Category Science

What lives in conifer forests?

  

 

                         Conifer forests cover huge areas of cool parts of the world. They are not rich in plant life apart from the trees, because the deep shade of the forested areas prevents most other plants from growing.

                         Various kinds of squirrel, burrowing rodents that feed on fallen cones, and many types of bird inhabit conifer forests. Eagles, hawks and owls prey on the small rodents. Deer graze on the bark of young trees, and the huge moose lives in wet areas, paddling around the edges of lakes and streams and feeding on water plants.

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Which communities live in the tundra?

                  Tundra is the cold, partly frozen region near the North Pole. It is covered with grasses and other low-growing plants, including the lichen known as reindeer moss. Many familiar trees such as willows and birches live in the tundra too, but they are stunted and low growing. Despite the cold, the tundra is covered with flowers in the spring, and huge numbers of flies pollinate them. Mosquitoes are present in vast numbers, biting the mammals that live in this region.

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Which communities live in hot deserts?

                   The plants and animals living in hot deserts have all developed ways of conserving or storing water cactuses and other succulent plants store water in swollen stems and leaves. Some cacti grow to a huge size and can live for 100 years or more. Other desert plants have tiny leaves that reduce water loss, and spines that protect the plant from grazing animals. Their roots may go down as far as 10 m to reach water.

                  Reptiles are common inhabitants of deserts because they are cold-blooded and need heat if they are to remain active. Most other desert animals are either small burrowing rodents, or birds and animals that hide from the Sun among bushes or rocks at the hottest times of the day.

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How do roots find water?

 

              Several outside factors influence the way in which roots grow. They grow away from light and are pulled downwards by gravity, as you can see in simple experiments with large seeds such as beans or peas. This downward growth naturally takes the roots towards water in the soil. Some roots seek water more actively, for example trees such as willows. They send out roots that extend well beyond the spread of their branches; these roots may enter the joints of water pipes and sewers in search of water.

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How does a seed grow?

                  The embryo in a seed contains everything that the seed needs to grow. The seed will not start to germinate until conditions are right. This usually means that the seed must be warm and moist. The embryo starts to grow, using its stored food supply, and soon bursts the seed coat. Usually the root emerges first, growing downwards in search of water, and the shoot follows. The first leaves to emerge are often fleshy organs that are part of the food store, and the leaves that appear later do not resemble them.

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