Water hyacinth blooming in the lake
As mentioned in the previous tutorial about still water plants, the method of transpiration as a whole is altered in freshwater plants, due to the abundance of water in their external environment, or in the case of some, uptake of water from a wet environment, but the loss of water via their leaves in the open-air environment.
An example of transpiration problems for such plants is as follows:
On top of the need for plants to maintain a suitable water concentration in plant cells, they also require various nutrients that are found in the nutrient-rich soil and the surrounding waters. In addition to the carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen required for photosynthesis, plants require a range of macro-elements, notably magnesium (Mg), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Some of these elements, notably the gases, are readily available in the atmosphere, while carbon dioxide is produced from decomposing organic matter. Other elements are readily available in the soil, with nutrients becoming available from a decomposing matter adding to the fertility of the surrounding soil. Oxygen becomes available from the photosynthetic activities of plants, which provide the link between oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations in the area.
The availability of such elements will affect the productivity of the plants in the freshwater ecosystem and the combined productivity of the ecosystem as a whole. Evidently, the environmental factors of the freshwater ecosystem have a great bearing on how plants survive in the community. The following tutorial introduces flowing water communities, which bring new and dithering factors into the equation for possible species occupying the area.
This tutorial looks at the relationship between organisms. It also explores how energy is passed on in the food chain an..
Control of Growth & Development tutorials look at how the genetic makeup determines the biological processes on a da..
While learning and intelligence are associated with the functions of a conscious mind, sleep and dreams are activities o..
Molecules move within the cell or from one cell to another through different strategies. Transport may be in the form of..
The kidneys are responsible for the regulation of water and inorganic ions. Read this tutorial to learn about the differ..
The blood sugar level is regulated by two hormones. The mechanism behind this type of negative feedback control is descr..