KINGDOMPLANTAERivannaMasterNaturalists

APRIL13,2016

RECAPOFPREVIOUSPRESENTATIONS

•  Ecology:plantsprimaryproducers,baseoffoodwebs;interacPonsamongorganisms

•  Geology:evoluPonandgeologicPme;soilformedfromrocks,plantsadaptedtosoils

•  Herpetology:taxonomy;evoluPonaryrelaPonshipsamongherps

•  Entomology:evoluPonofcharacterisPcsofinsects

BUT FIRST…A LITTLE Taxonomy

the science of discovering, describing, naming, & classifying life

Kingdom Phylum (animals)/Division (plants) Class Order Family* Genus* Species*

*Used in plant identification

EVOLUTIONANDTAXONOMY

Re.evoluPonbyfixedlaws:“Thereisgrandeurinthisviewoflife,withitsseveralpowers,havingbeenoriginallybreathedintoafewformsorintoone;andthat,whilstthisplanethasgonecyclingonaccordingtothefixedlawofgravity,fromsosimpleabeginningendlessformsmostbeauPfulandmostwonderfulhavebeen,andarebeing,evolved.”--CharlesDarwin

MODERNCLASSIFICATIONSYSTEMS

Goal:CategorizelifebaseduponevoluPonaryrelaPonships

•  BeforeDNAanalysis,morphological,chemical,otheravailableinformaPonusedinclassificaPon.

•  Now,canalsousemoleculardata,primarilyDNA,whichhasledtomuchre-classificaPonoflivingthings.Example:birdsinAustralia

Australianfairy-wren

Floweringdogwood:classificaPon

•  AddphotoofFloweringdogwood

Biological classification of Flowering Dogwood

•  Kingdom: Plantae Division: Anthophyta

Class: Angiospermae Order: Cornales

Family: Cornaceae Genus: Cornus Species: florida

CommonvsscienPficname

Floweringdogwood:CornusfloridaHumans:HomosapiensBinomialsystemofnomenclature:

Genusandspeciesname:Genusalwayscapitalized;speciesnevercapitalized.Thechallengeofcommonnames…

ErythroniumamericanumCommonNames

•  Troutlily•  Fawnlily•  Adder’stongue•  Dog-toothviolet

Sixkingdoms(ormore??)

•  Archaebacteria•  Eubacteria•  ProPsta(includingChromista—ornot?)•  Fungi•  Animalia•  Plantae

Kingdom:Archaebacteria

•  mostancientbacteria•  Growinharshenvironments:heat,saline

KingdomEubacteria

•  Moreadvancedbacteria

•  SomephotosynthePc

•  Somecan“fix”Nitrogenchangegastonitrates;liveinrootnodulesinbeanfamily

KingdomFungi

•  Mushrooms,molds,lichens

•  Mycorrhizae(mycorrhizalfungi)associatedwithrootsofvascularplantsformutualbenefit

•  Lichens:alga+fungus:extremeenvironments:deserts,polar,highelevaPon;SensiPvetopollutantsinair

SPnkysquidfungus

KingdomProPsta

•  Algae:red,green,brown;seaweeds

•  Protozoa:usuallyone-celled:Paramecium,Amoeba,Euglena

ProPsta:greenalgae

ProPsta:Amoeba

KingdomAnimalia

•  Invertebrates:spongesthroughstarfish

•  Vertebrates:lampreysandfishthroughmammalsincludinghumans

PHYLUMPLATYHELMINTHESFlatworms:Planaria

PHYLUMPLATYHELMINTHESAnnelida:Polychaeteworm

PhylumArthropoda

PHYLUMECHINODERMATAFeatherstar

Chordata:vertebrates

KINGDOMPLANTAEWHYSTUDYPLANTS?

•  Greenplantsbasisofallfoodwebsexceptdeephydrothermalvents,whicharerare

•  Goodindicatorsofhabitats,includingsoils•  EssenPaltothebeautyoftheworldaroundus•  Theyarefellowlivingbeingsonourplanet•  …andinshort,becauseweneedthem(oxygen,food,clothes,shelter,etc.)

KingdomPlantae400,000species

•  Non-vascular:Bryophytes:mosses,liverworts,hornworts

•  Vascular(specializedPssuethatconductswater,minerals,sugars)3100+speciesinVA

a.Seedless:ferns,clubmosseshorsetailsb.Seedplantsc.3100+speciesinVA

Non-vascular:Moss(andMossManPs)

Vascular,seedless:Fern

Vascular,seedless:Clubmoss

Seedplants

•  GymnospermsNakedseeds:conifers,gingko

•  Angiosperms:Coveredseeds:floweringplants

– Monocots:oneseedleaf(corn)

– Dicots:twoseedleaves(radishes,beans)

Gingkotree

Conifer:whitepine

PartsofanAngiosperm

1.  Roots:uptakeofwater,minerals;anchor

2.Stems:support;transportofwater,sugars3.Leaves:Photosynthesis:Carbondioxide+waterinpresenceofchlorophyllandlightyieldssugar+water4.Flowers

PartsofanAngiosperm

SecPonthroughleaf

Flowers

•  Petalsornot:dependsonmethodofpollinaPon,windoranimals

•  Parts:sepal(calyx),petal(corolla),stamen(male),pisPl(female),receptacle

•  -SmallgroupacPvity:1.Partsofaflowerusing Alstromeriaflowers2.view: -bees, -limabeans, -vascularPssueincelery

Alstromeria

Springbeauty

POLLINATORS

•  AndrenabeepollinaPngSpringbeauty

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The Decline of Insect Pollinators

FLOWERINGPLANTREPRODUCTION

Dicotseed:limabean

PLANTPHYSIOLOGY

Nitrogenmetabolism

•  PlantsneedN-compoundstosustainlife.•  MaytakethemupasN-compoundsdissolvedinwatertakenupbyroots

•  Someplantsincludinglegumes,haveevolvedmutualisPcrelaPonshipsbetweenbacteriathatcanfixNandthemselves.Bacteriahousedinnodulesofroots

NitrogenmetabolismN-fixingbacteriainnodulesof

legume

PLANTMOVEMENTS

•  Plantshavenomusclesandnerves•  Allmovementbyplantsarethroughgrowthorturgor(water)pressurechanges:sloworfast

•  Slow:foldingofleavesofsensiPveplant,Mimosa

•  Fast:Venusflytrap

Venusflytrap

Physiology:geingandusingenergy

•  Alllivingthingsrequireenergytomaintainlife•  Energyreleasedbymetabolismoffood(sugar,etc.)

•  Greenplantsmake,thenuse,theirownfood•  Plantswithoutchlorophyll(suchasparasiteslikeDodder)mustacquireanddigestfood

•  Animalsacquireanddigestfood

Photosynthesisrequireslightenergy,chlorophyll(green)and

manyenzymes

PlantandanimalrespiraPon:samebasicprocess,includingenzymes:

C6H12O6+O2àCO2+H2O+ATP

•  Chlorophyllcantrapsun’senergy,andconvertittochemicalenergy,whichthen,throughcomplexchemicalprocesses,usesthatenergytobuildsugarmoleculesoutofcarbondioxideandwater.Enzymesrequired.

•  “Burning”sugartoreleaseitsenergyrequirescomplexchemicalprocessesthatpickapartsugar,releasingenergystoredinitschemicalbonds,andusedtomakeATP.ATPstoresenergyandprovidesitforcellprocesses

EVOLUTIONOFPHOTOSYNTHESIS

•  Extremelycomplexandcontroversial(naturally!)

•  PhotosynthePcorganismspresentby3.2-3.5BYAinstromatolites

•  Oxygenbegantoaccumulateinatmosphereby2.4bya(seeMarilyn’sgeologymaterial)

STROMATOLITES,SHARKBAY,AU(isthatallthereis??)

NUTRIENTPROCUREMENTRootsandMycorrhizae(fungalroots)

•  Rootsabsorbwateranddissolvedminerals

•  Mycorrhizaeassociatewithplantrootsforsymbiosis:exchangeofnutrientsandfood

PLANTGROWTH

•  Meristems:sourceofnewcellsforplant;somewhatlikestemcellsinanimals

•  Apicalstemandrootmeristem:primarygrowth

•  Inwoodyplantsalsovascularcambium(xylemandphloem)andcorkcambium(bark):secondarygrowth

PLANTHORMONES

•  Regulatorsofgrowth•  SmallquanPPes,butlargeimpact(asinanimals)

•  Tropisms(Auxins):responsetolight,gravity,touch

•  Gibberellicacid:alsogrowth

PHLOEMANDXYLEM

•  Transportstructuresinvascularplants•  Xylem:deadcells:watertransportfromrootstostemsandleaves

•  Phloem:livingcellstransportsugarsthroughouttheplantfromleaves

•  WaterconservaPon:stomataopenandclose

POLLINATION

•  Viawind:noflowerpetalsneeded:manytrees,someherbaceousplants(Ragweed!)

•  Viaanimals:usuallyhavepetals– CallamenPontoflowerforreproducPon– Brightcolors:“comeandgetit”– Rewardforpollinators:nectar,pollen

SEEDDISPERSAL

•  Seedscontainembryoandfood•  Moveoffspringawayfromparent•  Wind:lightseeds,usuallyassociatedwithstructuretoaidwind:orchids,composites

•  Animals:clingtofur,fruittoeat•  Explosivedispersal:Touch-me-not/jewelweed

DANDELIONSEEDSBLOWIN’INTHEWIND

Explosiveseeddispersal:Jewelweed/touch-me-not

Hitchhikerseeds

CURRENTISSUESWITHPLANTS

•  HabitatdestrucPon:hugeareaspavedorotherwisedegraded

•  Invasivealienplantsandanimals:killinganddamagingindividualnaPveplants,andcausinglandscape-scaledamage

•  Pollinatordeclines,especiallyinsectpollinators•  OvercollecPon:ginseng,blackcohosh,orchids,etc.•  DeclinesinnaPveplantsleadtodeclinesincaterpillars,whicharefoodforbirds

SelectedRMNprojectswithplantIDascomponent

•  Plantsurveys:thePlantTeam:IvyCreekNaturalArea,PreddyCreekPark,OldMillsTrail,RaggedMt.NaturalArea;importantinassessingtheecologicalvalueofvariousareas

•  IdenPficaPonofinvasiveplants•  Re-locaPonofrareplantsinVirginia•  Projectbudburst•  InvasiveplanteducaPon;otheredprojects•  NaPveplantstewardship

ThePlantTeamatPreddyCreekfield