In order to
live in an area with such a large amount of water, the plants and
animals that inhabit Jug Bay have evolved with adaptations that allow
them to live successfully so that they may procreate and continue on
as a species. Of the many adaptations that are located in this area
we were able to see how aerenchyma is used within the plant
community, the benefits of the spatterdock growth patterns as well as
why “duck corn” is able to be such a plentiful source of food for
the consumers in the Jug Bay
wetlands.
Aerenchyma
is a spongy tissue with large air spaces found between the cells of
the stems and leaves of aquatic plants. This feature provides plants
in this area buoyancy and allows for the circulation of gases such as
oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. It is an important adaptation
for the plants in this area because a majority of their bodies lie
beneath water. Without aerenchyma, plants would be unable to take the
proper nutrients they need from their roots up to their leaves and
vice versa. Aerenchyma is a vital component to the structure of
wetland plants that prevents them becoming asphyxiated from flooded
soil (Armstrong,
W).
Spatterdock
commonly known as cow lily is a plant at Jug Bay that has equipped
itself with a few adaptations to help it prosper in this wetland. One
of the adaptations is in fact the above mentioned aerenchyma, and
another is where the pores are on the leaf of the plant
(Spatterdock).
The stomata
of this plant are located on the top of its leaf, rather than the
bottom like most plants. This along with the large heart-shaped leaf
that the spatterdock allows for the plants leaves to lie on the
surface of water, collect oxygen and transport it down to the roots
of the plant using the aerenchyma (Swarthout,
Debbie).
Finally, we
were able to get a good look at the great amount of duck corn that
lives in this area. Two major reasons for the abundance of this
species is the way duck corn is able to float on top of the water,
and the sticky mucus that is inside the seed. The duck corn’s tough
exterior and buoyancy in the water allows it to float till it can
find a place for optimal germination. Once settling upon soil the
seed is able to stick to this spot using the mucus that lies inside,
preventing it from drifting while in the beginning stages of growth.
Duck corn is a staple food for the animals in this area, and without
this adaptation it would not be able to feed the many species in Jug
Bay (Marsh
Notes, Summer 2012).
References:
Armstrong,
W., and M. B. Jackson. "Formation of Aerenchyma and the
Processes of Plant Ventilation in Relation to Soil Flooding and
Submergence."Http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1438-8677.1999.tb00253.x/abstract.
N.p., 28 June 2008. Web. 26 Nov. 2012.
<http://onlinelibrary ..wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1438-8677.1999.tb00253.x/abstract>
Swarth,
Chris. "Jug Bay Data." Jug
Bay Wetlands Sanctuary News 26
(Summer 2012): n. pag. Print.
"Spatterdock,
Cow Lily « AQUAPLANT." Spatterdock,
Cow Lily « AQUAPLANT.
N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012.
<http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/plant-identification/alphabetical-index/spatterdock/>.
Swarthout,
Debbie. "Stomata." Stomata.
Encyclopedia of Earth, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.eoearth.org/article/Stomata?topic=49510>
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