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Presented by: Jean Francois Alex Nitusha Gaya Madina Molohoo Bhavna Kandhai Mohseena Pawtoo Mary Jane Ravanne Christopher Syed
Contents
Introduction What are xerophytes? Where are they found? Types of soils that xerophytes grow Types of xerophytes Morphological and anatomical adaptations Physiological adaptations C4 plants C4 photosynthesis CAM plants CAM pathway Conclusion
Plants which grow in xeric (dry) habitats Xeric environments, e.g. deserts Many adaptations have allowed xerophytes to live there Developed mechanisms to minimize water loss and hence prevent dessication
Where are xerophytes found?? Found in arid areas but as well as in salt marshes, saline soil, or in acid bogs Adapted to chemically hostile, wet environments American Southwest, which includes the Sonoran Desert, the Chihuahuan Desert, the Mojave Desert, and the Great Basin Desert, are habitats for a rich variety of xerophytes. Also occur in Central America and Mexico, in the deserts of Idaho and Oregon, southern Africa and on the island of Madagascar. South Western Australia also contains some species of xerophytes. xerophytes.
Type of soil = desert soil Thin topmost ayer Low in moisture and nutrient poor Can range from sandy and finefinetextured to loose rock fragments, gravel or sand No subsurface water
Types of Xerophytes
Based on the nature of soil and cause of unavailability of water 1. Physical xerophytes: grow in dry soil
E.g.. Opuntia, Casuarina, Ruscus 2.
Succulents Succulents:
Have fleshy character. Grow in droughtprone arid regions, dry soil. Absorb large quantities of water in leaves, stem or roots. Stem succelent: E.g. Opundia Leaf succulent: E.g. Aloe Root succulent: E.g. Asparagus.
Aloe
Asparagus Asparagus
Aloe
A xerophytic plant is one capable of surviving in an environment with little available water or moisture Plants like the cacti, bromeliads, Euphorbia virosa, pine are examples of xerophytic plants with various adaptations to survive in their respective dry environments
Xerophytes show various morphological & anatomical adaptations. Some or all the adaptations are especially to prevent water loss by the plant.
Extensive roots
Example
less surface area for evaporation smaller surface area for diffusion maintains humid air around stomata maintains humid air around stomata maintains humid air around stomata maximise water uptake
marram grass, cacti marram grass, couch grass marram grass, cacti
Thick sclerenchyma
Smaller leaves cool faster than large leaves (thinner boundary layers) Vertical leaves have highest irradiation in early morning and evening
Asphodelaceae Portulacaceae
500 -
Among the world's most important crops and noxious weeds Maize, sorghum and millet are staple foods throughout the tropics, sugarcane is traded globally, and 14 out of the world's 18 worst weeds are C4 plants.
C4 photosynthesis in xerophytes
This type of photosynthesis is so-called because the carbon dioxide is first soincorporated into a 4-carbon compound. It uses PEP carboxylases as the 4enzyme involved in the uptake of carbon dioxide. This enzyme allows CO2 to be taken into the plant very quickly, and then it transfers the CO2 directly to RUBISCO for photosynthesis With C4 pathway, Xerophytes are able to overcome the tendency of enzyme RUBISCO to wastefully fix oxygen rather than CO2 This is achieved by the use of another enzyme to fix carbon dioxide in mesophyll cells resulting in the formation of Malate or Oxaloacetate; and also by the isolation of RUBISCO from oxygen The leaves of xerophytes are believed to established spatial separation between C4 pathway and Calvin Cycle C4 carbon fixation actually takes place in the mesophyll cells whereas the Calvin Cycle occurs in the Bundle sheath cells
Summary
It has been seen that the release of CO2 in the bundle sheath occurs in three different ways. In most C4 species, decarboxylation of malate with an accompanying oxidation to pyruvate is catalyzed by malic enzyme. The three different pathways are as follows: 1. C4 photosynthesis of NADP-malic enzyme type plants NADP2. C4 photosynthesis of NAD malic enzyme type plants 3. C4 photosynthesis of PEP carboxykinase type plant
Step 1: CO2 is first fixed by 1: phosphoenolpyruvate with the formation of an oxaloacetate and release of an inorganic phosphate. Reaction is catalyzed by the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase.Step 2: carboxylase.Step Oxaloacetate is transported to the chloroplast where it is reduced by the enzyme NADP malate dehydrogenase to form malate. 3: Step 3: Malate moves to the bundle sheath cells via the plasmodesmata into the chloroplast of the bundle sheath cells where it is oxidatively decarboxylated to form pyruvate. The reaction is catalysed by the NADP malic enzyme. 4: Step 4: The pyruvate is transported to the chloroplast of the mesophyll cell. Pyruvate is converted to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP).
Reaction is catalyzed by the enzyme pyruvate phosphate kinase. kinase.
CAM plants
CAM is an acronym for the name of the plants that have this type of photosynthesis and generically describes the type of metabolism. The C stands for the plant family Crassulaceae. Crassulaceae. The A stands for acid since acid is produced at night and M stands for metabolism. Crassulaceae includes many succulents. These succulents evolved in hot areas where water must be conserved. Like many xerophytes CAM plants have adaptations to live in hot and arid areas. These plants fix CO2 during the night, storing it as the four-carbon acid malate. The CO2 is fourreleased during the day, where it is concentrated around the enzyme RuBisCO, increasing the efficiency of photosynthesis. The CAM pathway allows stomata to remain shut during the day, reducing evapotranspiration. Therefore, it is especially common in plants adapted to arid conditions.
Crassula capitella
Crassula lycopodioides
Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM): a twotwopart cycle Crassulacean acid metabolism, also known as CAM photosynthesis, is a carbon fixation pathway present in many plants such as xerophytes growing in very dry and often hot habitats. CAM is a two-part cycle consisting of a night cycle followed twoby a day cycle.
The OAA is then reduced to malic acid by NADH and NADNADmalate dehydrogenase. This NADH dehydrogenase. is provided by the oxidation of triose phosphate in the cytosol. cytosol. The malic acid is actively transported across the tonoplast membrane and accumulates in the vacuole This keeps the concentration of malic acid low in the cytoplasm which is important because it is asn allosteric inhibitor of PEP carboxylase. carboxylase. Production of malic acid proceeds throughout the night but slackens off as dawn approaches.
Sugars
Sugars
CAM plants are slow-growing. .WHY? slowEnergy lost at night by the use of starch to provide acceptor molecule for dark reaction SlowSlow-growing : Yes, but. advantageous over other plants by keeping guard cells open at night and closed in the daytime to avoid dessication. dessication. Many CAM plants function as both CAM and C3 HOW? In moist and cool conditions they grow as C3 plants In dry and warm conditions they grow as CAM plants Again this avoids dessication! dessication!
Conclusion
Xerophytes are subjected to harsh environments such as extreme temperatures and dry conditions. Even though they have been able to adapt themselves through their evolution by developing special physiological features as well as biochemical mechanisms that assist them in facing the extreme conditions and increase the chance on surviving. They now are able to thrive in many parts of the world through a large multiplicity of environments whether it may be in dry or even humid locations.