Plants Here, Plants There, Plants Everywhere, but HOW?

Plants Here, Plants There, Plants Everywhere, but HOW?

By: Katie Sullivan

Plants need food, water, and air just like us!  We both also need sunlight. Sunlight helps people and plants stay healthy and grow. 

Plants also need soil to survive.  Without soil plants would not be able to receive the water and nutrients they need to live. 

How do plants assist people? 

Plants help people in many ways.  

Plants filter the air of carbon dioxide and other pollutants to make clean oxygen or air to breathe!  They provide humans and animals with healthy food and are even ingredients to some common medications!  

Now that we know what plants need to survive and how they are important to us, where do plants grow? 

Plants grow where they can get what they need.  They can live almost anywhere on Earth!

What would happen to a plant if it did not get enough water? Why is water important?   

Plants spread seeds to keep growing new plants and the seeds need water to survive.  

Since plants live in different places where there is not a lot of water or sunlight they have to adapt. 

Think of someways you adapt to the climate. What would happen if you did not wear a coat when it was cold outside? What do you do in the summertime to stay cool? 

A desert is a hot, dry place.

Some plants in the desert store water in their thick stems for when they need it.  A cactus has a waxy coat to keep the water in. 

Other plants in the desert grow roots close to the surface of the ground.  This helps them get water and stay warm in the winter.   

Some plants grow deep roots to retrieve water and nutrients. 

A rain forest is a very wet place.

Since the tall trees block the sunlight some plants in the rain forest grow big, broad leaves to catch as much water and sunlight as possible.  

Some plants grow high on other trees by taking advantage of the water and nutrients around them.  Since the rain forest is humid they get the water they need from the air.  The nutrients are received from the dead leaves that fall off of the taller trees. 

The arctic is a cold and icy place.  

Arctic plants have dark leaves and flowers to help hold in the heat. These plants also have roots that grow close to the surface of the ground.  This helps plants stay warm in the frozen soil. 

How do plants adapt?