All living organisms are in direct interaction with the environment. Conditions of dwelling of any given plants and animals not always is favorable, and much of them should adapt. They develop certain morphological, physiological and reproductive functions to survive.
The world surrounding us is inhabited by huge set of plants which have different anatomic and physiological signs. Such features allow to maintain adverse environmental conditions and to adapt the existence in climate.
What is adaptation and ecological groups of plants
If to speak a simple language, adaptation is an ability of a living organism to adapt to dwelling conditions. Each individual develops certain skills and morphological features which correspond to an ecosystem in which they live. Proceeding from it, plants divide into ecological groups.
1. In relation to soil substrate
According to this criterion, allocate five main groups of plants. Treat them:
- the plants growing mainly on sour soils - oksilofita;
- the plants living on the soil rich with salts - galofita;
- the organisms growing in sand or in the soil with its prevalence - psammophytes;
- stony plants which live on steep rocks - litofita;
- in the mountain area - hazmofita.
2. In relation to moisture
Proceeding from the need of a plant for moisture, plants can be divided into the following ecological groups:
- hydrofita are the plants growing near water;
- mezofita are vegetable organisms which grow in the soil which is not dry, damp;
- kserofita are the plants growing in the conditions of total absence of water or its small quantity.
Oksilofita
In this category it is possible to carry practically all plants of sphagnum swamps. Here some species of a sedge belong, is fluffy, sphagnum mosses, dwarfish birches, cloudberries and a rosyanka. Plants grow in dry peat with high acidity. For many of them characteristic of morphology is existence of the mezhkletnik consisting of spongy fabric.
Galofita
This group of plants includes organisms which grow in the area with the increased content of salts (more than 0.5%). It is possible to carry coasts of the seas, oceans and saline soils to such places. Here it is possible to carry the beskilnitsa placed a plantain solonchakovaty, kermek Gmelin and many other plants. Characteristic of galofit is the ability to accumulate the high-concentrated vakuolyarny juice which is emitted, in a consequence, outside in the form of crystal salt deposits.
Psammophytes
On another these organisms call "plants of mobile sands". It is possible to carry a sandy acacia, a sedge to them sandy, a saxaul, kandy. As a rule, all plants relating to this group have the bared roots and badly developed leaves. Escapes can sometimes not be in general.
Litofita
As it was already told, litofita occupy stony soils. Roots of these plants can get into substrate, thereby destroying it. Thus, these plants prepare substrate for other plants which are more exacting to the soil. The characteristic representative of this group is the kamnelomka suprotivolistny.
Hazmofita
Existence of long roots which are capable to get deeply into rocky rashchelina is characteristic of hazmofit. This feature is allowed to plants to keep on the rocky area. These plants are not whimsical to water and long time can lack moisture. It is possible to carry a pine, an oak to typical representatives of this group rocky, a juniper, a kamnelomka.
Hydrofita
Hydrofita are water plants which are attached to soil only by the lower parts. This ecological look grows on coast of the rivers, lakes, ponds and places where there is water. Here it is possible to carry swamps and boggy meadow territories. At plants of this look the root system and mechanical fabrics which allow to carry out water is well developed. It is possible to carry reed, a chastukha, water-lilies to hydrofita, a rogolist.
Mezofita
Mezofita are one of the most widespread groups of plants. These are the land plants growing in soils with moderate moistening. They are intermediate between hydrofita and kserofita. It is possible to carry a herd grass to them meadow, a lily of the valley, a lilac, a goldenrod.
Kserofita
Plants of this group adapted to accommodation in very dry soil. The following morphological features are characteristic of them:
- thick cuticle;
- narrow leaves, or their absence;
It is possible to carry a saxaul, a broom, a tamarisk to bright representatives of this ecological group.