Des Espanta and Hasmik Nazaryan

Hesperoyucca whipplei
Our Lords Candle, Spanish Bayonet
1.What do the leaves, stems, and flowers of these plants
look like? Relate to survival in the chaparral.
The shrub part does not possess a stem to better conserve
water. While one would think this makes them more
vulnerable to predators, they have evolved an
adaptation: leaves that are needle-like and with sharp
tips at the end.
These tips are
plant better. One

Photo credit:
extras.mnginteractive.com

radially arranged to protect the

inflorescence yields many flowers

that are white and attached to a stalk that grows up to 10 ft or more. The color
advertises the plant to pollinators against the greenery. Being tall makes it receive more
light and allows for more efficient seed dispersal.
5. What is a niche? What is a fundamental niche? What is a realized niche?
A niche is an ecological term that pertains to the role and location of a species in the
ecosystem it inhabits. This includes the behavioral and physical adaptations organisms
undergo to respond to changes in the environment, particularly resources and how
these in turn affect the environment. A fundamental niche is the entire location with
habitable resources that is not affected by factors that limit these resources (i.e.,
predation and competition). A realized niche is the range of habitable locations with the
limiting factors that affect the fundamental niche.