How Do Plants Survive in the Sonoran Desert?
The Sonoran Desert, located in Arizona, California and Mexico, gets very hot and almost unbearable in the summer. Yet, the desert plays host to a variety of plants that have developed special adaptations to ensure their survival. These special features also help ensure the survival of the wildlife and birds that rely on the plants for food, shelter and habitat. Does this Spark an idea?
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Shedding
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Some plants, including the palo verde tree and the ocotillo, shed their leaves during dry weather. Shedding the leaves helps the plants conserve moisture at a time when no water is available. As soon as the rain returns, leaf buds appear just a few days later.
Wildlife
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The flowers, fruits and seeds of some plants such as the saguaro cactus provide important food resources for wildlife and birds. In turn, wildlife and birds that eat the fruits help disperse the seeds across the desert, allowing the plant to reproduce and ensuring its survival. Hummingbirds and butterflies also help pollinate a number of desert plants so they produce seeds.
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Expanding Bodies
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Several plants, including the saguaro and the barrel cactus, rely on expandable bodies to collect water during the rainy season. The plants rely on this extra water to get them through times of drought.
Roots and Thorns
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To maximize the capture of water, the saguaro cactus has a deep taproot up to 3 feet and extensive roots going out as much as 100 feet to its side. Thorns on cacti, in addition to discouraging wildlife from munching, encourage water from rain or dew to drop down directly to the roots of the plant.
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References
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