and are modified to form the thorns and spines that prevent transpiration by reducing the surface area. Their roots are highly developed and vascularized and penetrate very deeply within the soil to reach the moisture zones. The stem performs photosynthesis.
C) Behavioral adaptations in animals.
Animals show different types of behavioral adaptations depending on their habitat. Animals are usually classified as ectotherms or endotherms.
Ectotherms are cold-blooded animals. They are the animals that cannot maintain a constant body temperature and their body temperature varies with the external environmental conditions. Endotherms are warm-blooded animals. They are the animals that maintain a constant body temperature and their body temperature does not vary with the external environmental conditions and is independent of it.
Some other behavioral adaptations are aestivation and hibernation. Hibernation is defined as the state of dormancy during winters in some animals. During hibernation, the heart rate, metabolic rate, and breathing rate in the animals are lowered down. Moreover, aestivation is the response of certain animals to high temperatures. Aestivation is characterized by the inactivity of the organisms and their lowered metabolic rates due to the lack of the capacity to bear high levels of heat.
D) Importance of light to plants.
Light or sunlight is very necessary for plants. This is because sunlight facilitates the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which the autotrophic green plants prepare nutrients like carbon dioxide with the help of carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight. This is because sunlight activates the chloroplasts. Moreover, sunlight is also associated with photoperiodism and it induces flowering.
Effect of temperature of water scarcity and the adaptations of animals.
E) Temperature adaptations in animals –
Animals show different kinds of temperature adaptations according to the region they are living in. Animals living in colder areas have very large amounts of fat in their body. They also have a very thick coat of fur, short limbs, and short ears to prevent body heat loss. On the other hand, animals living in warm places like deserts have a hump to store fat. This fat helps them to survive without water and food for very long periods of time. Some animals like kangaroo rats do not drink water throughout their lives.

Note: Behavioral adaptations refer to those adaptations that are brought about by organisms in themselves for survival. Without these adaptations, the organisms would not survive. For example – Certain birds migrate during the winter seasons to warmer areas. If they would not do so then they would die in their original habitat at freezing temperatures.