How are trees adapted to the conditions of the mountain region?
How are trees adapted to the conditions of the mountain region?
A very high hill is called a mountain. The mountain habitats are usually very cold and windy.
Adaptation in Plants to Mountain Habitats
(1) There is a lot of rain in mountain regions. (2) In the mountain habitat, it is very cold during winter and snowfall may also occur. (3) At very low temperatures in winter, the soil water freezes and hence becomes unavailable to the roots of trees and plants. On the high mountains, it is also windier. (4) Water evaporates more quickly in windy places due to which the trees on mountains can lose too much water easily through their leaves.
To survive in a mountain habitat, the trees should have adaptations to protect themselves from the rainwater, snowfall, and loss of too much water. The trees can survive in extremely cold and windy mountain habitats due to the following adaptations:
(1) The trees in mountain habitats are usually cone shape having stopping branches. This shape of the mountain trees makes the rainwater and snow slide off easily without damaging the branches and leaves.
(2) Many mountain trees have small, needle-like leaves due to which these leaves lose very little water in windy conditions. This helps the mountain trees to survive in winter when all soil water is frozen in the form of ice and not available to their roots.
(3) The needle-like leaves have a thick waxy layer (or cuticle) to reduce the loss of water through transpiration and to protect them from damage by rain and snow.
(4) The broad-leaved trees found on mountains shed their leaves before the onset of winter. This prevents such trees from losing water from their leaves and helps in their survival during winter when all the water in the soil is frozen and hence not available to the roots.
A very high hill is called a mountain. The mountain habitats are usually very cold and windy.
Adaptation in Plants to Mountain Habitats
(1) There is a lot of rain in mountain regions. (2) In the mountain habitat, it is very cold during winter and snowfall may also occur. (3) At very low temperatures in winter, the soil water freezes and hence becomes unavailable to the roots of trees and plants. On the high mountains, it is also windier. (4) Water evaporates more quickly in windy places due to which the trees on mountains can lose too much water easily through their leaves.
To survive in a mountain habitat, the trees should have adaptations to protect themselves from the rainwater, snowfall, and loss of too much water. The trees can survive in extremely cold and windy mountain habitats due to the following adaptations:
(1) The trees in mountain habitats are usually cone shape having stopping branches. This shape of the mountain trees makes the rainwater and snow slide off easily without damaging the branches and leaves.
(2) Many mountain trees have small, needle-like leaves due to which these leaves lose very little water in windy conditions. This helps the mountain trees to survive in winter when all soil water is frozen in the form of ice and not available to their roots.
(3) The needle-like leaves have a thick waxy layer (or cuticle) to reduce the loss of water through transpiration and to protect them from damage by rain and snow.
(4) The broad-leaved trees found on mountains shed their leaves before the onset of winter. This prevents such trees from losing water from their leaves and helps in their survival during winter when all the water in the soil is frozen and hence not available to the roots.
