PLANT ECOLOGY DISPLAY Handout

Name: Section time:

ADAPTATIONS FOR DEFENSE AGAINST HERBIVORY Chemical Defenses: 1. What is the benefit of having an inducible chemical defense, as opposed to a constitutive chemical defense? (an inducible defense is when the chemical is produced when herbivory is taking place as opposed to a constitutive defense where the chemical is always present)

A. Inducible chemical defense best deters herbivory. B. With inducible defense predation will take place before a defense compound is produced which means there is damage to the plant before a defense is employed. C. With inducible defense herbiores are deterred even if no defense compound is produced. D. With inducible defenses energy is conserved by only producing secondary compounds when needed instead of continually.

Morphological Defenses: 2. What type of herbivore would leaf hairs (fuzzy leaves) defend against as compared to large thorns?

A. If the herbivore is small, hairs would prevent it from getting to the plant surface. B. Hairs would deter herbivores that can fly. C. Hairs will deter larger animals and thorns will deter smaller herbivores such as insects. D. Although many large herbivores would be deterred by leaf hairs, some small herbivores may also be deterred if this defense is combined with a smooth waxy surface.

Mutualism with Ants: 3. There are costs and benefits to a plant that provides housing but no food for the ants compared to a plant that provides housing and food. What is a cost to the plant that does not provide food?

A. A cost is that the plants not providing food would need to grow taller to reduce herbivory. B. The cost to the plant that does not make food for the ants is the energy saved by not having to make food. C. The plant may also gain resources as a carbon sources will be brought to it by the ants which would be a cost to the plant. D. If food is not provided to the ants they will need to go off of the plant to forage for food reducing the plants defenses. E. The ants will starve and not be able to defend the plant.

ADAPTATIONS FOR GAINING RESOURCES IN LOW NUTRIENT ENVIRONMENTS Symbiotic relationships with Nitrogen-fixing Bacteria: 4. Rhizobium bacteria normally inhabit the soil. Suggest why nodules are found on the stems of Sesbania?

A. The roots of the Sesbania are often underwater or in flooded soils that do not contain much N2. B. Bacteria live best above the ground. C. Sesbania only use the nitrogen in the upper portion of the plant so they do not need to make nodules on their roots. D. Bacteria will drown under water.

Carnivorous plants: 5. Identify a cost to an insect species if they evolved a behavioral avoidance to carnivorous plant characteristics?

A. The cost to insects would be they would overpopulate the niche and go extinct. B. If the insects evolved to avoid a potential food source they would reduce their fitness. C. If the insects did not go to the carnivorous plants, they would die out. D. There is no cost to insects if they evolve to avoid carnivorous plant characteristics.

Epiphytes: 6. Epiphytes have adapted to grow without soil in the canopy layer in a tropical rainforest. What is the major environmental factor that is overcome by growing in this location and not on the forest floor?

A. Better access to light in the canopy. B. Better access to soil in the canopy. C. Better access to water in the canopy D. Safer from herbivory in the canopy.

ADAPTATIONS FOR REPRODUCTION Attracting Pollinators: 7. Compare flower shape and color of these two species of flowering plants and using the information provided, suggest what type of animals are most likely to pollinate them. Provide a one word answer for questions A and B.

A. Plant A Birds

B. Plant B Bees

Sexual vs. Asexual reproduction:

8. Sexual reproduction in plants provides genetic variation. What are the benefits of this genetic variation?

A. If a population is presented with a rapid change in the environment or a chronic new pathogen or herbivore, then genetic variability would increase the chances of survival of the population. B. Sexual reproduction produces less genetic variations which enables a population to co- evolve with other organisms in it’s ecosystem. C. Sexual reproduction reduces genetic variations which enables a population to take advantage of different resources in it’s ecosystem enabling it to exist in a the same niche as others that use the original resources. D. Sexual reproduction will always produce a more fit organism.

9. Which statement below is not true about asexual reproduction in plants.

A. Less energy needed for reproduction as it is strictly mitosis, no sexual organs or gametes need to be produced. B. If the parent plant with it’s genome did well in a location then a clone will do equally as well in the same location. C. Reproduction is seasonal and will only take place once a year. D. Vegetative structures may be used to go through dormancy periods (bulbs, tubers,etc)

10. What is one cost to the parent plant of retaining the newly formed offspring on the parent plant until the offspring is established in the ground?

A. The parent plants cost is the energy needed to produce sugar to supply to the developing offspring as the offspring has no source for attaining carbohydrates. B. The parent plants cost is it needs to supply the offspring with CO2 for photosynthesis. C. The parent plants cost is the energy to grow more roots so it can supply the offspring with water and nutrients. D. The parent plant needs to defend the offspring from herbivory.