Kingdom Plantae

Kingdom Plantae contains nearly 300,000 different kinds of plants. They also place the macroscopic, multicellular brown algae (Division Phaeophyta) and red algae (Division Rhodophyta) in the Kingdom Plantae.Although this does not make it the largest kingdom, many might argue that it is the most important one.In the process known as "photosynthesis ", plants use the energy of the Sun to make food and oxygen. This complex chemical reaction provides nearly all the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere and all the food required by living things. Although some protists and bacteria are capable of performing photosynthesis, plants do most of the photosynthesis on Earth.

                 The ancestors of plants first appeared in the seas nearly 700 million years ago. Another 265 million years passed before the first plants appeared on land. These early land plants looked very different than the plants you're familiar with today. In fact, many of them didn't even have roots, stems, or leaves! Since then, plants have taken on a variety of forms and are found in most places on Earth.

General Characteristics
 

A. Contain chlorophylls a and b.
B. Cell walls made of cellulose.
C. Have tissues and organs (roots, stems and leaves).
 

 Evolution of Plants
A. Evidence that plants evolved from algae
1. Green algae and plants both have chloroplast with chlorophylls a and b
2. Both have cell walls made of cellulose.
3. Both form starch as stored glucose.
4. Both demonstrate alternation of generations

Problems with life on land
A. Dehydration
1. Adaptations
a) Roots, vascular tissue, cuticles and bark
B. Support
1. Adaptations
a) Stiffer, thick cell walls; wood
C. Distribution of gametes and/or spores
1. Adaptations
a) Water tight seeds and/or spores.
b) Spores lighter than air.

Classification of Plants

A. Phylum Bryophyta 

• Primitive
• Lack vascular tissue
• Lack true roots
• Mosses and liverworts (Hepatophyta)

B. Super Phylum Tracheophyta

• More advanced than Bryophytes
• Contain vascular tissue

C. Phylum Pterophyta 

• Reproduce by spores
• Leaves generally grow from underground stems
• Ferns and horse tails

D. Phylum Coniferophyta

• Produce naked seeds in cones
• Many are evergreens
• Produce soft wood
• Needle like leaves
• Redwoods, pines, cypress and junipers

E. Phylum Anthophyta

• Flowering plants
• Either herbaceous or hardwoods
• Most advanced of all plant forms

a) Class Monocotyldonae (Monocots)

• Seeds contain one cotyledon
• Leaves have parallel veins
• Flower parts are usually in multiples of 3
• Lack cambium
• In the stem, vascular bundles are scattered
• Generally wind pollinated
• All are herbaceous with a few exceptions

b) Class Dicotyledonae (Dicots)

• This class is now called Eudicotyledonae
• Seeds contain two cotyledons
• Leaves have netted veins
• Flower parts are usually in multiples of 4 or 5
• Have cambium
• Vascular bundles are arranged in a cylinder, in the stem.
• Generally pollinated by animals.

 Five kingdom classification

Coniferous forest biome

Coniferous forest biome

                Coniferous forest ecosystems are found in regions of the Earth that experience somewhat long and cold winters, with summer being much shorter. Thus, it is no surprise that these biomes are more common the closer one travels towards the Earth’s poles. Additionally, this biome is found high atop mountains where temperatures tend to be lower and winter tends to last longer.
              The Coniferous Forest is a forest of Conifers. A Conifer is a tree that produces its seeds in cones.  The Pine tree is the most common example.  Conifer leaves conserve water with the thick, waxy layer that covers their leaves, also known as needles.  The vegitation in the Coniferous forest is small in size, but large enough to feed the vast herbivore population.  Most of these animals survive the brutal winters by migrating or hibernating. 

                       

Average Annual Rainfall- 14-29.5 in.

Average Temperatures in the Summer- 57.2°F

Average Temperatures in the Winter- 14°F

Temperate coniferous forest         

Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest. In most temperate coniferous forests, evergreen conifers predominate, while some are a mix of conifers and broad leaf evergreen trees and/or broad leaf deciduous trees. . Coniferous forests can be found in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Many species of trees inhabit these forests including cedar, cypress, douglas-fir,pine, podocarpus, spruce, redwood and yew. The understory also contains a wide variety of herbaceous and shrub species.

Tundra

Tundra Biome

              In the very cold places of the world, survival isn't easy. The soil is frozen, its top surface thawing only during summer, and no trees can grow. Yet plants and animals that are adapted for the harsh conditions thrive. This biome is called tundra. Most of the world's tundra is found in the north polar region. It is called Arctic tundra. There is a small amount of tundra on parts of Antarctica that are not covered with ice. Plus, tundra is found on high altitude mountains and is called alpine tundra.

             Permafrost is the term given to frozen soil. During the winter months, permafrost reaches the surface of the tundra. It is very cold during the winter, with temperatures reaching -60 degrees Fahrenheit (-51 degrees Celsius). Very few animals are active in these harsh conditions.

              In the summer time, the tundra changes. The Sun is out almost 24 hours a day, so the tundra starts to warm up. The permafrost melts at the surface, and plant life grows. However, the permafrost only disappears for a few inches below the surface. There isn't enough soil for trees to grow, so only small plants are found in the tundra.

          At the same time, a variety of animals come out to feast on the plants. Insects come to feed on the animals, and birds appear to enjoy the insects.

Characteristics of tundra include:

1. Extremely cold climate


2. Low biotic diversity


3. Simple vegetation structure


4. Limitation of drainage


5. Short season of growth and reproduction


6. Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material


7. Large population oscillations

Tundra is separated into two types:

Arctic tundra

                    Arctic tundra is located in the northern hemisphere, encircling the north pole and extending south to the coniferous forests of the taiga. The arctic is known for its cold, desert-like conditions. The growing season ranges from 50 to 60 days. The average winter temperature is -34° C (-30° F), but the average summer temperature is 3-12° C (37-54° F) which enables this biome to sustain life. Rainfall may vary in different regions of the arctic. Yearly precipitation, including melting snow, is 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches). Soil is formed slowly. A layer of permanently frozen subsoil called permafrost exists, consisting mostly of gravel and finer material. When water saturates the upper surface, bogs and ponds may form, providing moisture for plants. There are no deep root systems in the vegetation of the arctic tundra, however, there are still a wide variety of plants that are able to resist the cold climate. There are about 1,700 kinds of plants in the arctic and subarctic, and these include:

• low shrubs, sedges, reindeer mosses, liverworts, and grasses


• 400 varieties of flowers


• crustose and folios lichen

                   All of the plants are adapted to sweeping winds and disturbances of the soil. Plants are short and group together to resist the cold temperatures and are protected by the snow during the winter. They can carry out photosynthesis at low temperatures and low light intensities. The growing seasons are short and most plants reproduce by budding and division rather than sexually by flowering. The fauna in the arctic is also diverse:

• Herbivorous mammals: lemmings, voles, caribou


• Carnivorous mammals: arctic foxes, wolves, and polar bears


• Migratory birds: ravens, snow buntings, falcons, loons,


• Insects: mosquitoes, flies, moths, grasshoppers


• Fish: cod, flatfish, salmon, and trout

                  Animals are adapted to handle long, cold winters and to breed and raise young quickly in the summer. Animals such as mammals and birds also have additional insulation from fat. Many animals hibernate during the winter because food is not abundant. Another alternative is to migrate south in the winter, like birds do. Reptiles and amphibians are few or absent because of the extremely cold temperatures. Because of constant immigration and emigration, the population continually oscillates.

Alpine tundra
   
                           Alpine tundra is located on mountains throughout the world at high altitude where trees cannot grow. The growing season is approximately 180 days. The nighttime temperature is usually below freezing. Unlike the arctic tundra, the soil in the alpine is well drained. The plants are very similar to those of the arctic ones and include:

• tussock grasses, dwarf trees, small-leafed shrubs, and heaths

Animals living in the alpine tundra are also well adapted:

• Mammals: pikas,, mountain goats, sheep


• Birds: grouse like birds


• Insects: spring tails, grasshoppers ,beetles

world biomes

Mediterranean Biome

       This biome actually goes by several names.  It is found surrounding  large parts of the Mediterranean Sea and is thus sometimes called the Mediterranean Biome, others call it a Woodland Biome, while others call it a Shrub or Chaparral Biome. 

         In general, this biome is found clustered around the 30� north or south latitude line.  These are the latitudes where warm, wet air rising from the equator has cooled, dropping its moisture over the equator.  The air mass then spreads out from the equator and at these latitudes falls to the ground as very dry air.  In many parts of the world this forms deserts, but in the Mediterranean Biome the presence of an adjacent body of water, often with cold waters, offsets the dryness of the falling air to some extent.  Often the precipitation that does fall is largely restricted to a few months in the relatively warm winter, and the summers may be very hot and dry.

       Chaparral is the smallest biome. It is found in specific areas between places with a hot, dry climate and high atmospheric pressure, and those with cool, wet climates and low atmospheric pressure (Ricciuti, 9). It shares certain characteristics with its neighboring biomes. Chaparral grows between forest and grassland, or between desert and grassland biomes.

          Chaparral, or Sclerophyll forest biomes, occur in Europe, Africa, Asia Minor, North America, and South America. Chaparrals exist between 30° and 40° North and South latitude on the west coasts of continents. The favorable climatic conditions which produce this biome includes shore areas with nearby cold ocean currents. Mediterranean Chaparral biome is localized in the coastal areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea including parts of Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor.

           The chaparral biome is found in a little bit of most of the continents - the west coast of the United States, the west coast of South America, the Cape Town area of South Africa, the western tip of Australia and the coastal areas of the Mediterranean.

             Lay of the land: The chaparral biome has many different types of terrain. Some examples are flat plains, rocky hills and mountain slopes. It is sometimes used in movies for the "Wild West".

           Chaparral is characterized as being very hot and dry. As for the temperature, the winter is very mild and is usually about 10 °C. Then there is the summer. It is so hot and dry at 40 °C that fires and droughts are very common.

               Fortunately, the plants and animals are adapted to these conditions. Most of the plants have small, hard leaves which hold moisture. Some of these plants are poison oak, scrub oak, Yucca Wiple and other shrubs, trees and cacti.

              The animals are all mainly grassland and desert types adapted to hot, dry weather. A few examples: coyotes, jack rabbits, mule deer, alligator lizards, horned toads, praying mantis, honey bee and ladybugs.

Major biomes